I just made this post on the shotgunworld thread from 2006, titled "Who invented the 28 gauge?" which is pretty interesting reading. "Recent research shows that the first order for a Parker 28 gauge was placed on February 6, 1900. The order was for five 28 gauges for Shoverling, Daly, and Gales in New York. I still think the H&R exposed hammer double 28 gauge probably predates the Parker 28 gauge." The provided link for that thread seems to have been skewed by my post, but it is available in the "Shotguns, General" subforum on shotgunworld.com.

The only listing of the little H & R 28-gauge hammer double I've found was in the 1912 SD&G catalogue --

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...GCatalogue.jpg

The Remington Arms Co. Model 1893 single barrel was being offered in 10-, 12-, 16-, 20, 24-, and 28-gauge in their 1899 catalogue.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...1Catalogue.jpg

In their April 1897 catalogue the Model 1893 was only offered in 12-, 16- and 20-gauge.

OK, so we somewhat eliminate H&R from the first double 28 race. Where does Parker fit in if Greener predated Parker in the UK? I think that it is very unlikely that Parker Brothers was first to manufacture a 28 gauge breechloader if the Greener claim is correct. Is it important to identify the first 28 gauge double gun in the US? If it isn't H&R, who is it?

Parker Brothers me thinks....:)

OK, you win. February 6, 1900, first Parker order, probably the first US made double guns. I tried my best to find an 1899 order but couldn't do it. The serial numbers of the first guns are in the Parker Pages article. Austin's serial numbers mentioned in the article are the first numbers in the stock books, which are not the first guns made or ordered. The stock books that include the first 28 gauge guns are "missing".

There is a nice little American hammer 28 coming up in one of the auctions soon. I can't remember where I saw it, but it may have been Kull's (Armsbid.com)

I don't think so. It would be fun for one collector's group to be able to stake that claim but it probably doesn't matter otherwise.

We have transgressed fron the 410 to the 28, is that like changeing from a Blonde to a Redhead? Just checking as I try to stay current on all the popular Porn sites:biglaugh:

Dean, you discovered one of my well known errors in posting. I meant to post "It is important to identify the first 28 gauge double gun in the US." I guess it is Parker unless we can find an earlier H&R offering.

I think the more important fact is that Parker Bros. did not "invent the 28 gauge".