Early VH 20, 0 frame
 

I just acquired my first 20 gauge Parker. It is a VH grade, O frame with 28" barrels and a straight grip. Serial number 97948. The configuration matches the research letter and it was shipped in 1900 to the Iver Johnson Sporting Goods Co. in Boston MA. It was special ordered with 2 5/8" chambers and choked R modified and L close.

I have not had a chance to get it looked at by a gunsmith yet, but she appears to be in great shape with no dents in the barrels and locks up tight.

Unfortunately its previous caretaker had the receiver blued. The stock appears to have been refinished or replaced, as I feel that the checkering appears to be too nice compared to the rough shape of the forearm. The stock also has a very small crack at the tang.

The two larger screws on the base plate are more rounded and pronounced than on either of my Trojan guns. These seem to differ from pictures of other VH guns that I have seen.

Additionally, the engraving on the elongated trigger guard tang is not complete the entire length. Originally I thought maybe the gun started out as a pistol grip and the tang had been lengthened, but the research letter states that it came straight stocked from the factory. Also, the trigger guard tangs screws also do not fit flush.

I am considering getting the splinter forearm restored or replaced and perhaps adding or having a beaver tail forearm made to replace the current one. I intend on using this old gal in the field quite a bit and I prefer the feel of a beaver tail forearm, but I am not totally married to the idea just yet.

Please feel free to give your opinions or options for refinishing or removing the blueing from the receiver and any insight into the engraving loss and apparently (to my novice eye) unusual base plate screws. I am to understand that 1900 was only the second year of production of the VH grade so I don't know if those were the factory issued screws or not.

more pics 2
 

More pictures

more pics 3
 

more pictures

final pics
 

final pics

trigger guard tang
 

Better pics of trigger guard tang

Great gun. It should be a real bird buster.

You are right on the buttstock. It has been replaced.

In my opinion it is a great little gun with attributes that would make me want to do a complete restoration on everything but the barrels... unless the barrels prove to need refinishing.

Congratulations on a nice one!

Regarding a BTFE, you will not have the reinforcing screw (rod) and you will not have the one-piece forend lug so you might pull the forend lug from the barrels if you add a BTFE.





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Noticing the barrel thickness at the muzzle from the pics. Is that the typical barrel thickness for a VH 20 ga. built in that era. Pictures can be deceiving but that looks like thicker steel than I have seen on a good many vh guns that were mostly 12 gauge. I know that pressures can go up with smaller gauges and hence thicker metal but was just wondering.

BTW I think it is great looking gun and would be fun to shoot.

The wall thickness at the muzzle is appropriate for those chokes.





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The engraving has probably worn off. My cousin has a VH pistol grip that he rabbit hunted with for his entire life and all of the border and the serial number are gone where he held it the entire day long. Easily fixed by an engraver.

You may try switching positions on the screws and time them correctly (straight with the tang) and find they were put in the wrong place. A very nice gun to be enjoyed.

The trigger plate screws are definitely not in their original configuration. Either replacements, or modified. More interesting to me are the barrel flats stampings. 3/11 unstruck weight is unusually heavy for 0 frame 28 inch barrels in my experience, possibly explained by the rather thick appearing walls at the muzzle. Also, I am unfamiliar with the 3 stamped on the other side of the flats. Anybody seen one like it before? 28's are my favorite barrel length in sub gauge guns. Should handle well in the field.

What are your plans for the blued receiver? I have an early VH 28 with a blued frame and need a plan for that gun. Brian can comment also.

For a shooting gun, I can live with the blued receiver. I guess my options are re-casing or having the blueing removed and see if there is any case left underneath (at least I read a thread here once where someone recommended doing that). If it was found to be all worn, I think that the receiver can be treated with a lacquer. I guess after quail season I will need to send her off for some evaluation.

Anybody have a VERY ballpark for recasing a receiver?

Any idea about the rough copper colored fastener located below the safety?

DO the bas eplate screws look correct?

It is actually the end of the screw shank coming up through the tang on the floor plate and threading into the frame tang.




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trigger guard tang
 

Found this picture of a straight grip trigger guard tang from a 1921 VH. Evidently the engraving did not extend the length on this one either.

Nice piece! I thought I had an old VH. Serial # 140xxx.
Built in 1906. Wow 1900- that's great
CRH

You can certainly spend more money on higher graded guns, but to me there is something very special about 20 ga V-grades with a straight stock and 28" barrels. They are well proportioned, nicely scaled, balanced and simply elegant. Congratulations on the acquisition.

JDG

From your recent photo I see what you mean by "not complete the entire length." Ignore my reply about being worn off. So you have the original engraving on the trigger guard.