26 1/4" barrels?

[tom tutwiler]

I'm looking at at PH with measured 26 1/4" barrels?? Seems beyond weird, but one picture is worth a thousand words. PS. This serial number is not in the book unfortunately, but would certainly like comments:

http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL599/2614949/23828662/405448905.jpg

[Steve Huffman]

length of chokes and what gauge ?

[Dean Romig]

I've seen barrels that measured a bit over the length that was recorded for a particular serial number. I've seen 1/8" over and 3/16" over so I guess 1/4" is quite possible. I haven't seen a set of barrels that were any shorter by similar margins than the recorded length, e.g., recorded as 28" but were only 27 13/16" that weren't obviously trimmed to take care of muzzle damage.

[tom tutwiler]

Person has no way to measure choke length. Gun is a 12 gauge. Measurements taken at the barrel ends are .710 and .695.

[tom tutwiler]

And one more:

http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL599/2614949/23828662/405448990.jpg

[Steve Huffman]

Sounds full and imp mod , almost mod. maybe he has a bad tape. Never say never like it buy it.

[tom tutwiler]

Tape's probably made in China. :)

[Bill Murphy]

I would buy it, then get a PGCA letter.

[tom tutwiler]

I would buy it, then get a PGCA letter.

Bill, is a letter available if its not in the serial number book? Gun was made in 1917. PS. What's the ballpark going price on a slightly above shooter grade PH 12 gauge these days with good bores and tight on face. 14 1/8" LOP and DAC of 2 3/4"?

[Dean Romig]

Tom, did you plug the serial number into the research letter link on our home page?

[Peter Clark]

Tom, did you plug the serial number into the research letter link on our home page?

Dean,
When you get a no records message are you just S.O.L.? My 1928 D gives me that feedback. Were they lost or something?
Thanks,
Pete

[Dean Romig]

Pete, there are some missing books so the numbers contained in those books will not show in the PGCA data base and until those books may ever be recovered no information on those ranges of serial numbers will be available. I had a 1929 CHE double trap No. 230760 that was among those in a missing book. Maybe yours would have been in the same book.

[Bill Murphy]

If the PGCA home page serial number lookup shows that there is information available, there is information available. The Serialization Book entry only refers to the availability of stock book information. The order book information is much more interesting and is commonly available for guns made 1919 and before.

[Peter Clark]

Pete, there are some missing books so the numbers contained in those books will not show in the PGCA data base and until those books may ever be recovered no information on those ranges of serial numbers will be available. I had a 1929 CHE double trap No. 230760 that was among those in a missing book. Maybe yours would have been in the same book.

Entirely possible Dean. Mine is 229,730 I think but am not looking at it. For sure it is 229, 7 something, something.

[Dean Romig]

Likely in the same book and we'll never know anything about them other than what we can establish by examining them first hand.

[will evans]

I'm certainly not an expert. In fact, I don't even own a Parker!!! I'm just here to learn. That said, the blank spot at the muzzle in the picture doesn't look as smooth as the other pictures I've been studying. File marks?

[Dean Romig]

I couldn't say. The picture is not good enough. I see roughness at the end of the rib but it looks like crud... just like at the very ends of the barrels looks like some crud as well. What I don't see in the picture is "file marks".

[tom tutwiler]

Lots of crud on this gun. Needs a real good cleaning and stripping. I spoke with the seller and he answered enough questions that I pulled the trigger on the gun subject to a 3 day inspection. Say hello to my new Turkey gun using RST lite loads. Here's a picture:

http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL599/2614949/23828662/405458942.jpg

[Steve Huffman]

Is that gun lying on concrete ???

[Dave Suponski]

Tom, I betcha that ol girl will clean up real nice.

[tom tutwiler]

Is that gun lying on concrete ???

Geez, Hadn't noticed, but it could be. This one is apparently taken on the bed.


Here's a better picture. Wood has no cracks and isn't oil soaked. Original Parker buttplate.

http://pic100.picturetrail.com/VOL599/2614949/23828662/405459170.jpg

[Steve Huffman]

Tom you find you cant sleep at night thinking about that 1/4" give me a call Id own that gun, nice and honest gun ! Good For you

[Dean Romig]

Looks like it still has plenty of color under the crud.

[tom tutwiler]

Update. Got the gun and decided before I did anything else to take it up for inspection by my smith in Pa. Barrels are indeed 26 1/4". Chokes are circa 4" long and the gun apparently was ordered reverse choked. Right Barrel is .035 and left is .023. No clue why as per Dan they don't appear to have been messed with. Gun weighs 7 lb 3 oz and the min barrel wall thickness is .039. Still needs to be stripped and clean internally, but I did use a rag and Ballistol and remove lots of crud. I'll take a few more better pictures when the weather is nice and post them. That said, its safe to say this gun certainly is in pretty decent shape overall and would seem to make a pretty good Turkey gun this spring with RST loads. PS. Gun was made in 1917 and the chambers are 2 3/4".

[Bill Murphy]

What's the serial number?

[tom tutwiler]

What's the serial number?

176149 if my memory isn't failing me.

[Chuck Bishop]

If that's the correct #, there is Order Book info on the gun. 26" barrels

[Bill Murphy]

Order the letter, Tom. It sounds like it may be interesting.

[tom tutwiler]

I'll order the letter. Just want to confirm the serial number at home first.

[tom tutwiler]

Serial number confirmed. Wrote the check and the request for letter will go in today. Interesting, the rear trigger has been bent over a fair amount so it lines up directly behind the right trigger. Couple that with the reverse chokes and something special was done by the factory I believe. Be interesting to see what the letter says. Also wonder how many damascus guns were still being turned out in 1917.

[tom tutwiler]

Gun did letter with 26" barrels. Nothing else remarkable, but nice to see the barrels are indeed correct.

[Brian Dudley]

Great news on your gun Tom! I too own a 26" PH that is in pretty comparable condition.
I checked out the exact length on mine an it is 25-7/8". So I figured I would check out a few other guns on the rack next to it quickly. A 28" Damascus GH measures at 27-3/4". A 28" Trojan is 27-7/8" and a 32" Damascus hammer gun is actually 32-1/16" long. Maybe some minor variation in lengths is not all that uncommon. I will have to check out some others tomorrow to satisfy my curiosity.

[Bill Murphy]

Tom, you have all the luck. My BH ten letters at 32" and the barrels measure exactly 18 1/2". Do you think that's a factory variation in quality control?

[Dean Romig]

Tom, you have all the luck. My BH ten letters at 32" and the barrels measure exactly 18 1/2". Do you think that's a factory variation in quality control?


Murphy, is it stamped W.F.& Co. ??

[tom tutwiler]

Tom, you have all the luck. My BH ten letters at 32" and the barrels measure exactly 18 1/2". Do you think that's a factory variation in quality control?

I'd think that is hacksaw control by some Bubba somewhere. :)

[Brian Dudley]

Was Bubba a Parker Bros. contractor? I don't recall seeing that name in TPS.

[wayne goerres]

Bubba may be the guy they called on when nothing else would do.

[Jim DiSpagno]

Bill Murphy please call me 917-763-1797 Jim Sorry to hijack the thread

[edgarspencer]

I saw this roadside sign while at the Southern last fall, but hadn't yet opened the TPS I got from Murphy while there, to see if he was listed.