Is it a trap gun?
 

I recently acquired a DHE with 32" barels and am wondering if it was originally a trap gun (I got it for ducks) or if there is any way to tell. Gun has a very straight stock for the time, 14 1/4 x 1 1/2 x 2 1/4, ser #229740. Has two white beads that are not yellowed with age so might not be ivory, safety is non-automatic which someone may have changed? I am not sure if a non-automatic safety was an option. Gun appears all original with the exception of a new Silvers pad which may replace a deteriorated factory pad. Barrel blue and wood finish look original and pretty good for the guns age. Action has been cleaned and is silver but done well and engraving is very sharp and nice. Gun is tight as a new one. Would a letter tell me anything? I really like this one!
Thanks for any info.

Parker made a lot of guns for trapshooting. The straight stock (to make it shoot high) and double ivory beads suggest that yours was built for that. Parker did make guns marketed as Double Traps near the end of their operation that have a number of features such as single trigger, beaver tail forend, vent rib, ejectors etc. Trap shooting is an old game and many guns were built for it and some had more options than others. Generally speaking the over riding feature of a gun used for trap is the straight high shooting stock. A letter would tell you as much as is known about your gun.

Pictures of your gun would be welcome.

I just got it last night so will have to take some and post them.

Does it have a single trigger or vent rib? Sounds like a keeper.

As I recall, The Parker Story authors made their survey of double trap guns by including guns with 30 and 32 inch barrels, ventilated rib, beavertail forearm, and ejectors. The catalogued "Double Trap" was a later item than earlier guns that had the same features. However, I believe the authors examined records earlier than the catalog debut of the "Double Trap". Some double trap guns had features that differ from the features of the guns in the authors' survey. True trap guns ordered by competitive shooters occasionally have double triggers and solid ribs. Unfortunately, guns in the "Double Trap" era are seldom provenanced by original owner.

Does yours have a BTFE by chance? I do not think that Parker ever had an actual "Trap" gun. They just had "trap" features that could be ordered on normal guns. Things like long barrels, BTFE (or Trap forend) and Vent ribs are popular add ons for "trap" guns.

The above is the case for earlier guns, however I think I may have seen something about a buttplate that Parker put out that was marked with "trap" on some of the later guns. Is this the case?

Some info I left out. Gun is a 1 1/2 frame, solid rib I would call swamped or dished. Double triggers and splinter forend. When I put this gun to my shoulder it (at least for me) stacks the two white beads and shows some rib just about like my old M12 trap gun which has the MC stock and duckbill rib.
Can't wait to shoot it.
Will do pictures later on.

Sounds like a keeper for sure.

D

Brian, the "Trap Gun" buttplate was from the hammer gun era, not used in later guns. The "Trap Gun" of later times is shown in the 1937 Remington-Parker catalog. This is their actual trap gun with all the features, not just add ons. I am not sure if the "Trap Gun" was mentioned in earlier pocket catalogs. Mr. Clark's gun is a normal field style Parker missing the features of a double trap. With the straight stock, it could have easily been ordered by a trapshooter to shoot his game, either competitively or casually. It is in the serial number range when fully optioned trap guns were made.

[The above is the case for earlier guns, however I think I may have seen something about a buttplate that Parker put out that was marked with "trap" on some of the later guns. Is this the case?[/QUOTE]

Brian
The Trap butt plate was a creation for HD Folsom and was pre-1900 or thereabouts.
its in TPS and there was a PP article as well.
However, i have a Folsom that was SUPPOSED to have a trap butt plate according to the order book but in fact doesn't.
Go figure.