Cliff, if your gun had 30" barrels you may still have quite a bit of choke, have you measured them? Most Parker chokes were 3 to 4 inches in length. So get them measure and you maybe surprised.
Eric

Cut Barrells
 

From what I am reading the cutting of barrells is unfortunately quite common. I am guesing that they were 30" probably Full/Full. Have you patterned the gun. Again I was suprized to find out from my research letter that my barrells were full/full. All the times I hunted quail/pheasants/grouse and rabbits I never noticed. I always throught the right barrell was somthing less than full.

It's your gun, but I would pattern it and if it is reasonalble I would just enjoy it and not modify it any further (assuming who ever cut the barrells did a good job).

Good luck with you Trojan. I sure enjoy mine and am looking forward to gettign it back together again.

Larry

cut barrells and chokes
 

Erik and Larry,
Thanks for your input. Using my micrometer, my bores measure out to skeet and improved cylinder. I did pattern the gun at 30 yds and the pattern was terrible.
However, I patterned using shothshells with the fiber wads and not a plastic wad. The reason I did so was because I was given some old shells that were in very good shape and wanted to see how these old guns patterned using the shells loaded in that fashion. At 30 yds I was surprised to see how good the pattern was. That was using, gasp (lol) an elsie that was unaltered. When I patterned the Parker, with the cut barrells, there was no comparison. Guess I should pattern it at 15 yds and see the results. It may be a good quail/grouse gun at that range. However loading with the more modern (to these guns anyway) plastic wads I am sure a good load could be worked up.
As a side note, I began playing with the brush wads and the light brush wads from ballistic products. So far the patterns are very close to how the original shells preformed. In my minds eye, it just adds more to these fine old guns, to harvest game using their original chokes.
yes i will enjoy this gun regardless of the cut barrells and finding a good load for it will be part of the fun.

Cliff try some good factory loads not the promo loads and see how they pattern, you maybe surprised.

That will be done and I am sure it will be better than the shells I tried.

I have run across an 1887 hammer gun. Thinking about purchasing it. It is going for $800. It is mechanicaly sound, locks up tight, mirror bores and a good stock. 30" twist barrells that ring like a bell, 12 guage, #1 frame, 4lbs, #1 grade. However someone blued the barrells and receiver and I have a gut feeling I am missing something about this gun. Maybe tomorrow I will take some pictures and post here or in the hammer gun thread.

hi , does any one have info about a 20 gauge parker reproduction serial number start with P instead of 20

Ned, I would recommend you start a new thread and you may get some good information.

Hi!

I just found out about this site while looking for information on my latest acquisition.

I am a member of the MD Shooters website in Maryland And someone suggesyed I check your site for help. So far it was a great suggestion. I found out a ton about my find nut still have some questions.

Here is my story. Yesterday I was hanging out at my local gun store when a guy came in with two shotguns that were in his grandfather's closet. The store was not interested in old guns and told him to talk to me. The first was an old single which was worthless. The second was a Parker Brothers SXS 12 gauge hammer gun. Patent DATEATE 1875 dTE doublmarh

Sorry, somehow my message may have been sent before I finished. I'll try again.

I just found out about this site while looking for information on my latest acquisition. I am a member of the MD Shooters website in Maryland and someone suggested I check your site for help. So far it was a great suggestion. I found out a ton about my find but still have some questions.

Here is my story. Yesterday I was hanging out at my local gun store when a guy came in with two shotguns that were in his grandfather's closet. The store was not interested in old guns and told him to talk to me. The first was an old single which was worthless. The second was a Parker Brothers SXS 12 gauge hammer gun. Patent date 1875. It has some minor problems. Someone stuck the wrong hammer screw in the right hammer and tried to pry off the left hammer plate. Because of the goober gunsmithing I guessed it was worth anywhere from $25 to $100. I told him it would have been worth a bit more if it had not been played with. He offered it to me for $25 which was a no brainer.

The gun functions fine but needs to be checked out before firing. It is all matching S/N 65162 which dates it to 1891. It has 28" twist steel barrels and appears to be a type 0 Gun. I don't think it is a type 1. I know little about twist steel. It is overall in good shape and very pretty, Does anyone know its approx value, or any additional information?, history??

Thanks

Stan

PS the site is great.

Welcome to the PGCA Forum.

We will need pictures in order to assist you.