Parker 20ga VH with British proofs

[Don Anderson]

Here's the second Parker I purchased in my recent deal.

Serial # 123021. Matching numbers in the appropriate places.

It is a pretty standard 20ga VH 0 frame with well worn but unaltered stock and finish. Well it does have one alteration; a rectangular silver inlay on the right side of the butt stock. 26" barrels are both choked -.025" Top lever is slightly left of center. I can't feel any movement in the action with the forend off, but I can hear a slight tick by shaking it. Not a problem in my opinion.

The interesting thing is the British proofs. If anyone would be able to translate all the stamps that would be great. Also, in general would the British proofs add to or detract from the value.

Thanks,
Don.

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[John Davis]

Don, I've had a couple of Parkers with British proof marks. And I've still got one that I sent to England and had the barrels Teague lined. They had to be English proofed as a result. They've all been great guns and great shooters, but the English proofing didn't/doesn't have a positive affect on the value.

[David C Porter]

BNP= Birmingham Nitro proof. .615= Chamber diameter. Crown over BP= Black power proof. 2 1/2= chamber lenght. Diamond 20= 20 gauge. 3 tons/sq in= Proof test pressure. Crossed swords with letters= Birmingham inspector date codes.

[Matt Buckley]

I wouldn't see why the English proof marks would have much bearing on lowering the value of a gun like this. I would think finding a damascus barreled Parker with English nitro proofs would add to the value.

[Don Anderson]

Thank you gentlemen.

Going to shoot it some on Friday with my normal low pressure 3/4oz reloads. Assuming I can shoot it acceptably, this one my be headed off to Mike Orlen to have the chokes opened up for quail hunting. Thinking -.005" and -.010" The current chokes would be bird manglers even with my 3/4oz load.

[Drew Hause]

The gun was proved in 1963 (the Birmingham date code O B on lower left)
3 TONS proof is the standard for 2 1/2" chambers and would be for a max. service pressure of 9000 psi

[Stan Hillis]

I had that done to a 20 ga. Sterlingworth Ejector about 5 years ago, by Dean Harris. I chose to go with .006" R and .016"L. I have been very happy with the gun on quail. My reasoning in having that much choke in the left barrel is that we get into wild birds here occasionally, and with the right conditions they just won't hold for the dogs long enough for us to approach. The others are early release birds, turned out in coveys in August. By October they often won't hold for you to approach the dogs, and bust out at the sound of leaves and grass underfoot.

When they flush "wild" a little extra choke is nice. I've never mangled a close bird with it.

[David C Porter]

A British shotgun proof rating of 3 tons/sq in (often seen as a "3 TONS" or "3" mark on older shotguns) equates to 6,720 pounds per square inch (PSI). Service pressure= 8939 psi.

[Don Anderson]

The gun was proved in 1963 (the Birmingham date code O B on lower left)
3 TONS proof is the standard for 2 1/2" chambers and would be for a max. service pressure of 9000 psi

Very cool. I'd love to know how a gun made in 1904 made it over to England to be proofed in 1963.

It looks like the silver inlay on the stock has a very faint "Winston Churchill" engraved.....ha ha .. kidding. If these old guns could only talk.

I load 12.9gr of Green Dot behind 3/4oz of 7 1/2s that is listed for 8700 PSI so I should be good to go.

[Don Anderson]

I had that done to a 20 ga. Sterlingworth Ejector about 5 years ago, by Dean Harris. I chose to go with .006" R and .016"L. I have been very happy with the gun on quail. My reasoning in having that much choke in the left barrel is that we get into wild birds here occasionally, and with the right conditions they just won't hold for the dogs long enough for us to approach. The others are early release birds, turned out in movies in August. By October they often won't hold for you to approach the dogs, and bust out at the sound of leaves and grass underfoot.

When they flush "wild" a little extra choke is nice. I've never mangled a close bird with it.

I like that plan.

[Gerald McPherson]

Don, I have a VH 20 ga 28 inch with very little chokes. The more I shoot it the more I like it. Bill has opened chokes for me a couple times and did a great job in my opinion.

[Drew Hause]

"A British shotgun proof rating of 3 tons/sq in (often seen as a "3 TONS" or "3" mark on older shotguns) equates to 6,720 pounds per square inch (PSI). Service pressure= 8939 psi."

David: did you mean a proof pressure of 16,720 psi? Is that by LUP or piezo transducer? Where did you find that number?

Under the 1925 Rules of Proof the Mean Proof Pressure for 12g 2 1/2" & 2 5/8" was 13,700 psi; Max. 15,000 psi
For 12g 2 3/4" Mean was 15,900 psi; Max. 17,500 psi
But those numbers are by LUP and require adding 10 - 14%

The 1954 Rules of Proof “Highest Mean Service Pressure” equivalent transducer values as converted from LUP by Burrard’s formula:
2 3/4 tons = 8,120 psi
3 tons = 8,960 psi
3 1/4 tons = 9,800 psi
3 1/2 tons = 10,640 psi
4 tons = 12,320 psi

Your 8939 psi is the conversion provided by the Birmingham Proof House 11-2001 (courtesy of Larry Brown) and is simply Tons x 2240 x 1.33

John Brindle, author of Shotgun Shooting: Techniques & Technology published a review of Proof and Service pressures in Part 5 of his series in The Double Gun Journal, “Black Powder & Smokeless, Damascus & Steel”; Volume 5, Issue 3, 1994, “Some Modern Fallacies Part 5”, p. 11.
His estimated post-1954 (TONS was marked 1954 - 1989 and was measured by crushers) but pre-CIP standard pressures converted to piezo transducer PSI

......................Standard Service....Max. Service.....Proof
12g 2 1/2”..............6,800 psi.........8,800 psi.......12,250 psi
12g 2 3/4”..............7,800 psi.........9,800 psi.......14,050 psi
(CIP 2 3/4”)...........10,733 psi........12,328 psi......13,489 psi
16g 2 1/2”..............7,300 psi..........9,300 psi.......13,150 psi
16g 2 3/4”..............7,800 psi..........9,800 psi.......14,050 psi
He did not record 20g

[Stan Hillis]

I've got a Sterlingworth Ejector that has made the swim across the pond and back, too.

Man, if these old guns could talk . . . .

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[Don Anderson]

I took my new Parker and went kicking brush piles this afternoon looking for some cottontails. Didn't kick up any rabbits, but did spook one squirrel in the tree tops and Parker did what it was built to do. Back in business :)

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