The Complete Package -- Parker Reproductions
 

Has there ever been and will there ever be a better, more affordable and classically-styled doublegun brought to the marketplace than what Tom Skeuse introduced and made available over 40 years ago?

Shown below is one of my Parker Reproductions. I call it my Po' Man's Parker, it's a DHE 28ga. 2-bbl. set with a set of 28ga.-.410 Chambermates, making this 2-bbl. set into a 28/.410 bi-gauge set. Barrels are choked M/F and Q1/Q2. This, and my other Repros initially purchased, were mostly intended for hunting, but as time marches on, they are now utilized much more on a clays course than they are in the woods. I get more joy and appreciation today from my 28, 20 and 12ga. Repros than ever before . . . it’s the complete package -- the whole shebang — gun, case and accoutrements. Thank you Tom Skeuse!

Shown below the gun is a primary reason why I bought this gun in the 1st place.

For other Parker Reproduction owners please show and tell us how you're using yours!

Very nice Greg!

That is a wild looking piece of wood. I’ve stopped being surprised by the beauty of some of the repro wood our members share. I shoot sporting clays regularly with my repros as well as sharing a walk in the woods a few times a year.

I started this thread as an incentive for other Parker Reproduction owners to show and tell us about the Repros they have. Reggie has recently purchased a wonderful 28ga. 2-bbl. set that I’m absolutely sure others would like to see.

RE: That wild looking piece of wood you mentioned. I had shown this unique stock in the “Let’s see some wood” thread. There I explained an old wood miser I know termed it a variation of “quilted Claro”. It’s not at all very Parker-ish, nor very Repro-ish, still pics does not do it justice, only by viewing it in person are you able to appreciate how the figure changes. From head-to-heel and top-to-bottom the appearance of this stock is constantly changing under varying light conditions and viewing angles — the dark areas change to light and the light areas change to dark, kind of like vertical fiddleback, but with a checkerboard effect instead.

I have three Parker Reproductions. My first is a 20 ga with a P serial number (first picture). The second a 28ga two barrel that I recently added a third set of barrels to so now it has Q1/Q2, IC/M and M/F barrels( picture 2). And my latest a 12ga A-1 Special (picture 3 and 4). The 28 ga DHE gets the most use, hunting and on clays.

One of my favorites.... don't know why I ever sold it...

28 gauge IC/MOD 26" SG, BTFE

Parker Repro 28 ga, IC/Mod
 

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I owned two Parker.l410s over the years, the first one a barn find VH that still had lots of wonderful original CC, the second a washed out but all original and wonderful GHE from Doug Turnbull purchased at the (I believe) next-to-last Vintagers event held at Sandanona. Doug rejected my pile of choice guns in trade so I wore him out with cash.

Both guns have since gone down the highway of commerce and I am proud to have made their current owners happy. Now I think I would like to have a Parker Repro .410 or an RBL .410 mostly because I like to shoot and actually hunt with the gauge. A friend once invited me on a woodcock hunt with the caveat, "Bring a man's gun, none of those piss-ant "butterfly guns" you usually show up with". His scouted area had a flight come through late the day before so we knew the action would be hot. To restore his faith in the little guns (and to re=educate him in their efficacy), I showed up with my LC Smith 28" .410. His great Brittany Spaniel "Skye" worked like a field trial champ and we flushed over 20 birds. We both shot limits of 3 birds apiece, him with his Beretta BL 3 20 ga. and me with my Elsie, with no cripples and no lost birds. I recall firing 7 shots and him not very many more; we hunted well togethr. On the ride home he said, "Not too bad for a kid's gun."

I know I will have to buy a combo set in a Repro to get the .410; Tony G told me they made c. 14 single (non-combo) RBL .410s, but I have never seen one. I love to say, "They are out there." Maybe I'll run into one at the firehouse guns show this weekend.