3" magnum load

[James Misner]

Is it safe to shoot a 3" magnum load in a Parker Dbl Brrl.?

[Don Kaas]

Simple general answer, NO! Not unless it is one of the very rare late 1930's marked Parkers on the side of the barrel lug "12 gauge for 3" shells " or a modern Parker Repro marked 3". Heavy #3 frame 12 gauge fluid steel Parkers can be used with 3" Magnum ammunition if properly chambered but I would leave this to the "experts". Use of very heavy loads in these old guns is not best practice.

[James Misner]

THANKS FOR THE REPLY, THE 3" load fits,but wasn't sure.I have a 1924 gunmade with trojan steel. THANKS again. JIM

[Dean Romig]

You could very easily damage your Trojan beyond repair . . . or worse.

[Don Kaas]

The Trojan would have originally had 2 5/8" chambers and really is not suitable nor safe for either shooting a 3" Magnum load as is nor having the chambers lengthened. If you want an old SxS to shoot 3" loads from the M21 Winchester 3" Duck, some L.C. Smith Long Range/Wildfowls or the rarer Fox HE and Ithaca NID 12g 3" Magnum would be MUCH better choices. Good Luck

[Andrew Thompson]

Good luck is right. Been looking for an HE or long range for 4 years and they are proud of those 21's. On another note, 3 inch shells can be brutal to the shoulder. I have had good luck with 2 3/4 3 dram loads. I still have a gunsmith check my guns every year to make sure everything is closing and staying closed when it should.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Andrew,

Good to see another duck hunter on the forum.

A Smith Long Range or Wildfowl usually isn't too hard to find, a Fox HE on the other hand is a rare bird.

Destry

[Don Kaas]

I actually handled a late Remington Parker 12g VHE (238,???) factory marked for 3" shells yesterday at the Vintagers. It was a straight grip, slim factory beavertail, single trigger with a Hawkins pad. It was built on a 1 1/2 frame with 30" mod and full barrels. This is a very rare gun and you would not get much change from $11k if you purchased it. I almost bought it but came away with a 36" #6 frame DH 8 gauge with unique waterfowl factory engraving for about the same money instead. DH grade 8 bores aren't the most common of Parkers but I am pretty sure I am correct in saying a fully option 3" Magnum 12 gauge is the rarer bird.

[Pete Lester]

What is the earliest known production of a factory Parker 3" Magnum 12 ga ie. specifically built for the 3" magnum, no swamp in the barrels at the breech and stamped for 3" shells?

[Don Kaas]

I do not know but I doubt it was before 1934 unless a special order and after 1919 information on special orders is scarce. I have examined two "12 ga for 3" shells" guns and both actually had slight swamping in the breech area forward of the chambers but without measuring wall thicknesses it was just a visual observation. The few "10ga for 3 1/2" shells" guns I have seen including Destry's GH which I see often are pretty "straight sided".

[Pete Lester]

I was once able to observe "Babe" DelGrego as he evaluated/determined the originality of a magnum 12ga. According to Babe the barrels for a magnum 12 would have no swamp at the breach. I believe this is also mentioned in Parker Story. I asked Babe directly if such barrels were marked and stamped in the late 20's and he said yes. I am curious to know if anyone has or knows of a gun that is so stamped, original, and earliest year built.

I wonder if guns stamped for 3" that swamp at the breech have been legthened and stamped after they were built?

[Francis Morin]

[QUOTE=Andrew Thompson;4453]Good luck is right. Been looking for an HE or long range for 4 years and they are proud of those 21's. On another note, 3 inch shells can be brutal to the shoulder. I have had good luck with 2 3/4 3 dram loads. I still have a gunsmith check my guns every year to make sure everything is closing and staying closed when it should.[

Andrew, good post: I had an HE, sold it to a brother waterfower (built like Dick Butkus) who had been after one for years- Great gun indeed (over and above the Nash Buckingham/Burt Becker mystique)- but very heavy, and at .750 Nom. BD a 11 gauge (somewhat).

At my age (near 70) I went to a Smith 12 with 3" chambers, 32" Nitro Steel with factory ventilated rib, DT, AE- 8 lbs. even and I shoot the Cabela offered Classic Doubles non-toxic no. 4 loads in it- BUT, only the 2.75", NOT the 3" Magnums.

I agree, M21's are "pricey"- perhaps that's due to the shorter span of production- 1931-1959 then Custom Shop special order- Parker= 1869-1940? LC Smith- 1880's (?) then Hunter- 1945- Marlin- 1954? AH Fox 1905-1929 then Savage until 1940?

I have seen a few M21 12 gauge 3" DUCK guns advertised with Briley tubes on the various auction sites, I don't know enough about that to advise you. Good luck with your search for a 12 double waterfowler, whatever the make, and good shooting this Fall on "dem webfeets"!!:bigbye:

[Don Kaas]

I have had a number of early heavy 12 gauge (and one 20) Parkers on 2 and 3 frames mostly "pigeon guns" that lettered with either 3" or 2 7/8" chambers. Not one of them had any external markings indicating chamber length...not one... I always found Babe Delgrego to be a helpful and delightful fellow but occasionally a bit dogmatic. The marked 12 gauge for 3" shell gun I viewed yesterday along with professionally trained gunsmith, Russ Bickel caused us both to remark how even on a 1 1/2 frame the barrel breeches could not be said to be "straight sided". I even put a straight edge against the breeches and it appeared to be very slightly swamped but perhaps somewhat more forward of the breech than a normal 1 1/2 frame gun. I wish we could have measure the BWT at the chamber ends.

[Jack Johnson]

I believe there is a Fox model H Super Fox on Guns America . Is has just been priced reduced to $5400. I purchased my LC Smith Long Range for quite a bit less than this but I would love to own the Super Fox one day.

[King Brown]

Seventy years of gunning tells me there may be places for a 3-inch magnum but I haven't found one where I was at a disadvantage with 2 3/4 12 gauge shells. Magnums are noisy, expensive, punishing and, in a sense, abusive of fine guns. Parkers are fine guns.

[Buddy Marson]

Ivory Beads had a 3" mag VHE 12ga. for sale at the Vintagers. The gun is not yet listed on their web site and when I left the Vintagers today it was still available.

[Bill Murphy]

Yup, a VHE for more than ten grand. I would rather shoot a ten. Super Foxes are the hot lick lately at half the price of the 3" Parker at the Vintagers. Even a Model 21 Duck us usually not near the Parker price.

[Buddy Marson]

I believe a 3" Parker is pretty rare which would account for the higher "asking price".