My first Parkers after years of wanting one
 

Well my first Parker Bros shotgun will be here tomorrow , I was going to wait but im too excited haha . I have been wanting a Parkers since I was about 14. Now at 27 I was finally able to own such a piece of American craftsmanship .

I have to mention a fellow PGCA member here , because without him it wouldnt have been possible . Mr Josh Loewensteiner , a heavy #6 frame is my one of my dream doubles . Honestly I never thought I would own one well especially at my age . Thanks to Mr.Josh however he made it possible for me to get a Parker that probably would be out of reach for me normally . Finding someone to work with someone as young as me to get the classic/vintage double they usually can only admire from a distance means alot to me .

I have been doing a little research on the original owner listed in the research letter on it . S Sankey , he was from Russell County AL . From what I could find he came from a large family in that area . The only S Sankey I could find born there or from that area , is Sims Sankey . I believe Sims was his middle name and his full name was Henry Sims Sankey . Was it common for people to go by their middle names back then ? I think he had quite a few Henrys in his family so perhaps thats why he went by Sims .

I managed to find his resting place , it seems just about all of the Sankeys are buried in 2 cemeteries there .https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/...ry-sims-sankey

He must have been a interesting fellow to order a 12lb+ 10 ga Parkers .
He lived only about 2hrs from here , eventually I would like to take the Parkers goose hunting up there . I think it would be quite the experience taking it hunting on or near its original hunting grounds 117 years ago .
If I recall this Parker has made its way up to New York some Im glad its coming back close to its original home . Mr.Sims ordered it in 1902 and received it in 1903 when he would have been 27 and now 117 years later at 27 I am getting it . He lived to be 92 , I wonder how long he kept his 12lb Parkers ? I know its impossible to know but I like the idea of someone ordering such a unique Parkers at a young age and using it for many decades .

While this does not directly have anything to do with Mr.Sims Sankey I think this was perhaps a cousin or so of his . http://kilgorecousins.blogspot.com/2...re-family.html

I found it a interesting little read . They was born in the same county and buried in the same family plot so I am assuming they are related but not sure how .

Anyhow I am probably getting long winded but I am excited to get my first Parkers and a unique one at that . I will post the pictures tomorrow when I go pick it up .

Congrats on the new Parker. Please post pics of the Parker once you get it! Got to love The Parker gun!!

Congratulations Milton, I still remember the excitement of my first Parker. It was a VH 16 with 30" barrels. Now I can't remember how many I have without some deep thought. You can never stop once you start!
Chris
Tempe, AZ

What I like most about Parker Bros is all the different and cool configurations they would do for a customer . My favorite guns are the big vintage guns used by waterfowlers and wildfowlers as they call them across the pond . I never care much about what grade they are , if its a big heavy double then I like it haha .

Im not biased against English doubles either , I appreciate all vintage doubles .
Though there is just something about Parker guns .

I have looked at a many #3 frame gauges , but I knew if I got one I would still be yearning for a #6 frame. So I just kept waiting and I was starting to think I waited too long and missed out on ever getting one .

Sometimes though things just work out for you in the end and you get that double you have always been wanting .

I could see myself getting into collecting PH grade Parkers , my #6 frame needs some little brothers to go with it haha .

I just got back from picking up my first Parkers and its amazing to finally hold it . The fellow who works at the FFL I believe his name is Ben . He said the first thing he noticed when he opened the box was the beautiful damascus pattern .
A old thread I dug up on here about 116794 revealed the pattern is or was called rubin royal which is a bit different than the twist pattern you would usually see on a NH/PH .

The weight is not bad I think its 12 3/3lbs but as Ben pointed out its very well balanced for such a large gun , I think that is probably due to how the barrels have alot of taper to them . They start huge at the breech of the #6 frame and look to taper down to the muzzle to what youd see on normal sized 10 gauge doubles .

Even with being such a big gun the pistol grip fits my hands perfectly and I consider myself to have small hands but the grip is not what I would call meaty or beefy . Actually I would say the pistol grip feels slimmer than the pow grips on the two english 10 gauges I had . The stock fits me like a glove , perhaps Mr.Sims Sankey was around my stature . When I shouldered the big Parker it felt like it was made for me , I was really surprised . I have read alot of times these old doubles from back then the stock measurements can be ill suited for modern shooters .

As a first Parkers I think its amazing and I am pretty proud to have been able to pick it up . Once again I have to thank Mr. Josh Loewensteiner for making it possible .

What is the barrel length Milton?

32" which to me is about perfect on a 10 ga double . On the #6 frame the 32" dont feel long at all haha .

Very nice! Those are about the ages I was between when I first wanted a Parker and when I got my first.

I knows its a big gun but Parker really knew how to make a big double feel good in the hands . Compared to the 16lb 10 ga muzzleloader I have the #6 frame feels pretty light haha . To me though the 2lb weight difference between this and the Bonehill I had . Its hardly noticeable and the Parker is much better balanced . Where as the Bonehill was quite muzzle heavy .

I bet with the 1 1/8 oz RST loads this Parker will be a gentle giant .

Super cool Milton, that's a lot of gun! I haven't seen or held many big Parkers, enjoy!

I have 2 frame, 3 frame and 4 frame 10 gauges but not a 6. Would love a 5 and 6 frame eventually

I wish you could shoulder it , it may be a big one but it is not bulky at all .
Parker had some real craftsmen to make a large gun have all the right curves .

I had looked at a Parker hammer 10 ga which I believe is a #4 , the frame isnt listed but its almost 11lbs . Pugs had two 8 gauge lifters for 4995 and I had the money but I decided to wait . I am glad I did because I was able to get this . A 8 gauge is still on the list though . I would like to get a NH/PH in every gauge/frame size that was made with twist barrels .

A large frame Parker hammergun is still on the list some day !

I know of at least 3 #6 frame 10 gauges here on the forum .

My friend brought this big 8ga hammer gun for us to shoot one day a couple years back. I don't know the weight, but I think the barrels are 34". I think we were shooting 2 ounces of 7 1/2. It was quite the thrill!

Now thats a cool Parkers , I love the #4 #5 and #6 frame guns doesnt matter if its a hammer or hammerless gun or what the grade is . The hunters that were using these in their heyday were pretty dedicated to the hunt .

I havnt fund much information on American waterfowlers from that time period but I have on English wildfowlers who used similar large doubles .

A interview I watched with a old fellow was talking about his friends dad was a old school wildfowler. And back in those days a good source of meat/protein was not readily available , and having a large waterfowling gun could make the difference between your 9 kids having rickets or not . He also said back then with such a gun a market hunter could make a week and a halfs wages in a single day of fowling . So by comparisons the higher cost of large guns wasnt exactly that expensive for someone using it for a living .

Are you sure that is not a 900 Nitro Express T-Rex gun?

Haha no but a set of 577 nitro barrels would be pretty awesome on a #6 frame Parkers .

I wish Parkers had made a 4 gauge , probably would have been a #10 frame :rotf:

I let a grade 2 hammer 10 gauge slip through my hands last year Milton. Watched it dropped to $800 after a few gun shows. Included brass a trimmer & loading tools & many stories that came with it. None the less I learned a lesson on procrastination/being cheap. I'm big on lifters, but I'm finding myself acquiring a taste for the big hammer Parkers, lever or lifter.

Ive read one here before that only about 20 or so 8 gauge lifters were made .
So I probably wont run across another but I could probably say the same for a #6 frame 10 ga

I am more than happy with my Parkers though .

Congratulations on your first Parker, she's a beauty! I am also glad to see a fellow "young'un" who shares the same love for these amazing classics!

i forgot how nice those barrels are...and that thing has some meat in the breech end of the gun....them parker men new how to balance agun for sure...with them 1 1/8 ounce loads she should be real light on the shoulder....what a turkey gun....charlie

I think the 1 1/8 oz loads with #5s would be the ticket for turkeys .
The 1 3/8oz bismuth loads would probably be good on waterfowl .

We have a early goose season that starts in September I hope to take the Parker out there and put some goose breast in the freezer .

reading another thread about finding sister guns , does anyone know what 116793 and 116795 would have been ?

You need to pick up a copy of the Parker serialization book. It should say. Great book, lots of info!
Chris

116793 was a grade 3 damascus 10 gauge with capped pistol grip stock and 32" barrels

116795 was a grade 0 with twist barrels, 8 gauge with capped pistol grip and 36" barrels

Bill

I have read before that when Parkers built 8 gauges they would sometimes do them in batches . Since my 10 ga is a #6 frame and the next gun was also a #6 frame . I wonder if 116793 was as well. Does the serialization book list the weights ?

I want to get the Parker book eventually .

Weights are not listed.

Thanks for the kind words, Milton. It is always special to sell a Parker and especially special to sell one to a first time buyer. I sold two this week to first time buyers. People often ask "are there new buyers?" and the answer is a resounding "YES"!

I think I bought my first Parker when I was 20 which would be 21 years ago now. I bought a VH 12ga 26" from Jack Puglisi. It is my favorite gun to shoot, though it had a lot more original condition when I got it than it does today from the use and enjoyment it has brought me.

A VH 12 26 inch is what got me hooked when I started hunting with it. I guess because I shot it better than anything I had previously used and that included a lot of bird guns. Don't remember what year that was. I had owned one before a 16 ga Vh but never shot it. I traded a lot in my younger days. Maybe 40 years ago.

I remember I talked to Mr.Jack before he passed about Parkers .
He didnt mind talking with a 18 yr old kid about Parkers .

I already got my eye on a few potential next Parkers , it will be awhile but some of these sit for a long time though . I think eventually I would like to get a PH 16 ga .

Even with the 6 frame being almost 13lbs my excitement has hardly let me put it down .