20 ga
 

Ok, who won the 32 in VH 20 ga. on the "parker lettered" 2 frame on gunbroker last night?? :corn:

Tell me about it! What a rare one! I was out of it once it went over $3k.

I was surprised at the ending price.

It would have been great if the gun still had the 16g. barrels and forend too.

What gets me about the letter is that the order book state to "make as light as can" but they used a 2 frame for a 20/16g. set. I would figure they would use a 1 frame for light weight. Must have been a balance thing with the 32" barrels.

How much did it sell for?

Brian, in reading the PGCA letter, I take the comment about "light as can" to refer to the 16 gauge bird barrels. The unstruck weight of the barrels is 4-15. A swamped set of 28" 16 gauge barrels could be made well over a pound lighter than the 20 gauge barrels, making a seven pound or less gun. Jay, the gun sold for $4725 plus shipping.

I am surprised that no chamber length was requested. My old (long gone) #2 frame 32" 20, #153,333, also ordered in April 1910 by Orren R. Dickey, was ordered with 2 7/8" chambers for 3" shells. Another big 20 was ordered about the same time by Iver Johnson in the identical configuration, also with long chambers. Does anyone know where my old gun, #2 frame 20, 32" barrels, ball grip, original dogs head butt, #153,333, is? I would make a generous offer to get it back.

Was a fun auction to watch. Was watching it and the early C grade Fox at the same time. Some interesting guns are showing up on GB now.

Does anyone still have the link to the auction, I'd like to see it.

GB 414416371

I was speaking with someone this morning that said they saw the 16g barrels sell on auction about 8 months ago. So they are out there. Maybe the buyer of the gun also has the barrels. What luck if so.

Thanks Bill. There are a lot of long barreled guns in/around that group of serial numbers. Many 32-34" 12 ga. several of them are "pigeon guns".

Another easier way:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=414416371

Wow those are some seriously thick breach walls. Makes my 20/32 look rather slender.

I thought about bidding on this one, but I have a lot to learn about parker prices. I thought that being a heavy 20 it would go for less. Great gun.

Keep in mind Parker made only 221 20-ga V-grades with 32" barrels. That gun may be one of only a couple made in that specific configuration (#2 frame and a set of 16 ga barrels).

Even though it may be a rare configuration, is not the price excessive for a gun with little condition and a probably non original butt treatment?

Ordering a 16/20 gun on a #2 frame, and then asking for it to be as light as possible makes me wonder why it wasn't ordered on a 1 or even 0 frame, if weight was the issue.

Gun looks honest to me. I would have been in the running if I knew it was up for sale. Just for comparison here's a pic of 12-ga and 20-ga/3 inch breeches on a 2-framed VH. Both 32 inchers. The 20-ga is stamped 4^11, a tad lighter than the one discussed here. Barrels actually weigh 4^4 and chambers measure a few thou under 3 inches long.

For those of you coming to the Northeast SxS two weeks hence, I'll probably have the Super 20 as I call her, out at the Bo-Whoop Long Range shooting butt. She does well at far off game and I want to try her on those targets. Stop by if you want to check her out.

PS I've taken a few turkeys using 20 gauge/3-inch Western Super-X papers, folded crimp with 1-1/4 oz of #4 shot. I'm now nursing an almost full box. Good to go for another 20 or so birds. :)

http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/...ps2b532d2e.jpg

I wonder the same thing. Only the buyer knows what drove him/her to that price. Perhaps they have or know where the second set of barrels are. Or perhaps they just got caught up in the moment, which is why I avoid auctions.

The buyer wasn't the only one who found the price appealing. It takes at least two bidders to reach a selling price. As I suggested in an earlier post, the request for "light as can" refers to the 16 gauge barrels, not the 20s.

Still leaving the question unanswered "Why build the gun on a 2-frame rather than a 1 or 1 1/2 ?"

And the other question ,Do WE know who the new owner is yet ? Is he a PGCA Member ?

I am certain the new owner knew exactly what he was buying. I suspect he gets up every day looking for these unique type of parkers.

The only reason I can think of for building a long barreled 20ga on a #2 frame WITH a recoil pad was a very recoil sensitive duck hunter.

Parkers version of a SuperFox 20 Gauge??

I am a fox guy but can't understand a 8lb 20ga duck gun---a super fox or super parker 20 why? A 12 or 10 can be made the same weight and are so much more effective on game. A 2 7/8" 10 is the best choice for ducks in my experience. The big 20 must have been a fad that attracted quite a few fans in the 20's. Just something different to chat about in the blind or while sipping a touch of brown with the boys in front of a fire after a good shoot

It would be just the thing for the Sub Gauge event at the Southern.

Bill

Something even more useless, like a 32" GHE 28 gauge on a #2 frame would have sold for probably $35,000. The 20, in contrast, is a bit of a bargain. Utility seldom flames the fires of Parker collecting. Rarity does the job.

That is how I consider my 32-inch, 2-frame, 20-gauge --

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...er/Big2001.jpg

The big Orren R. Dickey 20, #153,467, arrived yesterday. The loss of blue near the breech is the worst part of the wonderful barrels. The screws, the stock finish, and the floorplate mortise are perfect and original. The original inletting for the dogs head buttplate is intact and the length of pull over the leather faced Silver pad is 14 1/2". This gun may have hunted ducks, but never from a boat. The bores are .615, chokes are a full .028 and .028 and the chambers seem to be near 3", although I haven't measured them carefully with a machinist's scale. I test fired the gun yesterday on a round of skeet and everything works as it should. Considering where the gun came from, it may have been one of Nash Buckingham's buddies who ordered such an oddball gun. As I stated before, my old #153,333, VH 20, 32", #2 frame, ordered by the same dealer the same month as my new gun, was chambered for 3" shells, for one ounce loads. I would like to locate this gun with the possibility of buying it back. I hope everyone enjoyed the thread.

Nice pick-up Bill. Perhaps a light workout at the Bo-Whoop station this weekend?? No doubt an associate of Nash. Just look at those alligator side-panels on that Silver!

Steve, the pad did draw a few comments at the skeet range from the K-Gun shooters. I guess they wanted one like it.

I bought a VH PG-DT-SF O frame 16 two barrel set few weeks back from G.I. 26" IC/M and 32" F/F, correctly marked 1 and 2, each set has its own for end...its has nice hi stock dimensions and DHBP 14-1/4, 1-3/8, 2-3/8 Bright bores, short chambers, has light outside freckling but is overall very nice shotgun. 6lbs 1oz 26" and 6lbs-10oz 32" S.N. 197902 I would like a nice maker case for it with Parker bro. label, anyone have one??? thanks all Kenny Graft SXS ohio

Kenny, I'll find a case for it if you'll sell it to me. It sounds like my kind of gun. By the way, the last 16 I bought from you is resting nicely in my safe. It is a wonderful gun.

Bill' Congrats on a Wonderful Gun :bowdown: ! I figured one of the PGCA Boys had to pick this one up ! Russ

Double Clicked !

3" chamber 20 ga.
 

Could a VHE 20 ga. O frame with 3" chambers possibly be factory, vintage 1916?

I would think a gun like that to be special ordered. And a fsctory letter should reflect that if so.

I believe some of the duck club guns were 3" chambered 20g. But they were 1 frame guns???

The O frame made me wonder but this gun is in great condition and does not appear to have ever had a screw turned on it. Most that I have read about that you would think were ordered for ducks were on heavier frames but I suppose you could order whatever you wanted. Interesting. Thanks for the info., it is one of those Parkers that just fits and really comes up nice and you can tell it is well built, checkered, etc.

Alfred
Yes, Parker built 20ga O frame guns with 3" chambers in 1916. There are west coast duck guns in this configuration for sure. A letter on your gun may verify the long chambers if it was ordered this way.

Patrick

Patrick,
Thanks for the info. I would have to think that would make this little 20 somewhat of a rare item. Is that correct? I honestly bought it sight unseen from a dealer who I knew dealt in high grade Parkers and he liked this one enough that he just took it home and put it in the safe and I was lucky enough to get him to price it. The 3" chamber was never mentioned.
Have a great weekend and let me say the first Happy Father's Day to everyone.
Al.