Buying & flying with a new Parker
 

Speaking of traveling with guns, I found this one last week up in the Northwest on one of my business trips. The guy that owned the gun store said he had had it about six weeks and it was getting tough to keep from showing it to anyone else. Thank goodness for the instant check system, I was able to complete the buy and make the plane. I know it’s not an AHE but it's a great little 28" VHE that hasn't been messed with.

The one thing about this gun is it says on the right barrel, near the breach, "for standard velocity only" See the 5th picture down.

Has anyone ever seen that on any other Parker?

It was made in 1929 and I have to say it survived the last 86 years pretty well.

Wow, great find! Congratulations. I guess it pays to stop in the random gun shop to just look around for guns like this one!

The marking on the breech end looks to be added after the fact as a safety disclaimer of some sort. Then barrels re-blued after it was done.

Interesting barrel stamping. Very nice gun.

Are their any proof marks on the barrels? Looks like something the Brits would do>

Yes.

barrel markings
 

Here are the barrel flats and they have the typical Parker markings on them.

Dave, do you think this is a factory thing or after market?

Is it a 20 gauge on an O frame with 28 gauge inserts? My 28 was an early 1900 0r so Parker on an O frame. It is my remembrance that Parker went to OO frames for 28's before the serial number on your Parker. Either way, it is a beautiful gun with dual capabilities. I am happy for your good fortune.

Kindest,
Harry

I know that marking was pictured somewhere, but I'm not quite up to thumbing through every issue of Parker Pages to find it. As I remember it was on a 1-frame 12-gauge of about the same era as this gun.

Dave, are you thinking of a Parker pictured in a DGJ article on American made lightweight 12 gauges? It had a 1/2 frame VH with the warning stamped on the barrels. It was quite a few years ago. Too many volumes to thumb through to find it, but someone with the index may find it. I didn't know they had it on 20s as well. Outstanding gun by the way, Larry.

Larry, it would be very interesting to know the minimum barrel wall thickness and the barrel thickness profile in general. What does the actual distance between firing pin centers measure? A nice find of a very desirable vhe configuration even without the added velocity warning. Congratulations and thanks for sharing the photos.

Found it. The DGJ article was titled "Some American Lightweights", written by Colin McLagen in volume 13, issue 4, winter of 2002. I was wrong about it being a 1/2 frame. The article mentioned the 1/2 frame, but the pictured Parker with the "For Standard Velocity Only" was a 6 lb, 7 oz, 1 frame 12 VH. Stamped the same place on the left barrel near the chamber.

Good job searching Bob.
Very cool gun and a nice one to boot.

Frame size
 

The barrel lug has an O stamped, but I will measure the distance between the pins when I get back from the next trip I'm taking.

Bob,

Thanks for doing the searching. Great job!!

I'm thinking these guns should be added to "Parkers Found" next time it is run in Parker Pages?

Dave

Harry, his reference to "28" was barrel length, not gauge. I think this is the first 20 gauge we have seen with this factory marking. Great find. I can't make out the barrel weight marking from the picture. What is the barrel weight marking?

Your're welcome
 

You're welcome for the reference. Now, does anybody have a good excuse I can give my wife who is wondering why I can remember an obscure point in an article I read a decade ago and can't remember my wedding anniversary after more three times that long? I've got nothing.:banghead:

No doubt it is a rare disease that strikes a lot of American men, it could be associated with being exposed to too much gun fire but she might counter that thought with, "you may be exposed to more if your memory doesn't improve"........seems the only remedy is to keep a small calendar and write down those important dates that could endanger your health if you continue to forget them. But then, if you all of a sudden are really good at remembering things, she might wonder what you have really been up to!

It's amazing how a young boy can read Jack O'Connor and Elmer Keith when ten or eleven years old and remember specific details of that reading after six years of college, a bit of military service, and thirty some years in the business world, as well as raising a family. Is there a name for this phenomenon?

Yes..... selective memory.:shock:

Bob,
I guess we all remember what is really interesting to us. Don't tell your wife I said that.:)

I have been asked that same question over decades, just with slightly different wording - Why is it that you can remember any little clump of brush anywhere you have ever been where there was a pheasant and forget you were supposed to ........... (multiple inserts here)

Guess I'm fortunate that my wife and I both forgot our tenth anniversary and since then it hasn't been an issue.

Better yet- I remembered our 47th recently, and my wife didn't. Wiped the " Aw S**t slate clean for a short period of time

Time's up !!

i cannot remember a weekago but i sure remember 40 or 50 years ago real well..best yet i had a dr s appointment last week on thursday i got dressed and went to work wife called me and ask me why i did not go see the docter....now i got to go in the morning for skipping out on the doc bet she ll want to give me a shot oh me......charlie

Speakin of the Dr., I do remember a dark haired Navy nurse who came to work at our small town clinic and at 15, I don't even remember the shot but I will never forget how that nurse looked in that uniform. Funny how you can remember the best things in life but can't even remember where you parked you car!!!