From what I can see in the pictures you have a very nice gun with honest wear and tear. I doubt it left the factory with that recoil pad but it looks to be a Hawkins pad and that is period correct for that gun. You might consider joining the PGCA and getting a factory letter for it. You also may find you start reading these forums more often and before you know it you own another Parker, we have seen it happen before.

I figured the recoil pad was not factory. No idea where the original is. It's what's been on it for some time. I think I will join PGCA and get a letter. Thanks Mr. Books!

So, ignorant me, would this gun likely take a 2 1/2 shell, low pressure?

I strongly suspect your gun being a 12ga has 2 5/8" chambers. I don't believe anybody has ever hurt one firing 2 3/4" shells. I have a Trojan 12 from 1913 and shot 2 3/4" 1 1/4 ounce lead at 1330 fps at ducks for years when lead was legal. When the first bismuth loads came out all they had available was 1 3/8 ounce and I shot those. I experienced no problems. Trojans are stout guns. Now that I am older and wiser (mostly just older) I shoot "lighter" loads and found they work just fine. Make sure the screws that hold the stock to the receiver are tight, use proper screwdrivers and if you don't know what you are doing find a Smith that does. The wood is 100 years old and dry, treat it kindly with lower recoil loads to avoid cracking it. RST Shotshells makes ammo that is designed for vintage guns.

I cut my pheasant hunting teeth on a 1914 Parker Trojan No. 167347 in 1960 - 1963 using off-the-shelf heavy duck and pheasant loads. I was 12 or 13 when I started shooting it and it clobbered me pretty hard and I didn’t like shooting it but it was “big medicine” on those big birds... and more effective than my single shot Stevens 20.





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140 years old and in frequent use for pheasant and prairie grouse.

There are people who still shoot muskets from the Revolutionary War , and Civil War muzzleloaders .

I would be perfectly happy with just my Trojan 12 & 20. One of the things that brought a smile to my face is the checkering on you family Parker has been worn thin. Everyone on this form has heard the following too many times, but my father found a new Trojan 20 under the Christmas tree when he still believed in Santa. It's checkering pattern is visible though smooth to the touch. I picked up a 12 to give the 20 some company and have been shooting sporting clay and wobble trap all winter with it. Again when going over the metal with the Frontier pad and Hoppe's No.9. I would wipe the Hoppe's on and let it sit for a day. I wouldn't scrub the gun with the pad, but just lightly go over the metal. Here is a picture of the honest wear on Papa's Trojan 20.

You can scrub rust spots and grunge with the Frontier pad with no damage to blueing or case color, but Harry’s suggestion of letting the Hoppe’s sit on those spots for a day or two is a good one.





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