Why is a 12 ga Parker a "boat anchor" these days?

[Shane Jennings]

Originally Posted by Pete Lester

I will wade in. First I like boat anchors, I call them shooters. All my doubles are used for hunting. Mostly salt water duck hunting which is not a good place for a high condition or high grade gun IMO. Where can I find a modern double of the same quality as a mechanically correct Trojan or Sterlingworth for the same price? Some pretty nice people here shoot boat anchors, I don't really care what my friends shoot and if they are my friends they don't care what I shoot either. My guns are not my investments, they are my toys, and over the years it's been win some, lose some. Maybe markets have changed and put more in the lose some column, so what, I had years and years of enjoyment with those for the difference. I have a 12ga Trojan I like to shoot sporting clays with, even more so than my GHE Skeet. Truth be told my friends don't look at my gun, good or bad they only seem look at my score at the end of day. Some days they are quiet other days they laugh. Try to have some fun with your boat anchors.

Do you shoot steel shot in the old guns? I've considered buying one for duck hunting, but I was concerned about the barrels holding up to modern waterfowl loads.