Available recoil pads in 1913
 

Was curious what pads would have been available from the Parker shop in 1913? It would be for a 0 grade or Trojan grade.
I know Silvers were offered, were there any others?

A Trojan was very unlikely to have been fitted with a pad at the factory. A 12 gauge Trojan looks pretty good with a properly fitter Silver pad.

I hate to take a contrary opinion to that of my buddy, but I don't think any Parker, other than guns built for target shooting, look good with a pad, even Silvers which is the least obnoxious of them all. I once owned a DHE with a seriously perished original pad. I replaced it with a Silvers, but always regretted the fact that the gun didn't have a skeleton butt. I no longer buy any Parker with a pad, original or aftermarket, I am currently looking for a nice BHE or CHE. If it has a pad, I won't buy it. Most Parkers were shipped without a pad. I guess I am somewhat of a purist. But many like pads and thats fine with me. I just don't want them on any of my personal guns.

Thats great but this gun already had a pad and was altered. Just looking to get something that might have been offered by Parker with their guns, or actually anything that might have been available during this time period. I'm not a collector but would like some continuity with the time frame the gun was made. I do appreciate the help and opinions guys!

Rick, understood. I was not talking about guns that already have an aftermarket pad and my comments were in no way aimed at your particular situation. I was just giving my perspective generally. Sometimes pads are the only way to go, especially if the butt has been cut down and a pad is needed to get a decent length of pull. Perhaps my bias against pads is born from the many DHE and above guns that had their skeleton butt destroyed for want of a pad. I can't begin to imagine doing that. It destroys the historical integrity of the gun. Replacing an original plate on the lower grades is less of a sin, but still a sin in my perspective. But your gun had a pad already, so all bets are off. Your gun will look fine with a period pad. My personal preference is for the Silvers, a classic in it own right, I must admit.

Or a Hawkins pad, the one with the heart shapes on the side of the pad, not the straight horizontal rubber ribs, hard to explain but when you see the two pads you'll know what I am talking about.

I imagine that there were more Hawkins pads installed at the factory than any other. I've never seen a Silvers pad factory installed but I'm sure they did. My personal preference is for a pad without ventilation.

Thanks guys, believe it or not it's going on a 200.00 dollar Trojan, as in 200 dollars in 2018. It's had some "special" treatment, like beavertail forend, restock and a white line pad that looks out of sorts. So I thought with some small corrections I can get a good shooter for the pigeon pit. I wont feel so bad cranking some rounds through it! Yeah although not a collector I do like to keep some things period correct!

Wow!! A $200 Trojan. Were you holding a loaded DHE on the seller when you got that price?

No one bid on it on GB, I was shocked as well. I put down 205.00 , I was sure I was going to be outbid, I've seen far worse go twice sometimes three times as much. So I guess 240 with shipping, but still surprised! It's not a prom queen, but I'll shoot the hell out of it! It also gives me some room for any corrections or repairs that need to be done. I was thinking of doing something with the Parker Pages with it as I work on it and get it where it needs to be.

Jostam also made recoil pads in that time frame. They are still available.

https://connecticutshotgun.com/produ...un-recoil-pad/

Some Parker DH and DHE's were ordered and supplied with pads. Some make us scratch our heads wondering why... like this little 28 gauge DHE from 1912.

I think it's pretty cute.... It's hard as a rock but it's still cute.


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Here is a factory pad from a 1905 20 gauge hammer gun.

I wouldn't replace either of those pads. The one on my DHE was much worse. The one on the 28 actually looks pretty good. Small width and no ventilation. But I agree Dean, why anyone would order a 28 bore DHE with a pad is well beyond my ability to comprehend.

From the little research I've done, it seems that the heart shaped Hawkins pad was not patented until 1919 in the U.S. Cant imagine any earlier in England, if at all. I had one on a 1902 CHE that was clearly old, not a new reproduction, and I presumed was added sometime after 1919. I have attached the page from the patent in pdf.

The Jostam pad was circa 1915 if I'm not mistaken.

http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/22972603

Pre-WWI pads included the D&W, Funkes, Huntley Shock Absorber (Omaha) and "Perkins" Recoil Pads (both advertised starting in 1915), Tryon #6, and the American Silver pad - sometimes called Grieb and after about 1915 Goodrich; possibly by the Ajax-Grieb Rubber Co.

Congrats on the $200 Trojan. I won’t tell you what I paid for my VH, but it was less than your Trojan, and shoots like a dream😁

Nothing wrong with Trojans. You got a great buy and have plenty of margin to invest in any restoration. I started out at age 12 shooting a 16 ga vh that was my grandfathers. Shot a lot of grouse and woodcock with it. I picked up a worn but still tight 20 ga Trojan for one of my grandsons to use when he is old enough. He is 11 now and has one more year to go. I had plenty of cost margin so i had Brad Bachelder restore it. Couldn't have a better double to start the young lad out with

Hey Thanks Guys!! I think its going to be a Silvers style.

Great choice! My opinion is that they are the best looking and most appropriate of them all. I like the red as opposed to orange but it's just a matter of personal taste.