Parker Live Bird Gun??

[Bruce L. Cohen]

All: Like the man said an overused term. But! What shoud be said is that guns with certain configurations such as long tubes (especially 32 in and over), Factory Bevertail Forearms, and especially factory configured and ordered as this one was (engraving over the area where the saftey would be) double triggers and a high stock, is more than likely a designade live bird or trap gun. While duck hunters might want a gun like this it is more than likely that it was ordered by a live bird shooter or trap shooter. They did not trust the single trigger as it doubled sometime and they did not want to worry about taking off a safty and loosing a bird because they forgot. They wanted the long barrel because it helps with swing through, the beavertail added weight up front to help with this also and to keep ones hand of a very hot barrel. The high stock helped them shoot under the bird and see it sooner. If the records existed for this gun and it was sold to a person and not a store I would bet he would be able to be found to be either a live bird shooter or a trap shooter on as most were both.

[Bill Murphy]

I have not seen a Parker order that specified flyer shooting as the purpose the gun would be used for. However, I have seen many orders that identify the buyer as a known competition shooter in the pigeon ring. Two other rare features that identify a "Pigeon Gun" are "no extension rib" and "flat rib". However, it is rare to find all mentioned features in the same gun.