Please help determine value and condition of my Parker Brothers 16 gauge

[Kevin VanDuinen]

Made in 1907 I believe. My great grandfather passed while I was a child and left this beautiful 16 gauge side by side for me. It’s a family heirloom. I occasionally hunt rabbits with it as I found it was easy to shoulder and aim in dense cover. I would say it’s maybe shot 10 times a year. The serial # is 141876. The frame size is 1. Weight of the barrels is 3(4). Made of Vulcan steel. The barrel is 26” long and in excellent condition but has one 1” scratch and two very very small dents. If there is any more info you need to help determine the value please let me know.

[Kevin VanDuinen]

A couple more pictures

[Dean Romig]

I would suggest ordering a PGCA research letter on your Parker. The price is $100 for non-members and $40 for members. I would suggest becoming a member for $40 and then order the letter for $40.

Having said that, it looks like your VH has a replacement buttstock and the barrels appear to have been cut/shortened.





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[Harold Pickens]

Agree with Dean on stock and barrels, but still a nice old "shooter". My favorite Parker also has has cut barrels, but is my favorite grouse gun. I would just enjoy shooting/hunting with GGF shotgun. The gun is about 115 yrs old, and sure would have alot of stories to tell.

[Mills]

Looks like a respectable gun, flaws above noted though.

[Andy]

I have a VH in 16g with factory 26" barrels, and while I prefer 28", the gun is great in tight quarters and carries easily. I'd shoot it and enjoy it especially since it's a family gun. That makes it special right there and more so because it's a Parker.

[Bill Murphy]

Information, probably order book information, is available on your gun. This woould probably include original barrel length and the name of the original person or company who purchased your gun 114 years ago. Interesting stuff. A picture of the rib at the muzzle would tell us more about the originality of the barrel length. A straight on picture of the stock and action would tell us more about the originality of the stock wood. Let's also see a picture of that pistol grip cap from the bottom. Great gun any of us would love to own.

[Bruce Hering]

I have a question regarding the comments above on barrels being shortened:

Looking at the muzzle picture the OP provided it appears to me the the barrel walls are touching and the plugs seem to be in order. I have seen 28" guns cut to 26 and they all showed noticeable space between the barrels at the muzzle which would indicate to me that they have not been cut. I would assume a research letter would solve this question.

Comments would be appreciated by me.... Thanks

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Bruce Hering

Looking at the muzzle picture the OP provided it appears to me the the barrel walls are touching and the plugs seem to be in order.

I don't see any evidence of "plugs" in place. To me it looks like those triangular sections below both the top and bottom ribs and made of plain lead. If the barrels had been shortened by Parker Bros. the steel keels would have been replaced.





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[Bruce Hering]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

I don't see any evidence of "plugs" in place. To me it looks like those triangular sections below both the top and bottom ribs and made of plain lead. If the barrels had been shortened by Parker Bros. the steel keels would have been replaced..

Dean: OK... "keels" and yea they do look like something other then steel but that does not answer the question as far as the barrels touching each other. Also, there is the possibility the muzzle area of the barrels has not been "cleaned up" and as I am sure you know, different steels respond differently chemically to air, sunshine, time, and use (they do have the look of lead). It is also my understanding that in order to bring the barrels together after a "cut down" the ribs would need to be striped and relayed which is more then most local, non factory cut off jobs get.

Just thinking out loud.