Gary:


I have an 1886 Parker with "The Parker Trap Gun" buttplate. It letters as being ordered by Folsom & mentions the special order requesting that buttplate.

It's a 12 gauge, 30" twist barrelled hammer gun that shoots like a champ !!! ANY GUN that makes me look good on teh trap range MUST be one helluva gun !

John, thanks for the reply, If you don't mind what's the serial number? twist barrels? My gun letters and is on the list furnished by Austin on page one but the letter does not mention the buttplate, I will check with mark on that Is the gun full & full? Thanks Gary

Gary, some years back, I wrote an article for Parker Pages about the Parker trap gun. It was during Ron Kirby's editorship so was a number of years ago. I have one of the guns--G grade 12--and copies of two orders from Folsums for the guns. Interestingly enough, the last order also included shipment of "two molds". I believe Folsum may have funded building the trap butt mold. The guns were made in 10 and 12 gauge and primarily G grade with Damascus barrels. Other than the butt, there is absolutely no difference between a regular G and a trap G.

Gary:

It's 47,147. Twist barrels. The letter gave the pattern info (which I don't recall now), but with RST ammo, I'd say it shoots like full & full (or possibly modified and full).

Thanks Bill and John, Bill hope to see you at the vintigers, have some questions for you, meantime I will look up the article I have all copies of parker pages, so I will find it. You may have covered this subject already. The Paker Story states that some laminated barrels may have a higher degree of finish or grade. Have you seen two grades of laminated barrels?

Bill's article is in the 2000 year's Volume 9, issue 3 issue of Parker Pages.
Hint: Go to the main PGCA page and click on "Parker Pages" link on the left side. On that page you will find a "Past Parker Pages" click here link that will take you to a full index of Parker Pages which you can look through; or use your web browser's search feature to find what you need.

Gary,
I had to retake this picture. 47629 is a one frame 12 ga. 46035 is a 3 frame 10 ga. The two butt plates are different for large and small frame guns. Both guns are twist barrels. I have seen a g with damascus barrels. I agree with Bill. I see no difference other that the butt plate from other hammer parkers. Most I have seen are well used.
Jeff

Mine has the buttplate on the right (from Jeff's post). {It's a 1 frame 12, hammer gun. 30" twist}

My gun's seen a lot of use too, but my buttplate is not quite as worn.

Kevin McCormack and I and a couple of other PGCA members were sitting at the McCormack Parker display table at Baltimore several years ago. A gentleman and lady asked if we wanted to look at a Parker shotgun. Oh well, we said we would look. They unwound the highest condition Parker I think any of us had ever seen. It was a stone mint, brand new Folsom Hammer Trap Gun, tags, receipts, shipping box, about a quarter inch of paperwork from Parker Brothers, Railway Express, Folsom Arms, and I don't remember who all. This has been a few years ago when a T grade hammer gun in rather high condition would sell for maybe six or seven hundred dollars. We had a little pow-wow and agreed the the gun would sell for ten grand on its sale to a collector. I have never seen anything like that before or since. I hope Kevin will comment. Our historian may have been among the people who saw this gun.

Bill, You never know what will "walk in" at a show that kind of thing will get your heart racing!Did the folks tell you any history of the gun? Thanks Gary