OO Frame 28 Gauges
 

Gentlemen , I have been pondering the OO Framed 28's today ,I know by reading in TPS the 28 Gauge was first built in the early 1900's and the earliest guns were built on the standard 20 Gauge ,O Frame ,TPS also lists the 410 Bore was built around 1923 and built on the OO Frame so we know the Frame size was started before this ! I then read through PP's in my favorite section " Parkers Found " to see what the earliest OO Frame 28 Gauge was that was listed there and to my surprise ,I couldn't find what I am looking for , the DH 28 I listed 106312 a 25" Barreled gun which I happened to own at one point was an O Frame gun so I am assuming the OO Frames may have come later , by the way I wish I still owned that gun , in a lapse of good judgement ,well you know how it works ! Has this been discussed before ,I can't seem to locate any discussion on it so would any one know the serial # or at least the earliest serial # of the OO Frame28 Gauge known to exist ?

I have 149020 which is a 0-frame 28 made in 1908 and I have a VHE 28 on the 00-frame made in 1923.






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Keep in mind as you venture on your journey that it's not a given that they stopped using the 0 frame once the 00 was introduced. There are probably some 0 frames 28's built after some 00 frame 28's.

Are you sure that the first .410s were 00 frame? Maybe Chuck will look at the stock book entries to clarify that.

Bill; I am not sure,I wasn't there :rotf:!!!! Volume II TPS ,Page 528 ,about 1/3 of the way down the right column it states this little bit of Info. ,I would assume it is correct as to the amount of research put into the writing of TPS !

That Fall 2015 issue of Parker Pages features an article by Bill Mullins and Charlie Herzog on the .410 prototype and includes info on the first few Parker .410's





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00 or 000?

For the few that don't have TPS ,Page 528 TPS , Written Quote , " Parker introduced two other frame sizes in later years . When the 410 bore was first developed about 1924 ,it was made on the 28 Gauge ,OO ,size frame . Then soon after ,but we do not know exactly when , Parker decided to make an even smaller frame for the 410 . The OOO Frame had a dimension between hammers of 13/16 of an inch . " End Quote " , I don't know if correct but is what is written on the subject ,I would still like to know the serial # of the earliest OO Frame 28 gauge !

I would assume again the Prototype could have been any size frame ???? And if the OOO Frame wasn't built yet ,although TPS says they are nearly identical except for the width of the firing pins !

I believe the .410 prototype was built on the frame or back half of a returned 00-frame 28 gauge gun. It was certainly a mongrel with Lefever .410 barrels adapted to the Parker frame. The gun currently resides in the Peterson Collection in the NRA Musehm in Fairfax VA.






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