Nothing wrong with Francotte's. I'd buy a 20 in a heartbeat. I had a 12 that I traded off for a GH 16

Just a comment fwiw from one who's long been interested in vintage doubles and their gunsmithing; it was decades ago when a mentor told me that Parkers have "soft barrels" (steel hardness). Surely a subjective statement and I kind of forgot it until I invested in tooling to do vintage-type re-choking on makers that did taper chokes in their guns. Since then I've opened tight chokes in Foxes, steel-barreled Parkers and Syracuse Lefevers, along with Ithaca, LC Smith and some other makers. It's easy to gauge the cut rate while turning a piloted taper choke reamer from the breech end, and ime Parker steel barrels typically are easiest to ream while opening chokes with that setup. Also, LCS barrels are usually at the other end of the range, much harder. Now, regarding barrel denting while guns are in the field, woods hunting, you can infer what that might mean.

Again this post is merely for info/fwiw. Please, I'm not looking to do tapered-choke work except on my own guns and on occasion for good friends.

Not me, I'm not old yet!!!! :nono:

:biglaugh:





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I'm probably 15-20 years younger than the rest of youse guys!!!! Just 'cause I have replacement parts and am scheduled for another one soon does not make me old, just well used!! :rotf:

Just to clarify, that .020 - .025" MWT refers to the distal 1/3 of the barrel. Which of course is most likely to get whacked.

Thanks (mostly) to Dave Suponski we have composition data on a few Parker barrels
A pre - WWI Parker “Titanic” barrel - AISI 1030 with low concentrations of nickel and chromium.
A pre - WWI Parker “Trojan” barrel - AISI 1035.
A pre - WWI Parker “Vulcan” - AISI 1015
A post-WWI Parker “Vulcan” barrel - AISI 1030.
A “Parker Steel” barrel was non-standard Acid Bessemer Resulphurized Rephosphorized AISI 1109 low carbon Steel.

Lower carbon (in general) = softer steel. Scroll down about 2/3 here
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...EK8OtPYVA/edit

Comparative results are summarized at the bottom

I got the gun! Fortunately a friend was able to check MWT for me, and I should be good at .035/.030” and gun choke is CYL and SKT so ideal for woodcock and grouse! Dimensions of stock could not be more ideal either! Literally could not have done better had I ordered a bespoke gun ... I have never had a gun that truly fits, and I am beyond tickled! 5# 5 oz of delightful little doublegun JOY!!!

Now I just need to get my deer so I can get out in the woods with it!!!

Thanks for all the helpful comments guys!

Pictures, Pictures! We gotta see it!

This has been a good discussion on thinner barrel walls. Now, does anyone know a reliable gunsmith who will backbone to leave the walls a little thinner than 0.030? I have a nice 12 gauge DHE on a #1 frame that is still too muzzle heavy with wall thickness of 0.031. I would like it backboard to say 0.027-8, but can 't find anyone to do it.

I wonder how much weight that would save? Back when I worked at the pipeline company I made an excel program that could calculate this exact thing (although with somewhat larger bore sizes 😂)