This whole discussion, while very interesting, confuses the heck out of me.

Mr. Allen how do you suppose or explain a 12 ga two barrel set where the 26" barrels are marked 3" chambers? The 28" barrels are also 3" and stamped IC/Mod but measure .006 & .012 which would suggest it is a SSS without the SS serial number marking. I do not really care if it is an official SSS but am curious as to how it came to exist.

I am sure that Parker Repro did make some custom guns or some guns that did not follow their plan.What I was refering to was their initial roll out of the 12 gauge guns.It was their plan to make 26" open choked guns and 28" tight choked guns.When we talked them into building the SS guns they may have decided to experiment on their own.As I said earlier, Parker Repro made their own run of steel shot guns and did not mark them SS.

This one appears to be very very early production.

https://images.gunsinternational.com...937DA6FCF1.jpg

To my way of thinking a standard 12-ga. Repro w/28" bbls., having 3" chambers and choked IC/M is not a Steel Shot Special unless it also has "SS" factory stamped as part of the serial number and the choke area is chrome lined. You're free to come up with a looser definition if you'd like, but that's mine.

"It's the itty-bitty details that make the big-big difference."

I agree with Greg. To me its like the Parker Skeet gun. There are many pre-Remington skeet kinda configured guns but the only true skeet guns were marketed and built by Remington.

Bob-I don't think so. John Allen has the first at #26. I have #12SS-0029

From the info posted on the Serial Numbers of SSS guns it just dawned on me that they were numbered separate from the general run of 12 GA guns.
A new light goes on!
Bob Jurewicz

Bob,I do not think that they were numbered separately other than the 12SS prefix.When we placed the order for the 350 steel shot special guns they did not come in all at once.Nor did they reserve a block of serial numbers for these guns.We got them in batches of 25 to 50 guns at the time.I may be wrong on this,but I think you will find SS marked guns all through the first 2 years of 12 gauge production.

This should be easy . . . Has anyone seen or know of a bona fide Steel Shot Special with a serial number higher than 12SS-00350? If so, what is that gun's serial number and can you verify it with pics?

John - are you sure the SSS didn't receive its own numbering scheme?

Here's why I ask..