Very few scarce 12ga. repro's are showing up?

[Bill Murphy]

I would sure like to hear more about the 32" gun. I think it is now residing just up the road from me, but I have not seen it. I think it is for sale. Too bad about Herschel. He may not have been everyone's best buddy, but he sure made sure that some great Parkers were offered to the general collecting public, unlike what the situation is now. Some very uninformed Parker guys think that the internet has opened up the collecting world to everyone, but they are quite misinformed. Herschel's ads in the gun publications included some guns that will never again see the light of day in the guns for sale world.

[Jeff K.]

The last time I looked, William Larkin Moore had three 12 ga. repros for sale.

[William Stevenson]

Gentlemen, I'm new to the forum and have a question. How is a Steel Shot Special marked on the watertable as opposed to a "regular" Reproduction 12 gauge? Thanks, Bill Stevenson

[Wild Skies]

Welcome to the forum William. I don't own a SSS, but according to The Parker Story (pg. 175) they were stamped on the water table "12SS" as part of the serial number.

[William Stevenson]

Thank you Gabby, I was a bit confused by the earlier discussions that called them SSS guns. I understand now it is shorthand for "Steel Shot Special". Mine is marked 12SS-00252 with 28" bbls, straight stock, beavertail forearm ,SST, and a skeleton buttplate. Do you know if the factory ever installed choke tubes on these guns? Mine had Briley thinwall chokes installed when I got it a few years ago. They must be early tubes because they are identified by hand scribed letters, not printed as currently done. The chokes are all but invisible and I have to tell people about them because no one has caught it while inspecting the gun. I shoot it regularly and enjoy it. Do you think the tubes hurt the value if they are aftermarket? Bill

[Wild Skies]

The SSS's were never furnished with screw-in chokes. The standard factory choking of them, again per TPS, was .006/.018 with 3" chambers and .740 bores. I would have to say that your aftermarket Briley's will not help--and probably hurt resale value even though they add versatility.

Parker Reproductions did produce a 12-ga. model with factory screw-in chokes, named the "Sporting Clays Classic". These were furnished with 6 Winchester Winchoke Invisible choke tubes. There were reportedly only 125 SCC's ever built.

[William Stevenson]

Thanks again Gabby, my son and grandsons would shoot me if I sold any of my Parker Reproductions. So resale value is not discussed in my house, I was just curious. My favorite is the straight stock, splinter grip, 28 ga. I call it the magic wand, so light and balanced. I'll be shooting a 20 after ducks in the morning. I bought it first, back in 87. Bill

[Feathersjr]

Greg:

Glad to know there were only 125 SCC made. I bought one a few months ago after a soul searching conversation with myself about built in chokes in a Parker!!!! I have it at Keith Kearcher's shop for some minor work and look forward to shooting it. You are also correct in that it came with six Winchokes and since I have a couple of Winchester shotguns with Winchokes I now have a complete set, including extra full for Turkeys.

John

[Wild Skies]

If you're like me John, you're gonna love your Sporting Clays Classic, as it's the most versatile gun I own. Mine and the very few others that I've seen were roll-stamped on the left barrel as having 2 3/4" chambers, but they actually measure 3"--which is what the brochures and several articles written about them spec them to be, however; there is another PGCA forum member that also has one, but he states that his chambers measure 2 3/4". What length chambers does your gun have?

The gun furthest to the right is my Sporting Clays Classic.

[Dean Romig]

Fabulous wood on that one Greg!