Sporting Clays Classic?
 

Today I received what I thought was (and hope is) a Sporting Clays Classic. The gun is in excellent condition with beautiful wood grain. (See Photo 1.) I was pleased when my FFL guy commented that the wood grain looks so nice that it "cannot possibly be real wood." After a closer review, I noticed the left barrel was marked "12 GAUGE 2 3/4''." (See Photo 2.) I was under the impression that all Sporting Clays Classics came with 3'' chambers. Am I wrong? Have I been had?

-Victor

P.S.: My first thread, so be kind.

Does it have Winchester screw-in choke tubes?





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The Serial Number tell \s the story. I believe it has SC in it?
Bob Jurewicz

Choke tubes are marked "Winchester." No "SC" in the serial number.

Well it has "correct" tubes anyway.




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Here's an interesting twist: I just dropped two 3'' Golden Pheasants in the chambers and they both fit. So the barrels are marked 2 3/4'', but indeed are 3''. What's the deal?

You can positively identify an authentic Sporting Clays Classic by looking on the barrel flats for the ISC (Internal Screw Chokes) stampings as shown in the pic below. A SCC does not have letters as part of the S/N, however; a Steel Shot Special does and is identified with SS stamped as part of the S/N in the water table -- I assume that was done by the factory to differentiate them visually from a standard 12-ga. 28" DHE with 2 3/4" and 3" chambers that's choked IC/M. Every SCC that I've measured has 3" chambers despite their 2 3/4" stampings.

Chamber dimensions are for the overall length of a fired case, therefore, a 3" shell (which is approximately 2 3/4" unfired) will fit in a 2 3/4" chambered gun, but would extend beyond the forcing cones when fired

Greg is correct and if need be I can double check mine when I get home.

I hope that you Erik and Victor, as well as everyone else that owns a Sporting Clays Classic measure their gun's chambers, tell us what chamber length is stamped on the left barrel and report back.

TIA,

Only 125 SSC made ?
If so ...
Victor, you are most fortunate ! ( If your's is 'genuine' )

I think all of the sporting clays guns were 23/4".As Big D said,a 3" shell will fit in the chamber but will open onto the forcing cone when fired.Probably won't hurt the gun,but it will kick like hell.

John, have you actually measured the chambers of any Sporting Clays Classic guns? I personally own two SCCs, one of them is unfired NIB--both have 3" chambers, my brother owns an SCC and his has 3" chambers. I have also measured a few others (albeit less than a handful) and those, too; have measured 3". To further our collective knowledge of the Sporting Clays Classic guns I have requested others that own an SCC to measure their gun's chambers and report them to the forum, but thus far haven't received any responses to that request. Every piece of Parker Reproduction literature and every article written on the Sporting Clays Classic guns that I've seen state that they have 3" chambers--despite the 2 3/4" chamber stamping on the left barrel.

Here's a spec sheet copied from the back of a Parker Reproduction brochure:

I have owned two Sporting Clays Classic guns and they both were marked 2 3/4" chambers but measured 3" and both had ISC on the barrel flats just as Wild Skies has said. Hope this helps.

Thank you for that, Gerry. As you probably remember, the SCC my brother owns was purchased from you.

I do remember and I'm glad he got it. I have a 2 barrel set that I'm very happy with which has Q1 & Q2 chokes and IC & Mod or I would have kept that gun. Hope he shoots it well. I seem to remember him telling me his brother had two and he wouldn't give him one?????

Yep, he tried to finagle one of them from me, but there was absolutely no way I was going to give either one up. I learned long ago, that when you find something you like, you'd better get another, as they ain't making any more of these--the most versatile Parker on the planet. Mine have consecutive serial numbers and are the only two SCCs that I've encountered in over a quarter of a century of seeking them out that have a straight grip, splinter forend and double triggers--not to mention their 14 3/4" LOP and Grade 4 wood.

And i don't blame you one bit!

Greg I measured mine (I think I did it right) and again it was 3" and marked 2 3/4.

I also don't blame you too, I would love to have those two guns that you have....

Thank you Gerry and Eric, that's a real good start with some meaningful information . . . now if we can only motivate Kenny and Tony and Donovan and Victor as well as others to measure their Sporting Clays Classic's chambers we'll really be in business. "Oh, I don't have a chamber gauge to measure mine" excuses will no longer work when they can make their own version of the Po' Man's Chamber Gauge for virtually nothing and post the results here.

Let's get on it Gents! :corn:

I just measured mine: 3 inches from just behind the forcing cone to the surface of the ejector.

(I am planning on sneaking out of the office early today to shoot some clays, so just happened to have the SCC sitting here with me.)

-Victor

The Steel Shot Special was catalogued as a 28" IC and MOD gun with marked 3" chambers. The gun that was advertised and sold on our forum a couple of weeks ago had those chokes and marked 3" chambers in a 28" barrel, but was not a marked Steel Shot Special. In my opinion, it was a special order gun made with SSS barrels but not marked as such.

Without the SS stamping on the water table Bill, that would be some wishful thinking as that was a standard catalogued offering. There have been several here that own or have owned 12-ga., 3" chambered, choked IC/M guns that are sans the Steel Shot Special markings. In fact, there's one available that a good shooting friend may be buying at this very moment at a nearby big box store that is in the exact same configuration and is a near twin in appearance and condition to the gun you're talking about.

Greg, thanks for the reminder that 28" IC and MOD was a standard catalog offering in some catalogs. I was going by the asterisk in the catalog page that you posted earlier that indicated that the 28" IC and MOD was a Steel Shot Special. I would have to dig deeper to find out which catalog page is earlier.

I have one like that (28" IC/Mod, 3" chambers). I was thinking of listing it on G.I. Any idea what a reasonable price would be?

Show us a picture of the barrel flats and give us an idea of the condition: NIB, LNIB. Lused, etc.

George, nothing unusual on the barrel flats, just the serial #, 1 1/2 frame, an "H" and Improved Cylinder/Modified. It's in excellent shape (not quite LNIB) with very nice wood (I've posted pictures of the buttstock here) and I hoped the 14 3/4" LOP and DT would help the value. Just trying to determine a reasonable price starting point... Thanks for any help.
Joe

Greg,
I don't shoot my SCC at all .... partly because it's only been on one shoot; is in perfect condition ( 100% 'case colours' ) but, mainly because it shoots quite a bit higher than my other Repro / other guns of mine, that I seem to shoot well.

I'll try and remember to dig it out and check the chamber lengths.

Cheers, TONY.

Greg / Bill,

You are correct, the gun has no SS marking upon the flat

It is marked "2-3/4 & 3" if memory serves

Did I read somewhere that the SS was over bored in the neighborhood of .745+

The bore ahead of the chokes on that gun measure .735 ~ I did not measure the bores beyond the chambers

Although it appears they are somewhat uncommon, this seems to support that it was a standard catalog offering

It's a dandy of a shotgun, I'll tell you that!!

The Parker Story reported the bores of Steel Shot Specials were .740 and chokes at .006/.018. However, I have seen SSSs listed for sale with the sellers stating dimensions that varied from the dimensions that were reported in TPS.

My SSS bore measurements are .734 bore diameter in both sides, right constriction .007, left constriction .0115.
I also have a set of 30" barrels that have the same .734 bore diameter with constrictions of .010 and .0355.

Hmmm? You have 30" barrels?

See another thread:
http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=18305

Yes, they were added at a couple of years after I purchased the gun.

For some reason i could not read the above link.