Trojan or DH?

[Steve McCarty]

Oops; I mean VH, Trojan or GH with fluid steel barrels.

I've got a little shotgun buying cash. I am not a collector of "fine" Parkers as a lot of the members here appear to be. I'm a collector of shooters. I shoot my SC and GH and I'd like to have a steel barreled Parker double. Actually I'd like a Trojan Steel GH if I could find one not too pricey.

Of course I see Trojans and I've held some and like them. I have only held one DH, but it cost $3200 which I thought was a little dear.

So, tell me, you Parker gurus out there, is my Parker buying $ better spend on a good DH, a nice Trojan or a fluid steel GH?....Sure it's a matter of personal preference, but I'd like to know what you all think.

Thank you.

SM

BTW: I'm leaning to the Trojan.

[Bruce Day]

Steve, the Trojan is undoubtedly a reliable, sturdy and well made shot gun that will last for generations and will serve an owner well as a field gun.

The D grade was Parker's mid level gun and displayed most of the characteristics of high grade Parkers. Decent and interesting, though standard, engraving, figured usually European walnut, fine checkering, nicely finished barrels in either fluid steel or damascus, and that distinctive and finely inletted skeleton steel buttplate were the hallmarks of the D grade. The D was often special ordered with selected weights and configurations; the Trojan was mostly a standard stock item.

So in the field you'll find a Trojan 12 to be somewhat heavy at around 8lbs. The D's even when a 2 frame 30" 12 were around a half pound lighter. Maybe that is not important for a fowler, but would be for a game gun.

Then some people like to sit in the easy chair in the evening and admire their Parkers. Well, the D has a lot more features to admire and is certainly easier on the eye.

I'm not going to tell you one is better than the other because that is such a personal choice, but in a general sense, the more one article is more finely crafted than the other, the more care is used in materials and craftsmanship, then most would agree that one is better than the other. Your choice, the pricing when made and continuing through today reflects the greater value to purchasers of one over the other. So you have to decide whether you are a basic, no frills person, or whether you want and can afford a level of higher craftsmanship and materials.

You mentioned a Trojan Steel GH. There is no such thing.

May I suggest you spend some serious time looking and handling a variety of Parkers before you jump? The PGCA meetings, Tulsa gun show, Pheasant Fest shows, NRA shows, UP shoot, numerous others are good places to meet Parker people and talk over guns. I don't know about the gun shows in central Oregon and you may have go all the way to the Las Vegas show to see many Parkers. The old advice about buying the best gun you can stretch to afford will stand you well and most people are happier in the long run to have something they treasure.

[Steve McCarty]

Originally Posted by Bruce Day

Steve, the Trojan is undoubtedly a reliable, sturdy and well made shot gun that will last for generations and will serve an owner well as a field gun.

The D grade was Parker's mid level gun and displayed most of the characteristics of high grade Parkers. Decent and interesting, though standard, engraving, figured usually European walnut, fine checkering, nicely finished barrels in either fluid steel or damascus, and that distinctive and finely inletted skeleton steel buttplate were the hallmarks of the D grade. The D was often special ordered with selected weights and configurations; the Trojan was mostly a standard stock item.

So in the field you'll find a Trojan 12 to be somewhat heavy at around 8lbs. The D's even when a 2 frame 30" 12 were around a half pound lighter. Maybe that is not important for a fowler, but would be for a game gun.

Then some people like to sit in the easy chair in the evening and admire their Parkers. Well, the D has a lot more features to admire and is certainly easier on the eye.

I'm not going to tell you one is better than the other because that is such a personal choice, but in a general sense, the more one article is more finely crafted than the other, the more care is used in materials and craftsmanship, then most would agree that one is better than the other. Your choice, the pricing when made and continuing through today reflects the greater value to purchasers of one over the other. So you have to decide whether you are a basic, no frills person, or whether you want and can afford a level of higher craftsmanship and materials.

You mentioned a Trojan Steel GH. There is no such thing.

May I suggest you spend some serious time looking and handling a variety of Parkers before you jump? The PGCA meetings, Tulsa gun show, Pheasant Fest shows, NRA shows, UP shoot, numerous others are good places to meet Parker people and talk over guns. I don't know about the gun shows in central Oregon and you may have go all the way to the Las Vegas show to see many Parkers. The old advice about buying the best gun you can stretch to afford will stand you well and most people are happier in the long run to have something they treasure.

living way out here in the far northwest I find few gunshows that have a lot of Parkers. However, Las Vegas is only about ten hours away...Maybe 12. The Reno show is usually pretty good too, only 8 hours away.

I am going to think about it. I do need to attend some good gun shows. I think you guys back east have more than we do way out here in the far west. Seems to me that most of you guys are in the east. I was raised back there. The woodcock shooting was wonderful.

[B. Dudley]

You can buy a very nice Trojan for the money as compared to any higher grade. And you still get the same Parker gun, just without the frills. However, the options are limited on them and a 12g. is a heavy gun as bruce stated.
Unless you want a heavy gun.

Finding a Steel barreled GH gun is going to cost you some more money than you are maybe wanting to spend since there are a lot more Damascus GH guns out there than "Parker Special Steel" barreled GH's.

I recommend you look at a VH as your Parker of choice. They are all fluid steel barreled and are readily available. Options, like ejectors are available on them and you can get them in different frame sizes. A 1 or 1-1/2 frame in 12g. is nice for carying in the field. Typically in the 7 lb. range. Typically $1k will buy you a nice VH that is not too nice to hunt with.

[Steve McCarty]

Originally Posted by Brian Dudley

You can buy a very nice Trojan for the money as compared to any higher grade. And you still get the same Parker gun, just without the frills. However, the options are limited on them and a 12g. is a heavy gun as bruce stated.
Unless you want a heavy gun.

Finding a Steel barreled GH gun is going to cost you some more money than you are maybe wanting to spend since there are a lot more Damascus GH guns out there than "Parker Special Steel" barreled GH's.

I recommend you look at a VH as your Parker of choice. They are all fluid steel barreled and are readily available. Options, like ejectors are available on them and you can get them in different frame sizes. A 1 or 1-1/2 frame in 12g. is nice for carying in the field. Typically in the 7 lb. range. Typically $1k will buy you a nice VH that is not too nice to hunt with.

Thank you, Brian:

Since I posted the above I perused the Guns International pages. They had just under 500 Parkers for sale. They are not rare.

Trojans are usually the same one from another. The VH is a pretty plain gun, but they look very Parkerish and I like them. I like the DH better. They generally run $4K or so. I own a GH and like them and I like the engraving. I think I can find a fluid steel gun for around 4K too.

So, I'm going to enjoy this shopping. On the guns site they advertised a GH with three barrels, a 30, a 28 and 26. The 28 is damascus. 7K. Cased and a bit over done, but nice. If I wasn't married I'd buy it tomorrow.

[Bruce Day]

I agree that a V grade is the best value in a Parker, and add that a damascus G is also a great bargain. When Remington accountants reviewed Parker Bros pricing and cost of production, they determined that Parker Bros had been losing money on V grades for the several years preceeding the 1934 buyout.

I disagree that with a Trojan you get the same Parker gun as with any higher grade. You get a Parker but to me a Parker is all about the details, most of which are absent in the Trojan. You do get a quality gun. Its not the Trojan that made Parker Bros successful and famous.

[Steve McCarty]

Originally Posted by Bruce Day

I agree that a V grade is the best value in a Parker, and add that a damascus G is also a great bargain. When Remington accountants reviewed Parker Bros pricing and cost of production, they determined that Parker Bros had been losing money on V grades for the several years preceeding the 1934 buyout.

I disagree that with a Trojan you get the same Parker gun as with any higher grade. You get a Parker but to me a Parker is all about the details, most of which are absent in the Trojan. You do get a quality gun. Its not the Trojan that made Parker Bros successful and famous.

I own an I grade Lefever and a very nice Sterlingworth and the Trojan is in the same class. So I think it is logical that a DH is a better place to put my Parker buying $. A VH is nice too, but far from a fancy gun, but they do have Parker "bones".

This whole "Parker" thing is a mind set. But it's more than that. When I inspect my two Parkers the quality of the barrels/action and the wood to metal fit are spectacular. I'm not just saying this. It is true.

I handed my GH to a skeet shooting friend. He mounted the gun and it came directly to his eye. It is amazing, and in the day when they mounted the gun from their waist it was important that they came to your eye quickly. A Parker will do that.

So there are lots of things that make Parkers exceptional. But I'm probably speaking to the choir.

[J.B. Books]

Originally Posted by Steve McCarty

I handed my GH to a skeet shooting friend. He mounted the gun and it came directly to his eye. It is amazing, and in the day when they mounted the gun from their waist it was important that they came to your eye quickly. A Parker will do that.

Not all of them will do that, there are plenty of Parker guns with excessive drop by today's standards and shooting styles. With any gun that will taken to the field stock dimensions are a critical factor to be considered. A handsome gun that shoots poorly due to it's dimensions is not a gun I would enjoy.

[Steve McCarty]

Originally Posted by Pete Lester

Not all of them will do that, there are plenty of Parker guns with excessive drop by today's standards and shooting styles. With any gun that will taken to the field stock dimensions are a critical factor to be considered. A handsome gun that shoots poorly due to it's dimensions is not a gun I would enjoy.

I've noticed, as we all have, that old shotguns often have a lot of drop and I've often wondered why, since shooting is shooting and those guys in the 19th Century were as serious about it as we are. Pigeon shooting was expensive and it wasn't until the advent of flying clay birds that trap shooting became a rage, but it did. Of course bird hunting was popular then and it wasn't hard to find a place to hunt...least I think so.

So, I guess that the low comb was used to better shoot birds, but I don't know why.

I'm going to hold off on buying a new Parker until I can attend a good show. I think the Reno show is going on now. They hold it three times a year and I'll have to catch one of the later events.

How much do I have to spend? A few bucks, but I'll hold off spending 4K unless I actually have the gun in my hands. Then reason dims and lust overtakes.

[Holeshot]

I have to agree with Bruce, A G grade damascus barreled gun is hard to beat for the price. Last junker G grade I brought home for $450.00. And a 1 frame to boot.