The more finely tapered ribs are far less common. My guess would be fewer than 10% even of the smaller gauges have the narrow rib.





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Just for the sake of comparison, my 3 other 20's have rib measurements at the muzzle of 0.32, 0.32, 0.34, and all of them have 28 inch barrels.

[QUOTE=Kevin McCormack;223430]Too many years ago now to remember exactly, I bought a #1 frame 20 ga. DHE straight grip SKBP / SFE with 32" barrels with no safety in very well worn condition from Butterfield's Auction in San Francisco. I was able to preview the gun beforehand live while on a business trip there, and the first thing I did when I got home was to order a PGCA letter.

Correction - this gun was not a straight grip but in fact a capped pistol grip. I confused it with another similar gun in the 153XXX SN range.

GT Herman was telling me this morning that there was a famous duck club in Illinois. All of the guns ordered for them were D grade, 32" 20 gauge, With NO safety, and that the Widgeon Duck Club guns had safeties, and on #1 frames. Seven were DHEs and there was a single BHE

Maybe I have missed it on here, but never quite understood the duck club fascination with 20s.

Course I have never understood shooting anything smaller than a 12 anyway.

I just like a lighter gun with a little less clobber on the back end.






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Edwin L. Hedderly was the editor of Western Field magazine, published in California. He wrote extensively about his smallbore, long barrel, Parkers. He got 32-inch barrel DHE-Grades in 20- and 28-gauge in 1911, then upgraded to 32-inch barrel A1-Specials in 16- and 20-gauge in 1912, paid for by advertising in the magazine. He ordered his guns with No Safety. His 16-gauge was pictured in Baer's books and was on the cover of the September 1966, Guns & Ammo --

Attachment 56100

One of his A1 Specials from a period Western Field --

Attachment 56101

Later he was on the California Game Commission, which may well have continued his influence on the movers and shakers in the clubs.

My but grip on that A1-S on the cover of G&A is well worn! I'm sure Hedderly gave it a lot of use.





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....and not a hint of bluing wear on the barrels. Makes ya wonder if he didn't do some stock alteration on his own.

My guess is reblued barrels.





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