What Parker am I looking at?

[Morgan Blanchard]

Originally Posted by Dave Noreen

The chambers of 203330 most likely left Meriden 2 5/8-inch intended for 2 3/4-inch shells. No one can tell you over the internet what ammunition may be safe in a given gun. A 2-frame Parker Bros. 12-gauge gun in sound condition should handle any SAAMI Spec lead loads. By serial number this is a 1923 gun, the year after our ammunition factories began producing progressive burning powder, high velocity, 1 1/4-ounce, 12-gauge loads. The gun has probably digested lots of them. Whether one wants to subject the 99 year old wood to the recoil of high velocity 1 1/4-ounce loads is another question.

I made a deal for the gun. I will address the stock crack and measure the chambers before I get too far down the road. It's a nice old gun that should be fun to shoot with lighter loads. I have plenty of modern shotguns to handle anything stouter. I think I'll take it out to a cowboy shoot along with a couple of 1st gen SAAs and a nice Winchester and blow some people's minds...