Earliest 8 gauges found
 

I was looking at Parkers Found last night and noticed the earliest 8 gauges found were not shown. I wonder what is the earliest 8 gauge found, both hammer and hammerless. Anyone out there know?

That's a great question

Start with a simple search of the Serialization Book and The Parker Story appendix. This will at least tell you what numbers you are looking for.

Looks like the earliest hammer 8 is 4360, a D grade. The earliest hammerless is 57174, a G grade. There are missing records, but the real question is what are the earliest ones observed

my earliest 8 ga is no is 25403 it is a lifter gun with stub twist barrelsand it was the lowest grade made.it was made with 32 inch barrels but they are now 26 1/4...charlie

That would be something to see that first one made (4360). If it is still anywhere out there.

It would and would also be interesting to see if any are lurking in the early records that are missing.

I bet 57174 has the early Grade 2 hammerless engraving (without the ovals). Would love to see that one.

BTW, I noticed the first gun shown in the serialization book is a 16 gauge, of all things. Another interesting gun I hope surfaces sometime

I know an 8 gauge in the 11,000 serial range still exists as I owned at one time. On a 5 frame. It is the earliest one I have ever seen.

That must have been an interesting gun. What kind of condition was it in? I have heard and seen that many of the early Parker 8's saw heavy use.

And I've heard the later ones saw relatively light use because the use of the 8 gauge for waterfowl was outlawed shortly after many of them left the factory.

and aren't there some that are known to have been sent back and rebarrelled as 10?

the 8 gauge i got from mills seen a whole lot of use and abuse...tellem about it mills...i use to keep up with every parker 8 ga that i heard of..i wish i had kept up with them but i did not but i know for sure there are over 100 8 ga s still out there...i feel like there is 85 percent of them still around....charlie

If it was 1918 I'd send an 8 back to Parker and see if they would rebarrel it to a 28. Just to see if they'd do it.

Mine is 1913 and there is a set of 10 gauge barrels out there somewhere.

mills i hope you find that set of barrels..to me that would be a perfect gun a 8 ga and10 ga rolled up in one...i hope them 10 ga barrels are 36 inch for sure.... charlie

They are 32 inches. I am afraid I will find it and the guy will want a fortune for it

I have an eight that was rebarrelled to 3 1/2" ten. It is fully provenanced to a family from Nebraska. I live in Maryland where no one quit using their eights until they couldn't get ammunition. On the east side of the Chesapeake Bay, there are still a few guns in use that are a bit bigger than eights.

The Heathens !

LOL's

From what I've been hearing about the snow geese on the Eastern Shore the last couple years you would think they might relax the rules a touch just for the snows !