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-   -   GH 8 (https://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=13128)

Mills Morrison 03-23-2014 07:03 PM

GH 8
 
5 Attachment(s)
By popular request . . . here are some photos of the new 8.

Mills Morrison 03-23-2014 07:12 PM

Frame Size Comparison
 
2 Attachment(s)
Bottom to top: Trojan 20 gauge on no. 0 frame; VH 16 gauge on no. 1 frame; GH 12 gauge on no. 2 frame; DH 10 gauge on no. 3 frame; GH 8 gauge on no. 6 frame.

Brian Dudley 03-23-2014 07:19 PM

That thing is a monster! Look at the thickness of the wrist compared to the rest.

Mills Morrison 03-23-2014 07:20 PM

Shotgun shell size comparison
 
1 Attachment(s)
L - R : 8, 10, 12, 16 & 20

Mills Morrison 03-23-2014 07:26 PM

Brian, it made the DH 10 you fixed for me look like a 410. Not even I was expecting it to be so big

greg conomos 03-23-2014 07:26 PM

What year was it made? I think mine was 1913. It looks very similar.

Mills Morrison 03-23-2014 07:29 PM

Mine is 1913 as well.

charlie cleveland 03-23-2014 07:29 PM

mills that is one fine gun but i belive its a little bit big for the wife..the shell collection is great...and it makes a 10 ga look awful small.lordy i love these big old gun s...have you got to shoot and pattern the big 8 with 8 ga shell s yet..what a gun you have and with a single trigger....charlie

Harryreed 03-23-2014 08:00 PM

Not only a nice 8, you must be proud of the whole group!!! All very nice.

Frank Cronin 03-23-2014 08:03 PM

That gun is a BEAST. Great pics! Congrats!!!

Scott Janowski 03-23-2014 08:26 PM

Very Nice! Is that a Miller single trigger?

Eldon Goddard 03-23-2014 09:16 PM

Those are some great pictures. I like picture 4 the best.

Brian Dudley 03-23-2014 09:17 PM

That single trigger is to keep you from wanting to pull both triggers. :-)

Scott Janowski 03-23-2014 09:23 PM

Yes......but what if it makes the decision for you?

Mills Morrison 03-24-2014 05:42 AM

1 Attachment(s)
It is a Miller single trigger. Here is a picture of the selector which is built into the safety. I got the research letter back and it says it was sent back to the factory to have the chambers lengthened for 3 1/2 shells.

I have not been able to shoot Charlie's shells in it yet. We were out of town most of this weekend and not anywhere I could shoot.

Mills Morrison 03-24-2014 05:54 AM

1 Attachment(s)
Here is a comparison of the 8 to the 20. Now I need a 28 and maybe a 410.

Richard B. Hoover 03-24-2014 07:22 AM

Lordy, Lordy---them barrels look almost as big as the tree behind it.

Daryl Corona 03-24-2014 07:23 AM

Finally Mills,your search is over. Congrats on a nice looking gun. I would'nt want to have to buy your ammo for you.:rotf:

Brian Dudley 03-24-2014 07:35 AM

Mills, I have a single 8ga primed paper hull. Been kicking around. I will bring it to the southern. It is yours.

Based on the looks of the chamber wall thickness, it doesn't appear they couldn't have built an 8 on any smaller than a 6 frame.

You did good on that one Mills. When you first started looking, I know you were after a fixer upper. That one looks like anything but.

Daryl Corona 03-24-2014 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Dudley (Post 134855)
That single trigger is to keep you from wanting to pull both triggers. :-)

Just hope that that cannon does not ever double on you Mills. Ouch!

Mills Morrison 03-24-2014 08:11 AM

Thanks for the shell Brian! Yes, I started out looking for a fixer up, but this one does not need anything. The stock is brand new.

I have had a 10 double on me a few times and it was not that bad. Hope that does not happen with this one.

My son looked at the trigger and said the gun was missing a trigger.

Mike Franzen 03-24-2014 08:28 AM

Congrats Mills on a super nice Parker! You done good.

Eric Eis 03-24-2014 09:18 AM

Mills bring that gun to the Southern, I may know that gun.....

Dave Noreen 03-24-2014 09:42 AM

FWIW, here is my 8-gauge UMC/Rem-UMC shotshell offerings info --

I have looked through some of my old Union Metallic Cartridge Co. catalogues, and find their 8-gauge shells were only offered loaded with bulk smokeless powder or black powder. I don't find any 8-gauge loadings with dense smokeless powders.

In 1903, 04 and 05, UMC's 8-gauge shell was the "Trap" shell, green in color. Bulk smokeless powder loads were --

5 drams with 1 1/2 ounces of shot
5 1/2 drams with 1 3/4 ounce of shot
6 drams with 2 ounces of shot.

In black powder loads they offered --

5 drams with 1 1/2 ounces of shot
5 1/2 drams with 1 3/4 ounces of shot
6 drams with 2 ounces of shot
6 1/2 drams with 2 ounces of shot
6 1/2 drams with 2 1/4 ounces of shot
7 drams with 2 ounces of shot
7 drams with 2 1/4 ounces of shot.

None of these catalogues mention the length of the shell these loads are put up in. UMC's primed empty 8-gauge paper shell, equivalent to the "Trap" shell, was head stamped "Expert" and was offered in 3 1/4 inch length for $25 per thousand, and 3 1/2 to 4 inch lengths for $28 per thousand.

By 1910, the "Trap" and "Expert" were gone and the 8-gauge offerings were in the "Arrow" shell, salmon color. Bulk smokeless powder loads offered were listed as being in a 3 1/4 inch case --

5 drams with 1 1/2 ounces of shot
5 1/2 drams with 1 3/4 ounces of shot.

There was no offering of loaded extra length 8-gauge shells.

Black powder loads offered were --

5 drams with 1 1/2 ounces of shot
6 drams with 1 3/4 ounces of shot
7 drams with 2 ounces of shot.

The "Arrow" primed empty 8-gauge shells were stamped HANDLOADED on the side and were offered in 3 1/4 inch length for $25 per thousand and the 3 1/2 to 4 inch lengths for $28 per thousand, and all carried the notation "bulk powder only."

Through the 1915-16 Remington Arms-Union Metallic Cartridge Co. catalogue the 8-gauge offerings remained the same as 1910. By the 1918-19 Rem-UMC catalogue only the 3 ¼ inch empties were being offered and the only bulk smokeless load was 5 ½ drams with 1 ¾ ounce of shot. Black powder loads remained the same.

Greg Phillips 03-24-2014 10:37 AM

Beautiful gun, very nice clean engraving, enjoy. And yes heading in the other direction 28 then 410...Congrats

Mills Morrison 03-24-2014 11:11 AM

Thanks for all the responses and compliments.

Dave, thank you for that loading info.

greg conomos 03-24-2014 12:07 PM

1 Attachment(s)
Mills, sorry if I am cutting in on your thread, I will delete this if you wish. I love comparison like this, though, and here is a photo I took for my brother some time ago. It's the GH8 Damascus below the GH28 Damascus.

Mills Morrison 03-24-2014 12:10 PM

No problem Fishtail. Great photo!

Rich Anderson 03-24-2014 03:04 PM

Greg that GH 28 damascuss has to be a rare gun. What are the barrel lengths and chokes? Perhaps you could share more with us as it deserves it's own thread.

greg conomos 03-24-2014 03:23 PM

It is a 26" barrel gun with 14" LOP. I don't recall the chokes other than 'it has some'. I'll see what I can dig up on it, it's been a while since I pulled it out of the safe. It lettered from 1903.

wayne goerres 03-24-2014 05:43 PM

You will know you pulled the trigger with the 6 dram 2 oz black powder load. The gun is awesome Mills. Let us know if you find any cleaning tools for the 8ga. Charlie and I have had to improvise a lot.

Mills Morrison 03-24-2014 06:08 PM

Thanks Wayne. My 12 gauge rod seemed to do just fine. I angled it a little bit to get an extra grip on the crud

greg conomos 03-24-2014 08:20 PM

C.O.B., the 28GH has chokes of .008" and .037" and was one of 2 guns featured in an article in Autumn 2004 DGJ (before I owned it).

wayne goerres 03-24-2014 09:05 PM

The first time I fired mine (with black powder) I took it out side and washed it out with the garden hose.

Dave Noreen 03-24-2014 09:45 PM

According to The Parker Story there were 38 28-gauge Damascus barrel GH-/GHE-Grades. 15 with 26-inch barrels. First one I ever saw was "Grandma's Gun" that showed up at Potomac Arms in Alexandria, Virginia, and I put Kevin McCormack onto it. See The Double Gun Journal, Volume Eight, Issue 3.

A meeting at a Pennsylvania Turnpike rest area to compare "Grandma's Gun" and a similar gun from Western PA --

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

George Lander 03-24-2014 10:36 PM

Mills: Have you ordered a research letter on your 8? Congratulations on a great find.

Best Regards, George

Bill Zachow 03-25-2014 05:44 AM

Brian, just for info, Parker also built the 8 on 5 frames. I owned one many years ago.

Dean Romig 03-25-2014 06:45 AM

Bill, that must have been a "light weight" as far as 8's go - do you remember the weight of that one?

Mills Morrison 03-25-2014 08:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by George Lander (Post 135026)
Mills: Have you ordered a research letter on your 8? Congratulations on a great find.

Best Regards, George

Research letter reveals that it was ordered and shipped to Maine and sent back later to have the chambers lengthened to 3 1/2.

I would like to see a 5 frame 8 gauge just to compare to mine. This 6 frame is a little on the heavy and cumbersome side, but I am not complaining.

Mills Morrison 03-25-2014 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Noreen (Post 135025)
According to The Parker Story there were 38 28-gauge Damascus barrel GH-/GHE-Grades. 15 with 26-inch barrels. First one I ever saw was "Grandma's Gun" that showed up at Potomac Arms in Alexandria, Virginia, and I put Kevin McCormack onto it. See The Double Gun Journal, Volume Eight, Issue 3.

A meeting at a Pennsylvania Turnpike rest area to compare "Grandma's Gun" and a similar gun from Western PA --

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



Those 28 gauge GHs' are nice. Hopefully, one will find its way to my safe one day:whistle:


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