In response to Daves accounting of both the Sterlingworth and the Trojan, it is well known that the Trojan, for Parker Bros. was a "break even" proposition at best. Parker designed and manufactured the Trojan simply to 'stay on the map' while other gun makers were stealing their lunch with the cheap guns they were flooding the market with. It was sink or swim.
The VH was Parker's low end introductory gun until the Sterly came along.
Of course Fox could produce their gun cheaper - it had way fewer parts but that fact doesn't make it a more well made gun... just a better design is all. Yes, fewer parts equate to fewer things to break or malfunction.
IMO a small bore Parker is a far nicer gun to look at, even the Trojan, but a lot can be said for the embellishments of a graded Fox, but I'll take the Parker any day.
Daryl - Did you have to look very long to find such a heavy 00-frame 28 gauge Parker? 7 1/4 lbs seems on the heavy side for such a Parker. My 28 ga. 00-frame VHE with 26" tubes is 6 1/4 lbs and I can't understand how 4 more inches of barrel accounts for 1 lb.?
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"I'm a Setter man.
Not because I think they're better than the other breeds,
but because I'm a romantic - stuck on tradition - and to me, a Setter just "belongs" in the grouse picture."
George King, "That's Ruff", 2010 - a timeless classic.
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