#4 Frame Parker

[Ken Descovich]

How rare is a #4 frame Parker? I was at the Denver Colorado gun show this past weekend and saw a 10 guage top lever hammered D3 grade Parker with #4 frame with 32 inch damascus barrels that weighed 6 1/2 lbs.

Thanks in advance,

Ken

[Dean Romig]

Something's wrong there. I won't say that's impossible but I have a real hard time wrapping my mind around that weight vs. 4-frame & 32" barrels. Now, an unstruck barrel weight of 6lbs, 8 oz. for a 4 frame gun I can easily digest.

[Bill Murphy]

Yup, it's a bit scarce. Mid and high grade #4 frame guns sometimes have interesting provenance. They were the competition pigeon guns of the day. Let us know what you find out about this one. What is the serial number?

[Ken Descovich]

Dean - yes that is the struck barrel marking for the weight of the barrels before finishing.
Bill - The serial number is 38521 and the gun itself is quite heavy.

Ken

[Dean Romig]

Frank Cronin brought his 5 Frame 10 ga hammergun with 34" barrels to Addieville. I think he told me it weighs 13+ pounds and is the biggest 10 gauge I have ever 'tossed' to my shoulder. Frank did mention at the end of the 100 bird course that he did start to get tired toward the end. Frank's a big guy and young too but I certainly can't fault him for admitting to the wearing effects of that big gun.

[Jeff Kuss]

My 6 frame hammerless 10 ga weights 11 lb. 2 oz. The unstruck barrel weight is 6 Lb 13 oz. It is a gh with 34" barrels

[Bill Murphy]

Most #4 frame tens made for the pigeon circuit were ordered at 11 pounds. This may have been a competition weight limit in the mid to late eighties.

[Ken Descovich]

I have requested a letter on it and will see what news I find out. I do not have posession of the gun as of yet as I traveled by plane and a friend of mine was driving home so he offered to bring it back for me. If it was made for an individual I will post his name to see if he was a known pigeon shooter. I will also weight it to see if it meets the possible 11lb limit you mention.

Thanks,

Ken

[Bill Zachow]

Come on guys, get a real gun. My 6 frame 8 gauge weighs in at 13 pounds, nine ounces and the barrels have an unstruck weight of 9 pounds one ounce.

[Ken Descovich]

Can anybody beat Bill's (Zachow) weight? I mean his shotgun.

[Jeff Kuss]

My 8 ga. 7 frame is 14 lb. 12 oz. It has 38 " barrels unstruck weight of 10 lb. 9 oz.

[Dean Romig]

10 lb., 9 oz. Yikes :eek: Two of my 28 ga. guns together don't weigh as much as those barrels :rotf:

[charlie cleveland]

jeff thats the heaviest parker ive heard of so far...would love to shoot a turkey or duck at long range ... whats the chamber lentgh of this beast.... charlie

[Jeff Kuss]

Charlie,
It was returned after 2 months to Parker and the chambers were lengthened to 4".

[Frank Cronin]

Jeff, do you have any, as Charlie put it, pictures of this beast?

[Jeff Kuss]

Here is an old picture from the PP after I bought it in 2002.

[Bill Murphy]

Jeff did not mention that his big eight is one of a matched, consecutive numbered pair, both with 4" chambers.

[Dean Romig]

Do we know the wherabouts of the mate to Jeff's 8?

[calvin humburg]

That is a REALLY neet gun Jeff.

[Jeff Kuss]

Actually the mate is a G with identical dimensions. I don't know where it is. It was ordered by Wm Wagner, Washington DC. I just looked at the order, the G was a pound heavier that the P.

[John Truitt]

Mr. Kuss,

Thank you for sharing. That is an amazing gun.
Have you shoot it much to see how it patterns, etc.

I am also curious as to the choke, really the amount of constriction in each barrel.

Thank you again,

John

[charlie cleveland]

i hope some day that mate ofjeffs gun gets to visit itsother half and maybe they could be together for a while...thats amazing that those 2 guns were ordered together and both having 4 inch chambers...jeff what do you think the loading of shot and powder was for these beasts... i believe you have a true 100 yard duck gun.... charlie

[Dean Romig]

Jeff, what did those two guns sell for when new?

[Richard Flanders]

That is one impressive Parker!

[Bill Murphy]

Dean, the G retailed for $120 and the P retailed for $95. A $10 allowance (discount) was allowed on each, a correction in the original order. William Wagner was normally allowed a substantial discount which the person writing the order apparently did not allow for in the original pricing. There is no clue as to the original purchaser from Wagner. The G was ordered at 15 1/16. The P was ordered at 14 14. It is probable that the weights were taken from finished guns since the difference is so small. The rechambering to 4" shells was "free". Excuse me for answering this question for Jeff, but I don't know how accessible his information is to him. OK, Jeff, there are those other than I who would like to know where the other gun is. What have you learned? I have not seen the stock book entries for these guns which would give patterning information unless the page is cut off, which most are.