Cut barrels/open chokes
 

Have a parker gun I am considering getting.

The gun has some issues, one of which being cut barrels and open chokes. I am not familiar with shooting such a side by side. Is there a big concern with such barrels for dove hunting or skeet shooting?

How long were the barrels when the gun was manufactured and how long are the barrels now?
I have such a gun which had 28" barrels and have been cut to 24"
It is a great skeet gun, woodcock gun, and grouse gun but I can't comment on its performance on doves.





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It was 30 and now it's 28.

Ed Muderlak did an article in Parker Pages "In Defense of Cut Barrels" or something like that. Even though collector value may be ruined, some can still be great shooters.

My cut and chokeless 24" PHE16 is a deadly grouse and woodcock gun.

If you are looking for a collector gun cut barrels that are not documented can be and are usually the kiss of death as far as value go.

If you want a high quality shooter cut barrels can be very useful and provide an excellent value depending on their intended use.

Best thing to do is to pattern the barrels and see what type of pattern you are getting at the most likely range you will be shooting. Remember modern shot shells with their plastic wads and harder shot will shoot a much tighter pattern than the ammunition that was in use when most Parkers were made.

A mere two inches cut off the barrels does not necessarily indicate "0pen chokes."

The gun may still have something akin to 'skeet chokes' depending on how it was originally choked. Parker chokes taper a good 3 - 4 inches or even more (according to my bore mics) back from the muzzle.

Two things to do -

1. measure the bore diameter and determine the amount of constriction at the muzzles.

2. pattern the gun with a few shots from the right barrel and a few shots from the left using the shot size you plan to use for your dove hunting and skeet.





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My "Go To" skeet gun is a CYL/CYL 12 ga Parker though I have a complete collection of screw in chokes. My #2 "Go To" is a 28 ga fixed choke opened to .001" and .003". Both work fine on skeet, grouse, and woodcock. No doves in our neck of the woods. SK

I have measured the lengths of all my Parker Chokes. It's not real precise because the Skeet's Gauge has some backlash before the dial indicator moves. Lot of linkage between the tip and dial, However all are very long between 4 and 5 inches. Modern fixed choke guns I own mostly get the choke in 2 inches, as do choke tubes. 4-5 inches would explain how 2 inches could be cut off a Parker Barrel with some choke remaining.

I owned a cut 26 inch barrel Parker that left the factory at 30 inches. Skeet's Dial indicator bumped just a bit as it exited the muzzles. It was my impression 4 inches off changed the balance enough that the gun did not swing well. My opinion only, no way to measure "Feel"

Having said that about "Feel" I know a avid Grouse Hunter. He uses 24 inch Automatics, cut down from longer barrels. He has to be the fastest hip to shoot shooter I have ever seen. No swing to his shots, not important to him. Other hand Doves I have hunted need a smooth swing and good choke,

William

if i liked that cut barrel gun and the price was right i would go for it....charlie