Two barrel sets

[Rich Anderson]

I don't know how many actual two barrel sets parker produced but these are touted as rare, more versitale ect. I currently have two two bbl sets, the Hollywood gun a GHE 16ga with skt/skt and M/F barrels and a CHE 16 on a #1 frame with a set of 12ga barrels.

How many of us actually use the second set of barrels? The Hollywood guns M/F barrels have been on the gun once maybe twice in the 5-6 years I have owned it and the 12ga barrels on the CHE have never been on the gun in the 2-3 years I have had that one. I have owned several other "sets" over the years in both 12 & 20 and when I sold them they brought a premium because of the second set of barrels. Are the second set of barrels really worth the added expense? I know I don't get any use out of them:whistle:

[Dean Romig]

I like a two-barrel-set for the versatility it provides and that is why they were ordered that way originally. There aren't however, a lot of people who would put (pay) a premium on a two-barrel-set from the discussions I've had with other shooters / collectors.

Why, are you planning to sell the second set of barrels from one or both of those guns??

[Rich Anderson]

I wouldn't seperate the barrels from the Hollywood gun as it letters with both sets and the 12ga bbls for the CHE are Bernard ejector so I'll keep those also, who knows maybe some day I'll get to the great praries for Pheasant and might need/want a light 12.

i just don't see the overall usefullness in the second set for the added cost.

[Dean Romig]

You might want to contact the previous owner and ask for a "value rebate" :corn:

[Rich Anderson]

Somehow I think the "free look" period has passed. The 12ga Bernard ejector barrels were a good value in the barrels themselves as they were added to the gun at a later date and could be sold seperately if need be. I'll hold on to them as they are good "stuff to have".:clap:

[Bill Murphy]

Two barrel sets are scarce and fun to look at in the case, whether we use the second set or not. Three barrel sets are even more fun and more scarce. Anyone know of a four barrel factory set?

[Rick Losey]

Just a thought, maybe the two barrel sets were popular with the travelling shooter in the day when travel was a task

Just one case to haul for different uses

So, maybe to us with our large vehicles and jogging strollers :)
multiple guns seem the better approach,

Times change

Also, what percentage of two barrel sets were sent back to Parker to have the second barrels added. To me that shows a decision based on experience.

[Dean Romig]

Two barrel sets are scarce and fun to look at in the case, whether we use the second set or not. Three barrel sets are even more fun and more scarce. Anyone know of a four barrel factory set?

There is a documented small-bore DH four-barrel-set that I have inspected right in Connecticut.

I should qualify that by stating that it is documented to have been returned to Parker Bros. for the addition of barrels each time.

[Bill Murphy]

Dean, that sounds like an interesting gun. Is there more information available?

[Kevin McCormack]

My experience(s) with owning 2-barrel sets has been pretty much identical to those of the boats I've owned - the two happiest days of my life were the day I bought them and the day I sold them. Not nearly worth the premium they command, IMHO. And Dean makes a good point - how many were built as 2-barrel sets vs. being sent back and either added to or later modified? And remember, a one-barrel gun gives you great impetus to buy another Parker with the other choke/length you want!

[Dean Romig]

Dean, that sounds like an interesting gun. Is there more information available?


Yes there is Bill and I'll PM you with the information because this is on the open forum and the gun is for sale as far as I know.

[Rich Anderson]

I have had 3 sets that came from the factory with a second set of barrels and two that have had a second set added.

I'm with Kevin in that I'd rather have two 20's a 26 inch gun and another with 28 or 30 inch barrels than one gun with the second set. Any excuse for another gun:)

[Bill Murphy]

My favorite two barrel sets are my "made up" sets. Any time I feel like selling one of these guns, I can remove the "made up" or "added" barrels and sell the gun as original. One is an 0 Grade 32" 12 gauge #2 frame hammer gun. The added set is a nice set of 30" ten gauge Twist barrels that fit as if they were made for the gun. Another is a nice NH 30" Twist gun on a #3 frame. The added barrels are a set of ten gauge Titanic steel that fit perfectly. My GHE 0 frame 16 gauge Damascus 28" gun has a set of 26" 16 gauge Parker Special Steel barrels that appeared in the early seventies, just a couple of years after I bought the gun. This is the gun that also wears my 32" 20 gauge A-1 Special barrels while I wait for the gun and other set of barrels to appear. All of these except the GHE 16 were fitted at home with very minor filing or none at all. The GHE went to Larry Del Grego Sr. so a serial number could be stamped on the fluid steel barrels. It is the only non original two barrel set that I have bothered to change the serial number on. You never can tell when the original gun matching the barrels will come along.

[Dave Suponski]

You guy's have a very short memory. Check Volume 16 Issue number 4 Page 46

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

I believe that there were a lot more guns sent back to the factory to have the extra set of barrels made than left the factory as two barrel sets, I agree with Kevin, better to get another Parker. By the way my twenty gauge lifter, which was the first twenty, was sent back in 1901 for another set of barrels, 20g 28" damascus to be fitted to the gun and the only difference was the chokes! They asked that the original barrels be cleaned up. I do not have but one set with the gun would love to find the other set ser# 4634 any body knows where they might be? Thanks Gary

[Fred Preston]

This 20ga VHE gets used with either set of bbls where useful; the 32"ers (F&F) for pheasants in the field and the 28"ers (IC& Mod) for grouse and woodcock and quail in dog trials. The safetyless SST gun probably not ordered for those purposes, but it works.

[Paul Stafford]

Somehow I think the "free look" period has passed. The 12ga Bernard ejector barrels were a good value in the barrels themselves as they were added to the gun at a later date and could be sold seperately if need be. I'll hold on to them as they are good "stuff to have".:clap:

I would be first in line for those 12ga Bernard's as I'm still trying to find a set for my C grade. :whistle:

[George M. Purtill]

You might want to contact the previous owner and ask for a "value rebate" :corn:

How much value does each set add?
remember, Parker was quite pricey to get the extra set of barrels.

[Rich Anderson]

I would think the type of barrels would be the deciding factor. For example the Hollywood gun is a vent rib and BTF 2 bbl set. An extra set of vent rib bbls would be hard to find. Also does the second set have a forarm, are they extractor or ejector, small bore, length ect all determine the added value.

I recently sold a GH 16 0 frame damascuss with an added set of damascuss 20ga bbls with their own forarm. I know the person I bought the gun for paid an extra $2K for the second set of 20ga bbls.

[George Lander]

My 12 bore CH was originally built in 1899 with 32 inch Bernard Steel barrels. It was sent back to Parker three times, according to the letter. The last time it was fitted with 32 inch Titanic barrels. All at "no charge". I have both sets although the Bernard barrels have been shortened to 28 inches.

Best Regards, George

[Bill Murphy]

George, what does the PGCA letter say about the original owner? Was this originally a South Carolina gun?

[Bill Murphy]

Dave, Volume 16, Issue 4, page 46 of what?

[Dave Suponski]

Bill, Oooops.....Parker Pages

[greg conomos]

At least back then, it made a lot of sense. People were more careful with their money....I truly think if you took a guy from 1910 and told him you were going to see a professional baseball game ($125) where you would eat a hot dog ($9) and drink a beer ($8) he would pass out.

If you had a 16ga. Parker that fit you perfectly and wanted to shoot a 20ga as well, you could add a second set of barrels which cost a good deal less than a whole new gun, and you ran no risk of the stock of the new gun not feeling or fitting the same. After all, you can only shoot one gun at a time anyway.

[Bill Murphy]

Reading through the Parker Brothers order books, you get the feeling that some of these customers knew a lot about a shotgun and what they wanted in a shotgun. A second set of barrels for a specific use was one example.

[George Lander]

George, what does the PGCA letter say about the original owner? Was this originally a South Carolina gun?

Bill: The PGCA letter states that "Parker shotgun, SN 92373, was ordered by Frank W. Irwin in Cherokee, Iowa on July 28, 1899, and was shipped on September 13, 1899. According to Parker Bros. Order Book No. 47 it was a CH hammerless, 12 gauge. It featured Bernard steel barrels with a length of 32 inches and Lyman sights. It stock configuration was a straight grip with a Silver's pad. The chokes were patterned RH (265 #7 pellets in a 30 inch circle at 40 yards) and LH (280 #7 pellets in a 30 inch circle at 40 yards). Trigger pull was set at RH 4 pounds and LH at 4 3/4-5 pounds." The order specified to "Make guard same as grade 5 or 6" and "He is to use gun and talk Parker for 3 years and it is his gun". According to Parker Stock Book No 33, it's specifications were: Length of Pull: 14 1/2", Drop at Comb: 1 9/16", Drop at Heel: 2 1/2" and Weight : 8 pounds 1 ounce."

According to Order Book No. 53 it was returned by him on April 16, 1901 to "take dents out of barrels, clean & rebrown, blue all iron parts, nickel triggers, make RH trigger pull 4 pounds and tighten action" for this there was no charge.

According to Order Book No. 63, the gun was returned again by Frank W. Irwin c/ Sportsman, St. Louis MO on January 16, 1904 to "fit 12 gauge 32 inch Titanic Steel barrels to shoot 10 inches high, retarget and clean out old barrels (Bernard), and set trigger pull at: RH 3 1/2 pounds and LH 4 pounds" again there was no charge.

I have not yet been able to find W. Frank Irwin, but I believe that he might have been a professional shooter. What do you think ?

Best Regards, George

[charlie cleveland]

sounds like this man learned a lot about how he wanted his gun to shoot as he had it through the years...its a interesting read.... charlie

[Bill Murphy]

Frank Iwin was probably the famous "Tramp" Irwin, a trade representative for Laflin and Rand and also affiliated with the Sportsman's Review. He was a highly regarded live bird shooter at the turn of the century and thereabouts. He shot all over the midwest, obviously on someone else's dime. Search "tramp irwin" on la84foundation.com in the Sporting Life database and you will find pages of entries. Use the "text version" for color highlighted search results. There is also at least one reference about the time of the Parker order where he was mentioned as shooting a "new L.C. Smith". He apparently never met a sponsor he didn't like.

[George Lander]

Thanks for the info Bill. One more piece to the puzzle.

Best Regards, George

[Rich Anderson]

"You can only shoot one gun at a time":eek:....sacriledge I say.

[Mills Morrison]

I have a GH 12 two barrel set. It has one set of Damascus barrels at original length and a set of twist barrels which have been cut. I like the gun and use it often, but shoot it with the uncut Damascus barrels almost every time.

[todd allen]

A second set of bbl's was how you changed chokes, back in the day.

[Bill Murphy]

I gave you guys the wrong website address. It's LA84foundation.org Sorry.

[greg conomos]

I know one thing - I have a 16 VH 2 barrel gun that I can't give away......

[Bill Murphy]

Greg, you may have something there. I have never tried to sell one of mine. Maybe they're a real drug on the market. Maybe I'll just hold on to them.

[Bill Murphy]

How about "Original Lettered Multi Barrel Sets" for the theme of next year's Annual Meeting?

[Mills Morrison]

I want to see Bill's CH two barrel set.

[Dean Romig]

It seems that there are as many guns, originally made as two-barrel sets, lacking one of the barrel sets as there are of those which still have both sets of barrels.

[Bill Murphy]

You got that right, Dean. I just bought a 30" single trigger GHE 20 gauge at our local gun show. When I got home, I noticed the "2" stamp on the forend and barrel lug.

[Bill Murphy]

Sorry, duplicate post.

[Mills Morrison]

Bill, With your luck, you may find the other barrel

[Rich Anderson]

I have had as many original sets as made up ones. Currently there is one of each in residence.