Depression Era Trojan
 

Here's a nice 12ga Trojan I couldn't pass up. I'm not crazy about a 12 ga but it's a nice one. Born in 1930 and finally sold in 1936. Imp. mod and Full chokes
with a small chip on the butt plate at the heel not affecting the wood.

WOW Beautiful!!





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That's a very nice Trojan 12. The Research letter for it shows just how difficult it was to do business during the Great Depression, with the gun having sat in inventory for six years.

Wonderful Trojan and great having that letter documenting the time in inventory. My VH 20-gauge is very close in serial number. My Ron Kirby letter states it was started September 1930 and shipped 11 November 1930, but doesn't say where it was shipped.

It is so much more difficult to find Trojans and VH guns in that kind of condition. Most of them lead a very hard life. That one has been in a closet somewhere for a long time. Great find.

My 20 174943 was used hard and has an Ithaca Sunburst pad but fits better than anything I own and the 20 #217126 is in really good shape but just does not have the character or fit of the first. Congrats on a great find, that will be a great shooter for the 4th of July celebration!

Why are 12 gauge shotguns viewed so negatively? I've always liked them.

Nothing negative, I just love my 16ga. Though I have to say this gun fits me perfectly and it’s a pleasure to shoot.

That is a very ice Trojan, indeed!

I should have mentioned, of course, that’s a very nice Trojan. From where did you get it?

I got it off gunbroker, it slipped under the radar. The price was the best part.

Don’t leave me hanging. What did you get it for, especially considering bargains on Gunbroker are very few and far between.

There is another listed on GI today that looks very nice, nice gun you have.

Ian, if I post the price it would mess up the Trojan market. Let’s just say it was the starting bid and I was the only one.

Nice move on keeping the price quiet, Trojans can be a bargain when you consider the Parker quality they represent, in my opinion.

Angel:

Of the four Parker guns my father owned, a Trojan 12; VH 12; DHE 12, and VH 16, it was the Trojan 12 that he liked and shot best.

I have the gun today, a #2-frame, with 30-inch barrels; manufactured maybe a year before yours, with serial number 230608.

As for condition, it is on the opposite end of the spectrum from yours, having spent many years before my father acquired it knocking around in the cab of a local farmer’s pickup. He sold it to my father when his son-in-law came back from being stationed Europe in the 1950s bearing a Germanic O/U for his father-in-law.

Sometime later, the farmer intimated that he would like to have his old gun, the Trojan, back, making it clear that he did not like the new gun.
My father was sympathetic, but nevertheless said, “Sorry”.

I'm not sure the Trojan market could be depressed much more.
I bought a Trojan on GB in the last month. I didn't have a 20 gauge Parker so decided to try to get a Trojan cheap (had no Trojans either, so 2 for 1).

I bought one from LS&B that looked really nice. I won after 20 bids were placed . Finish and wood were great. Only negatives were a period recoil pad and, for some reason, someone had blued the action. Bores and mechanics were perfect. I believe I paid reasonable amount at $1180, considering the negatives.

I looked through the completed auctions for November and December and found that 10 of the 28 Trojans listed were sold. Of those sold, there were 6 12 ga, 2 16 ga, and 2 20 ga. The 12's went for $305-755, the 16's from $1054-1250 and the 20's from $1030-1180.

These guns didn't go unnoticed to any extent.Many were nice useable guns in good condition. One gun had one bid, one gun had 2 bids and one had 3. They were rough. The rest had between 9 and 28 bids.

For some reason the Trojans just get no respect. They bring less than the price of a cheap Eastern European double. The VH which was also made in large numbers and a was a base level "real" Parker seems to be ravenously sought after at, IMHO, inflated prices. You see a lot of people wanting to get a useable solid Parker at a price they can afford to use. I can't imagine they don't all buy Trojans in today's market.

Good research, just confirms my thoughts that the Trojan is a good buy. You see them used and abused but still tight on face with shiny clean barrels and unreal to be able to find a 20 gauge Parker for that kind of money. Like I mentioned before, one of my twenties has put no telling how much meat on the table and still tight as new.

Of all the Parkers I own and shoot, my 20 ga Trojan that Brad Bachelder restored for me is my favorite. I'd buy another small ga Trojan

Someone mentioned why the Parker 12 isn't more popular or costly. Like many makers, everyone had 12 gauge guns so they are very common and you could go in any local store and find 12 gauge shells but sometimes 20 and rarely 16 shells. Many people could afford a 12 gauge but did not have funds or need for other gauge guns when an old 12 would do anything a farmer, shopkeeper or hunter wanted, often taking deer or bear with buckshot out of a 12. But, they are still as good as always, just much more common.

My first Parker was a Trojan 12. Nice find Angel and good to see you back on the forum