Trojan frame size
 

Weren't 16 ga Trojans offered in only 1 frame size, a 1 frame?
I was offered a 16 Trojan over the phone this morning, and the gent said that it was on the light 16 ga frame( O frame). He said the gun wAS at 80% condition, 28" F/F barrels, and made in 1917. Asking price was $1500. I do not get on the gun auction sites much, so I am not sure what a Trojan 16 would go for. I am not real interested in the gun as I have a VH, DHE, and GH 16 already. Am I correct about the frame size?

Typically, yes. The Trojan 16 was built on a 1-frame but that's not to say it may not have been built on a 0-frame as a special order only.

The price quoted, for a Trojan 16 with 28" barrels in 80% original condition, seems good but if the gun was actually built on a 0-frame, and it can be documented, I would jump right on it.

Yes, a 1 for 16s. He probably has a VH and does not know the difference. I also believe a Trojan 16 would have been Mod. and Full and not Full and Full in '17.

Mod/Full was more typically the choking of the 26" barreled Trojan 16's

According to The Parker Story (pg. 243) the 1913 flyer showed 16s and 20s as 28" mod. and full only. "We will accept no orders with exact specifications, nor will we deviate from the above dimensions in any particular."

So had they changed by 1917? It says that not until 1926 does it show the 26" available in their catalog. So if it is a Trojan, when they began boring chokes to the customer's request is the question. I was just guessing that so close to the start of production (1912) a full and full 16 Trojan would probably not be seen in 1917. Of course his choke measurements could be off. And a 0 frame for a 16 Trojan, in 1917 would have been a rare one. Just an opinion.

Just maybe some one on the forum would love to have this gun through you. Just a thought.
Rufus T

In the realm of Parkers we 'never say never'. I had a Trojan 16 with 26" barrels choked Mod/Full with about 3 3/4" of choke in the right barrel and almost 4 1/4" of choke in the left barrel. Both chokes had between 1/4" and 3/8" of parallel walls at the muzzle. It was all original except that it had been very nicely refinished sometime in the more recent past. It was made in 1923 and the serial number is 202066. You can read about it in "Parkers Found" in Parker Pages. More recently the blurb about this Trojan has been condensed but if you grab an issue from 2009 or 2010 you can read the full text about this gun. It is on the 1-frame but is lighter than some of my 0-frame sixteens.

Incidentally, my brother-in-law now owns the gun and he lives about eight miles from me so I can measure the exact choke constriction if it is important to anyone.

Best, Dean

Dean,

Certainly Parker changed it's mind on whether they would vary from their firm position on what could be had in a Trojan. I was just making the point to Harold that this gun has two strikes against it being a Trojan based on the phone conversation; but if it is, as you say it is a rare bird indeed, especially in 1917. Or someone knew someone at Parker or one of the employees had it built that way. The jury is still out on what it really is though.

Absolutely correct Jerry. Seeing is believing so we'll just wait and see.

The gun needs to be held in hand and every detail examined closely.

A seller who cannot identify a Trojan from a VH is not likely to own a bore micrometer. This gun is probably a nice 0 frame VH. Or it could actually be a Trojan with 0 mark on the lug, in which case it is probably a 20 gauge. Either way, it's probably a good deal if it has no other problems. If you could tell us the serial number, we likely could tell you exactly what you are considering.