Curiouse ?
 

Did Parker fit many 16 or 20 gauge barrels on #3 frames ?

Well rather is anyone aware of such guns ?

I have heard one of the forum members comment they have a #3 frame 16 gauge.
But I have never seen or handled one of the guns you are questioning about.

I've had a set of 12 gauge #3 barrels fit to my #3 EH be kinda nice if I could get a set of 16's as well !

All 32" of course !

I was talking to our mutual friend/stock guy that resides in Louisa and he was telling me our mutual retired dentist friend picked up a couple I think he said GH 32" 12's a week or so ago .

Several years ago, an auction at Littlejohn's (??) offered a collection of large frame smallbores, some in configurations we have never seen before, including #3 frame 20s with long barrels. 16 and 20 gauge Parkers on #2 and #3 frames exist.

Actually #2 frame 20 and or 16 barrels would work . I have a #2 frame VH 12 I could fit them to . Would just like them to be 30 or 32 inch 👍🏻

i am now curious

since the firing pin spacing (on center) is different between a 2 and a 3 frame

how would that work?

Curiouse about what ?

If I got barrels from a #3 frame they could be fit to my #3 EH .

If I got barrels from a #2 frame they could be fit to my #2 EH or #2 VH .

I guess I figured that buying a $6500 #3 frame 20 to cannibalize the barrels to fit to a $600 EH Grade #3 frame 10 to be a bit counterproductive.

Bill what happened to your 3 frame 16ga VH?

Uh in a word NO that isn't my intention . I want barrels and possibly forends from that are without the rest of the gun .

thanks= missed there were two tens to chose from :bigbye:

Nothing has happened to my #3 frame 16, but I won't be selling it to make a two barrel ten gauge. However, I may try the barrels on one of my #3 frame tens, but for what reason? The little 16 is a great gun by itself. It is a lightly choked grouse gun with factory 28" barrels. I have no idea what the original owner had in mind.

bill would you like to go back and ask that fellow why he built a 3 frame 16 with such short barrels and all..if i could have ordered this 16 ga it would have had 36 inch barrels at the least...charlie

You got that right, Charlie. Years ago, the Shenendoah Gun Shop in Berryville, VA had a 40" GH 16 gauge. I think it was part of the General Billy Mitchell collection which they were selling at the time.

Craig, I sent you a PM.

Some 25 or more years ago Clark Brothers gunshop in Warrenton, VA had a 40-inch barreled 12 ga. Parker (forget the grade but it was at least a D, maybe a C). The gun was purported to have been made for Walter Chrysler. The stock had a most curious, perfectly round, circular depression in one side just about the size and shape of a shooting marble. It came to be referred to as the "melon ball" gun, since it looked like someone had scooped out the sphere of wood similar to the way one would a melon. The gun eventually sold after languishing for weeks in the shop; I have no idea who purchased it or where it wound up.

I'm pretty sure the WP Chrysler gun is a 40" 16 and it resides in Texas, near Dallas, in a private collection.

P.S. I, too, am curiouse.

I couldn't imagine lugging a three frame anything through the Grouse coverts at least not in the stuff I hunt them in:nono: I have a nice GHE 16 with 26 inch Damascus barrels on a #1frame and that gets heavy. I much prefer the O frames in 16 & 20 or a OO 28 for my Grouse pursuits.

I was fortunate enough (with the help of one of our very gentlemanly PGCA members) to buy a very nice #2 frame 34" 16 GA.
She is just right for me. Weight/ balance point/ etc.

I have never handled a #3 frame 16 or 20. All of the #3 frame 12's I have handled have been very well balanced and weighted guns for my interest and tastes.

I have handled one #2 frame 32" 20 and she is an awesome piece.
I would love one day to have a #2 frame 20 (32 or 34") and a #3 frame 34" 12.

I only went in that place two times . I was told Townsend Whelen was a part owner at some point . An old guy who's gone now at one point had an 1878 Sharps that Whelen had rebarreled to 22 Bluestreak if memory serves that was the 22 Savage HiPower necked down to .224 from .228 and the shoulder blown out . I tried to buy that rifle several times but never did .

My pop used to work with a fellow named Jerry Amos about 30 years ago and Amos collected Parker and Fox guns . John Clark would call Amos anytime he got something in before it came out of the back room . Anyway I remember Amos telling me about a 32 or 34 inch 20 gauge Parker they had . Think it stayed there two days before it headed south to Chadicks .

I knew Mr. Amos from the days when we all exhibited at George Mason University. His tables were right across from mine. I believe the Whelen connection with Shenendoah Guns was through one of the gunsmiths at Parker Whelen in DC. I believe it was Bill Humphrey. Humphrey came to work with Ben Toxvard at the gun shop. When he retired and sold out to Ben, he moved up on the mountain behind the shop. I bought my Curtis try gun from Ben. It was originally owned by Townsend Whelen who, along with Humphrey, used it at the DC store. I tried to buy the Curtis gun from Ben Toxvard for at least 20 years before he broke down and sold it to me.

I think about 1988 or so I bought a Parker Trogan 16 gauge and a Parker VH 16 30" English stock from Amos both on the same day .

The VHE 12 we've had for 35 years came from him as well .

There is another gunsmith, other than Bill Humphrey, who worked for Townsend Whelen at Parker-Whelen on 14th Street in DC, but I don't recall his name right now. Humphrey, Whelen, General Billy Mitchell, Ben Toxvard, and many other Parker and custom rifle guys in the DC area owned many weird and wonderful Parkers, including Colonel Whelen's Curtis try gun, which I now own. As Kevin McCormack mentions, Walter Chrysler was also a prolific shotgun collector, and probably had local connections with the other names mentioned.

Which will cost you about the same.......:shock: