Help With My Parker
 

This is a Parker I bought through a friend. Its my first one. Its stamped V only, and O for frame size 20ga. In all my research i can't find one with wood like this but a V. Also I think the butt pad is not original. I could use somebody expertise and advice. I'm assuming that its been redone in the past. Thanks in Advance. I have ordered the letter from this site.

It has been redone and the butt pad is not original, you are correct.

It appears to me all of the wood has been replaced. Congratulations on your first parker.

New wood for sure. Post some pics of the receiver , water table, and barrels. A nice find, recommend shooting it often, you cannot wear it out.

Pics of receiver.

Yep, hammerless 20 gauge, extractor gun with 26” barrels and a capped pistol grip per the serialization book. 1904. Great gun. Parker 20’s are my favorite.

The new wood should give you nice modern shooting dimensions.

Some things to consider. Your gun is of 1904 vintage. At that time the "standard" 20-gauge shell in North America was 2 1/2-inch. The heaviest loads offered in that 2 1/2-inch 20-gauge shell were 2 1/4-drams of bulk smokeless powder or 18-grains of dense smokeless powder such as Infallible or Ballistite pushing 7/8-ounce of shot. With Parker Bros. practice of holding chambers 1/8-inch shorter than the intended shell, unless they have been lengthened, the chambers were likely 2 3/8-inch when they left Meriden. I have a VH, 0-frame, 20-gauge of 1930 vintage and it has the 2 3/8-inch chambers.

1904 was long before beavertail forearms were a thing, so your gun likely does not have the reinforced forearm loop that Parker Bros. added when they began offering beavertail forearms.

Attachment 135039

A firm grip on a beavertail forearm puts a lot more strain on the forearm loop during recoil than a hand on the barrels over the tip of a slim forearm --

Attachment 135040

Recommend taking a look at the reloading forum, several of us were discussing light, low pressure 2 1/2" 7/8 oz loads. I have 3 "0" frame 20s scattered over 25 years of production and shoot the same in all. Great dove and quail guns. Not too many woodcock in South Texas!
To get an accurate idea of chokes you'll need to measure barrels and do the math, drop in gauges probably not the way to go with this gun.

Researcher, you are correct. Thanks for the information.

Thank you Kieth. Not too many woodcocks here in southern NM either!