Barrel weight stamp and final gun weight

[mobirdhunter]

Just acquired a new-to-me GH 12 gauge. I bought it at auction on the spur of the moment (usually not a good thing, I know) after being drawn to it's light weight, especially for having 30 inch barrels. I thought it was a 16 gauge at first glance. I did not have the chance to take the gun apart, but went ahead and bought it anyway. There was just something about its weight and balance.

When I got the gun home and took it apart, I was pleased to see it was built on the #1 frame with barrel stamping of 3 lbs. 9 oz. I have weighed the gun and it comes in just a smidgen under 7 lbs. 1 oz. The gun has .040 chokes in both barrels and good wall thickness (.047 out about 8-10 inches from the breech). It appears not to have been messed with at all. I'm getting a letter on it, but after seeing a post of a DHE for sale on this site on a #1 frame with 28 inch barrels (and un-struck barrel weight a bit more than mine) that weighed more than my new purchase, I started to wonder how light Parker could make a 30 inch Damascus-barreled gun.

I'm sure that most of you have a record of your gun's un-srtuck barrel weight and overall weight, so I thought I'd ask to see what we can find to be the lightest #1 frame 12 gauge, 30 inch Damascus-barreled guns that we have an actual record for (no, "I knew a guy who had a friend who..." examples, please).

I'll start with mine at 7 lbs .55 oz. Any takers? :-)

[Dean Romig]

If it had been a sixteen gauge it most likely would have been heavier.





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[William Davis]

I have a 30 inch Damascus GH with barrels marked 3 12 Chokes are 30 & 38 guns weight is 7 lbs 6 oz on a postage scale.

William

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by William Davis

I have a 30 inch Damascus GH with barrels marked 3 12 Chokes are 30 & 38 guns weight is 7 lbs 6 oz on a postage scale.

William

Thanks, William. This seems to be on the lighter side, would you agree. **I'll bet it's great to carry and shoot.** Is this also on a #1 frame?

Parkers get knocked for being heavier than, say, Fox or Ithaca guns, and I certainly have very lightweight Foxes and Ithacas. I just bought the GH in question above and a very early CE grade Fox (30 inch barrels, although not Damascus of course). It weighs 7 lbs. 11 oz. (no barrel weight markings -- too early for that I suspect). Certainly too small a sample size to draw any conclusions, but I hope we'll find that there are more lighter weight Damascus 12s than one might expect.

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Garry L Gordon

I just bought the GH in question above and a very early CE grade Fox (30 inch barrels, although not Damascus of course). It weighs 7 lbs. 11 oz. (no barrel weight markings -- too early for that I suspect).

It? The Parker GH or the Fox CE?

If the Parker GH, I would venture to say I can't remember ever seeing a GH, regardless of year made - or even a G hammer gun - that didn't have the pre-struck weight stamp. I suppose there may have been one or two that "slipped between the cracks" but it was the standard practice to stamp the pre-struck weight almost from the earliest days.





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[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

It? The Parker GH or the Fox CE?

If the Parker GH I would venture to say I can't remember ever seeing a GH, regardless of year made - or even a G hammer gun - that didn't have the pre-struck weight stamp. I suppose there may have been one or two that "slipped between the cracks" but it was the standard practice to stamp the pre-struck weight almost from the earliest days.
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Sorry, Dean. I guess I'm too linear. The Fox had no barrel weight marking. The GH is the one noted in the original post (with photo) along with its un-struck barrel weight. Forgive the confusion.

[edgarspencer]

Something got me to thinking (no small feat lately) and I did an unscientific comparison of two similar 1 1/2 frame 12s. Both with skeleton butts, and same LOP.
A 30" DHE with bbls marked 3lbs 14 oz., actual weight 3lbs, 5.4 oz.
Receiver with fore end; 4lbs, 3.0oz., for a total assembled weight of 7lbs,8.4oz.

A 28" BHE, with bbls marked 3lbs, 12oz., Actual weight, 3 lbs, 0.0oz.
Receiver with fore end; 3lbs, 12.2oz., for a total assembled weight of 6lbs, 12.2oz

The 28" Barrels were 5.4 ounces less than the 30".

In the past I have found that, on average, 2" at the muzzle accounted for about 2-3 ounces of unstruck weight, so the BHE barrels apparently have had more striking done.

The BHE Receiver and fore end weighed 6.8oz. less than a nearly identical DHE.

The remainder of the difference in weight must be in both the boring out, (evidenced by the two plugs in the checkered butt) and the density of the stock.

[edgarspencer]

Originally Posted by Garry L Gordon

after seeing a post of a DHE for sale on this site on a #1 frame with 28 inch barrels (and un-struck barrel weight a bit more than mine) that weighed more than my new purchase, I started to wonder how light Parker could make a 30 inch Damascus-barreled gun.

If you are referring to the DH (it was not a DHE)I just listed, That gun seemed to me to be a bit heavy at 7lbs 1.2oz. I have a 28" BHE on a 1 1/2 frame, unstruck weight of 3lbs 12, and finished gun weight of 6 lbs 12 ounces.

I think you will find unstruck barrel weights VS gun weight all over the lot. Barrels were made well ahead of an order, and when an order specified a desired finished weight, it was up to barrel finisher to take it down to a near finished weight. Some barrels have more solder than others, and some have heavier walls than others

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by edgarspencer

If you are referring to the DH (it was not a DHE)I just listed, That gun seemed to me to be a bit heavy at 7lbs 1.2oz. I have a 28" BHE on a 1 1/2 frame, unstruck weight of 3lbs 12, and finished gun weight of 6 lbs 12 ounces.

I think you will find unstruck barrel weights VS gun weight all over the lot. Barrels were made well ahead of an order, and when an order specified a desired finished weight, it was up to barrel finisher to take it down to a near finished weight. Some barrels have more solder than others, and some have heavier walls than others

Edgar, thanks for your response. One of the wonderful things about Parker Bros. was how much they would individualize a gun. I think your examples are good ones to illustrate this.

I'm hoping that we'll get more responses to show just how light a 30 inch 12 can be (especially with Damascus barrels).

PS Your BHE sounds like a jewel!

[Daniel G Rainey]

I have a 12 PH on a 1 frame with 30 inch barrels ( twist ) marked 3lbs 12 oz. gun weight is 7 1/4.