They aren't all the same . . .
 

Just like original Parker Bros. guns there are little idiosyncratic differences between Repros. The following pics illustrates one of these differences that I haven't observed previously . . . both of these guns are 28-ga. 00-frame 26" DHE Repros with SG stocks, splinter forends and double triggers. The gun on the left was purchased new in 1995, the gun on the right was recently purchased by a good friend in new, unfired condition. Clearly, the stock on the right is bigger than the one on the left, it measures just a hair under 5" heel-to-toe compared to 4 11/16" of the gun on the left. Perhaps his is a 28-ga. 00-frame Repro fitted with an 0-frame 20-ga. stock with the larger initial oval, yet it offers perfect fit at the head . . . what other explanation could there be?

The next thing to do is compare the "big" stock with a Repro 20 gauge stock.

Maybe they were near the end of production and needed to use the remaining machined stocks?

My 20-ga. 0-frame Repro stock measures the same -- just a hair under 5" toe-to-heel as the bigger stock above.

The near end of production explanation doesn't square as the bigger stock's S/N is 28-8XX, the smaller gun gun above is S/N 28-16XX, I also have another 28-ga. with S/N 28-32XX that also measures 4 11/16" top to bottom. My friend's gun has a couple of other seldom seen idiosyncrasies: 70mm chamber stamping and it's sans the frame size stamping on the bottom of the rear lug.

The above is further evidence that, just as with Parkers, all Parker Reproductions were not created equal.

Do they measure the same on the firing pin spacing ?

Yep, both 15/16".

Ok, I had to check. My 28" barreled straight grip gun measures just under 4 5/8", and the balance point is about 1/2" behind the hinge pin. Where is the balance point of the larger stocked gun with 26" tubes? I would think the shorter barrels and larger stock would place the balance point well behind that.

We didn't measure the balance point Chad and he took it home with him after we compared our Repros today. Incidently, his gun with the apparent 0-frame stock and 1/16" longer LOP weighs 3 oz. less than my gun: 5 lbs. 6 oz. vs. 5 lbs. 9 oz.

The smaller one is more of what would have originally been on an OO frame.

No doubt some sort of change in manufacturing. Maybe standardizing on the 0 frame plate and stock butt size. ?

All Parker Reproduction leather trade labels weren't created equally either. The top label has all gold shading and scroll, the bottom has green shading and mostly green scroll with a little gold mixed in.

For what it is worth, both of my 20 ga. repros measure 4-15/16.

Which is the earlier type label? Or, were they used inter-changeably throughout production?

The all gold label is from a case that houses an unfired SSS, the green/gold label is from a case that houses an unfired SCC. I believe the SSS preceded the SCC, but I don't think that means anything in determining which is the earlier label. I have to believe that the green/gold version is scarce, do any of youse have another one like it? Maybe it was a special run intended solely for die-hard Packer fans. ;)

Hmm. Might the second label have some corrosion of an original gold finish?

No, it came out of a collection in California. :)

Three years later, I have come to the conclusion that the 4 15/16" butt 28 gauge Repro is a rare bird, more shootable than the smaller butt 28 gauge, and will become a cult gun in the future, coveted by collectors and shooters. Anything in a Repro that is different and rare will attain collector value. Anyone out there have a big butt 28 gauge to sell in this depressed market?

I like big butts, and I cannot lie

Just like same gauge Repros may have different sized stocks as shown in this thread, there's currently a 28ga. Repro listed on GI that has a brown colored canvas & leather outer cover than the usally encountered tan colored C & L cover.

Yep, they're not all the same . . . This is the first and only brown colored C & L outer cover that I've seen. How about you?

After readig these posts, I decided to check my 28GA reproduction buttstocks. Both the straight grip and pistol grip measured about the same as Heff's.