GH 8
 

By popular request . . . here are some photos of the new 8.

Frame Size Comparison
 

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.

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

Shotgun shell size comparison
 

L - R : 8, 10, 12, 16 & 20

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

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

Mine is 1913 as well.

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

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

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

Very Nice! Is that a Miller single trigger?

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

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

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

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.

Here is a comparison of the 8 to the 20. Now I need a 28 and maybe a 410.

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

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:

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

Thanks for all the responses and compliments.

Dave, thank you for that loading info.

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.

No problem Fishtail. Great photo!

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.

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.

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.

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

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).

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

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

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

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

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.

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