Parker Trojans - Barrel Length
 

Over the last few months I've looked at several Parker Trojans and have found the barrel length on a few to be exactly 1/8" under the full book length. They were made in 26" 28" and 30 " barrel lengths; in several instances I found barrels to be 27 7/8" inches long on what I would have thought to be a 28" barrel and in the case of one 30" barrel, it was 29 7/8" in length. I've seen the shortness on all three gauge of Trojans. Each barrel had the clear space between the end of the barrel and back to the wavy line matting. Upon close inspection of the muzzle end they all appear to have been uncut in that the barrels were touching and no other signs of being cut. Is it possible that on Trojans, since they were the lowest grade Parker, that quality control in barrel length was a bit lax? I've not seen a 26" barrel to be short. I'm curious what you experts out there think? Has anyone else picked up on this? What impact should this have on price if any? Your thoughts please.

I've seen several guns of lower grades that had barrels "trimmed" up to about 1/8" probably because they had seen some pretty hard use and the muzzles got a bit dinged up. I'll check my last remaining 26" Trojan 16 tonight.

Carl,I went and dug out my 16ga. 28" Trojan. The barrels are uncut with the kiels in place and the matting ending about 1/8" from the muzzles. They measure 27 15/16".

Carl, I'm still looking for the 32" Trojan and I expect it to be right on the money. If the blank space on the end of the rib is in place and the bores are right, no adjustment in price or value should be neccesary for any barrel length.

As Long As We're Wishing....
 

Bill....as long as we're wishing, I'll go for one of the 28 gauge Trojans; you can have the other one. And then the 12 ga with the 36" barrels. If they're a sixteenth inch or so short, that'll be okay.....CARL

My early 12-ga. Trojan's barrels measure exactly 30" long.

Parker Trojan 202066 (listed in "Parkers Found") has a barrel length of 25 15/16" , are uncut and listed in the Serialization book as 26". The barrels on this gun may very well have been trimmed as the entire gun has been nicely refinished.

I'll take a Trojan skeet gun with straight grip and single trigger. TPS talks about them, sure wish Remington had made some.

Someone will correct me if I'm wrong but I believe there were two prototypes made as Ed describes.

1926 Trojan 12 Ga letters at 28", measures about 1/32 short. Pretty sure the only thing this gun has had done to it is shot and drug. George

Ed Blake, the 1998 research committee spent a day with the Trojan Skeet Gun at Ilion. I have several pictures of members of the committee waving that little gun around. It is actually pictured on the cover page of a late Remington parts price list.

I have a VH with 27 7/8" barrels. PGCA research letter states 28" barrels. Chokes are 3 1/2 to 4 inches long. Matting comes to a stop ahead of the end of the barrels but not by much. There is a 1946 Remington Repair code stamped on the barrel flats. Was the muzzle damaged at some point and cleaned up, maybe, who knows? Fits me well and shoots good so I don't give it too much thought now.

It is very common to find inexact barrel lengths (e.g., 29 15/16; 25 7/8) on guns made before about 1920. For whatever reasons, after that they were usually very precise to the inch measurements.

I may be out on a limb here, but is it possible that the final regulation of barrels by manipulation of the muzzles resulted in this minor shorting on some pairs?

I would doubt that.

I have two sets of Trojan barrels. One at 27 7/8" and one at 29 7/8" inches. Both from 1921. I guess considering their age a little shrinkage would be normal:)

MY 12 Trojan (1929) 30" exactly. My 1921 set of bbls measures 27 15/16. Both are uncut. The 1921 set had an extension which was ground off and fitted to the 1929 receiver. Locks up tight.