SBT questions; help!

[B. Dudley]

At that odd length, it is cut. And the record book info about 34" supports that too. They did offer 28" length in the SBT guns, but they would have been very rare and they would have been exactly 28".
Most of the trap guns did have a lot of choke constriction. But I would find it hard to believe is went much farther back than 4-5" from the muzzle. But it could.

I have an SC with 32" barrels and .050" of choke.

With modern shot cups in shells, that choke and barrel length would likely still work well for you in trap. But unless the price of the gun reflects a cut barrel, I would pass on it.

[TOOL MAN]

Fin,

No doubt, the esteemed Mr. Bishop will probably share with us that several SC's were ordered with 27 1/4" barrels....all for the Czar of Luxembourg!!

I think the real question is, would you be happy shooting even recreational trap with a 27" gun? I would strongly advise that you beg, borrow or steal a comrades 32" gun and give it a test drive. My guess is that you would find that length far more comfortable/ enjoyable to shoot and I believe your scores would improve slightly as a result. I own and shoot several vintage SBT's and honestly, when I drop down to a 30" gun, I become one of the true leaders in clay conservation!

[Phil Yearout]

Sorry folks; this is the best I can do.

And TM, thanks for your very sound advice. I knew it once I actually looked at the gun and realized what I saw, even if I didn't want it to be true! What a shame; such a lovely gun!

But here's the thing: I'm not a real trap shooter, what little I do shoot is to improve the chances that I might actually hit a bird or two come fall. Still, I've always loved those SBT's, and the romance of the image of me pulling up at the club in necktie and fedora, opening up my leg o' mutton case, setting up my single barrel, and blasting a few clays into oblivion. And with that in mind, I tried to convince myself that, at the right price, maybe I could live with the short barrel. Sigh.

[Bill Murphy]

Sorry, I must repeat that a bore diameter and choke diameter and length will tell the tale. If a guy who has sold $100,000 guns in his career doesn't own or admit to owning a choke micrometer, he is trying to cheat you. He knows the bore diameter and isn't telling you what it is.

[B. Dudley]

This is what the end of an SBT barrel should look like.
And as with most other Parker barrels, the rib matting should terminate before the end.

image.jpg

You can see the filler piece that was put in on that shortened one you are looking at.

[Alfred Greeson]

Just an old member who just rejoined the association and reading about this SBT makes me proud to have done so. Brian has been a great resource for me already and I have sought the advise from other members through the years. The amount of $ they have saved me from not making bad buying decisions is enough to own one or two good Parkers. Parker fever is a serious illness and if members will continue to speak up and hold others accountable, it will save the rest of us a lot pain and suffering. Thank you, Al G.

[Phil Yearout]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

Sorry, I must repeat that a bore diameter and choke diameter and length will tell the tale. If a guy who has sold $100,000 guns in his career doesn't own or admit to owning a choke micrometer, he is trying to cheat you. He knows the bore diameter and isn't telling you what it is.

He didn't say he couldn't measure it, he just didn't completely answer the question. I think we've alreday established that it's been cut. He knows it and we know it, so it's moot I guess. And for the record it's not Mike I'm talking to.

[Autumn Daze]

Phil, Parker Bros. advertised 30" barrels as the shortest available. I have never heard of a 28" SBT gun but that is not to say they didn't make one. This gun has clearly been cut. If it were me I would just keep looking for a nice original gun. There are several out there most of the time. The chokes in a Parker SBT are simply amazing.

[Bill Murphy]

I wonder how he got .037 of choke back into the barrel? I have discussed this gun with him over the last couple of years, but he never quite explained it to me. What is the bore diameter? Simple question, simple answer.

[B. Dudley]

Originally Posted by Dave Suponski

Phil, Parker Bros. advertised 30" barrels as the shortest available. I have never heard of a 28" SBT gun but that is not to say they didn't make one. This gun has clearly been cut. If it were me I would just keep looking for a nice original gun. There are several out there most of the time. The chokes in a Parker SBT are simply amazing.

The Parker Story states that 20 Single Barrel traps were made in 28" Length and 2 in 26" length. Only 5 guns were ordered in 20g. So, of the 22 guns made in lengths less than 30", that means that 17 of them were 12g.