Parker Skeet guns
 

I can not find any information on skeet guns made by Parker. I have read about them on various gun selling sites but I can't find any information here.

A search of the forum topics for "Skeet Gun" turns up 20 pages. If you start looking through those, you are bound to find something of use to you.

Factory Skeet Guns are also covered in detail in the written works on Parkers, specifically The Parker Story.

From the 1936 Remington Parker catalog , when the Parker Skeet Gun was first offered.

As most everyone knows, the game of Skeet was developed in Andover, MA in the late teens into the twenties and was originally called "clock shooting". In 1926 William Harnden Foster, editor and publisher of The National Sportsman and Hunting and Fishing magazines put an ad for a contest for a new name for the game with a $100 prize to go to the person who sent in the name that would be chosen.

Parker (Remington Arms) finally adopted the name of "Skeet Gun" as Bruce points out, in 1936. But Parker Bros was producing Skeet configured guns well before '36 and there are several examples out there.

Refer to my article in the Autumn 2017 Issue of Parker Pages, "The Elliot's Twenty-bore Parker Bros. Skeet Gun" It was a DHE with 26" barrels, BTFE, SST, twin beads, and choked for Skeet targets. Certainly intentionally ordered for upland game as well as the game of Skeet - which the Elliot family excelled at. The serial number is 236162 which was made prior to Remington Arms purchase of the Parker Gun works.


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Hundreds if not thousands of Parker skeet guns were made through the 60’s , 70’s and 80’s. A person could get one made today if wanted.

I think what Bruce may be saying is that a true Parker Skeet Gun is one that was made under Remington's ownership and the chokes actually stamped "SKEET" on the barrel flats.





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My 28 gauge was probably made into a skeet gun after Remington closed. I know it was one of the Parkers used by Winchester Repeating Arms as a test gun so we are lucky any part of the gun exists at all.

Mills thats a pretty cool provenance for that gun!

Some time back I acquired a 12ga Repro - dhe, pg, sst, btfe, 26”. Not a legit skeet gun but skeet configured (save chokes & midbead) nonetheless.

Let’s just say it was an unexpected eye-opener - I absolutely love the way the gun handles. Been studying the skeet guns ever since. A legit G grade skeet gun in nice honest condition would sure beat getting poked in the eyeball w/a stick!

Or both eyes for that matter.





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Dang so reading the other day one of main reasons that put market kibosh and proverbially nail in the coffin for the 16 gauge was rules for skeet shooting that eliminated that gauge as a category. So how rare would 16 gauge Parker skeet gun be? Noticed in Bruce's promo piece they advertised all the popular gauges 12 and below including 16.

20 GA Skeet Upgrade by DelGrego and Runge.
Bob Jurewicz

I used 239,7xx at the Georgia Parker Shoot. VHE, 12ga, 26, PG, Choked Skeet and Oh Sheet, BTFE, twin Ivory beads, 1 Frame, Pad. Hits em dead if you do your part.

A 1-frame, really?

That's very unusual for a 12 ga. that late.





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My dad has a 12 gauge VH that someone cut back the barrels to 26. It is a very nice shooter. Someone might have done it to make a skeet gun. Not sure what choke or any choke is in that gun but it sure is a game getter and clay buster. Its almost not sporting, with almost being operative word.

Mike I take it your gun also has single selective trigger.

Bob your gun is also a stunner and looks like a fun gun to have in the quiver.

I read in the Parker Pages that the Skeet In/Skeet Out stamping on the barrel flats began in "about" 1937. So would a true factory skeet gun be made beginning in 1937 and would a letter supporting a true factory skeet gun mention the skeet choking?

Maybe Steve, but maybe not. Remington didnt go to great lengths to record that sort of thing and it was in 1937 that the Parker operation was moved to Illion. Choke is rarely if ever recorded on the IBM cards used by Remington.





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Thanks Dean. The reason I ask is because I have been looking at a "Skeet" Configured gun made in 1935. It has 26" barrels, single trigger, straight stock, and beavertail forend. And has a Parker Letter supporting all of this. But the original factory choking is not mentioned in the letter, and the barrel flats are stamped Skeet In/Skeet Out. The seller is selling it as a factory skeet gun. Oh, and it was re-finished by Larry D.

I think the number of 16’s was just under 200 for all grades, and I know for sure where one of the VHE’s are at :whistle:

Nice!!. That would have to be an incredible upland gun. Btw I saw on Kevin's page a VHE Skeet gun 410. He had it listed at bargain price of $44,995.

https://www.kevinsguns.com/product-p/10014.htm

Steve, any parker stamped “Skeet” refinished by Del Grego is questionable.
They upgraded a sizable number of Parkers to “Skeet” guns and many went from V grades to higher grades. Most of these guns had serial numbers only found in the “missing” books.
You are very fortunate that a research letter supports everything but the chokes.... but therein lies the big (?). There’s no way to prove it either way.

My personal opinion is that I wouldn’t pay a “Skeet Gun” price for it.

I once had the opportunity to buy a 20 gauge GHE “Skeet” configured gun from a guy at my club that I knew was a Del Grego gun, for $2K. I passed on it and a year or so later it appeared on the web page of a well-known dealer for $7500 and it didnt stay there long. Just saying - those guns are not for me.





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Thanks Dean, I am going to pass on the gun. Good advise. :)

Steve - I think we've looked at (and considered) the same gun. As you stated, there's a letter, which is great, but! The choke markings showing, "skeet in/out" seem to have a different font than other pcs that appear to be the genuine article. Further, the gun has a pad. We don't get the benefit of a bare checkered butt to help with verification.

All said, if indeed we're referencing the same pc; it is a nice gun and does seem to be priced accordingly considering the uncertainty(s) that exist.

*caveat - please don't hold me to the assertion of a different font stamp b/c there's alot I don't know regarding variables over time as the guns were produced.

I rechecked my records and it looks like my memory is not what it used to be. It is a 1 1/2 frame with a single trigger.

Scott, yes indeed the same gun. It is very nice and probably well worth the asking price just for the options, but when i purchase a "skeet" gun i want it to be right.

Do you or anyone else know when Remington Arms started stamping the barrel flats with "Skeet In" and "Skeet Out"? I believe it was done in the years just before 1936.

Pete, according to the Parker Pages sometime "about" 1937

As you know I have a 12ga GHE Skeet properly configured and stamped with no sign of ever being refinished/upgraded. Case exists in only protected areas, barrel bluing shows carry wear above the receiver. Scratches in stock finish. The letter on the gun says the following; the gun was begun in June 1934, shipped to the warehouse on January 13, 1935. It was shipped to a EC Palmer on March 23, 1936. It featured Parker Special Steel Barrels with a length of 26". It's stock configuration is straight grip. The Ledger records it having a Single trigger and Trap Model Forend.

It also has double ivory beads, manual safety, tightest choke by measurement and stamping in/on right barrel, checkered butt, barrel flats stamped "Skeet In" and "Skeet Out".

It is a transition gun as it has Parker Bros. on the top rib and Parker on the underside of the receiver.

Seems right as rain to me.

I've seen the gun Pete.





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I know it's been awhile, what is your judgement on it's originality as a "Skeet" gun?

At one time I had a Parker (Remington) 20 ga. VHE skeet gun. Fortunately someone at the factory had written "Skeet gun" on the IBM card. Wish I still had that gun.

Remington Skeet Gun Advertisement including Parker Skeet Gun from 1935.

Pete,

An interesting ad. A Parker Trojan was quite pricey compared to the other Remington offerings!

Ken

I like the address printed on bottom right corner. Lyle Baker, RFD.

There is no Trojan in the ad that I can see. It says it can be had in all Parker grades except Trojan. I believe the $139.15 price is for a VHE Skeet, the "and up" would be higher grades (and maybe smaller bores?).

Thanks Pete. I had to blow up the pic to read it better.

Pete,

Was Mr. Baker of any kin to you?

No he was not. I bought this advertisement off Ebay 8 or 9 years ago.

Steve, a PGCA letter that does not mention "skeet" does not mean that skeet chokes were not stamped in the stock book or, as John Davis mentions, scribbled on the IBM card. I would request another look at the stock books or IBM card before I passed on a Del Grego skeet gun.

Steve, maybe you could dig out that Parker Pages article that says that skeet guns were not stamped with skeet choke markings until 1937. I have two skeet marked guns made in February and September 1935 that have never seen the inside of Del Grego's shop. I think we can find others this early. Mine can't be the only two made before 1937 and stamped skeet.