New Parker owner from Missouri.

[Joe from MO]

Hello all, thanks for letting me get signed up.

Just picked up my first Parker last week. It's a 1926 Parker Trojan 12ga with 30" M/F barrels. I had been looking for a decent Trojan or VH for many years now, that was not more than I wanted to spend. Finally ran across a nice Trojan a little over a week ago, and all I can say is I am very happy with the purchase. She's not perfect but in very good shootable condition, and best I can tell all original. Looks like a gun that was carried a lot, but maybe not shot so much.... Wood appears to be in original condition, same with metal. Locks up real tight, and barrels have a nice ring to them.

I have been slowing trying to pick up one of each of the great American SxS's over the last 5-6 years. I now own a 1926 AH Fox Sterlingworth 16ga Philly gun, that according to serial # is the 10,000 Fox SW 16ga. A nice LC Smith
FWT 16ga from 1940, A Lefever Nitro(not a real Lefever but an Ithaca) 16ga from 1946 that I bought for my son when he completed Nuke School with the Navy, this gun is all but new condition, and an Ithaca NID 12ga with 30" M/F chokes that is in excellent condition as well.

I know somewhere buried in this forum is a lot of good information on Parkers, I guess my first question would be, what are some solid pheasant/Duck loads people have shot in their Parkers. I don't want to over do it. RST Bismuth are $65 a box, but if that's best option, so be it.

[mobirdhunter]

Welcome, Joseph, from another Missourian (from up near the Iowa border). Your "arsenal" looks to be a fine one. There are Association members that do lots of waterfowl hunting with their guns, and have lots of knowledge regarding reloading non-toxic shot. I use the RST non-toxic shells, but I only waterfowl hunt occasionally, opting for upland birds more often than not.

You might try the search function located at the top of the forum page. There's also a reloading section, and I see lots of good information coming from it.

Again, welcome.

[Dean Romig]

Joseph, a Parker Trojan 12 on a 2-frame is a very stout gun. When I was a youngster and hunted ducks and pheasants with the same gun I shot whatever was on the shelf at the hardware store. Plastic shells and shot collars/wads had only recently come on the scene and we were not yet restricted to non-toxic shot so for me it was “high brass” lead #6’s for everything. Except for the 100 year old stock there isn’t much to worry about in what you feed it... as long as it’s reasonable.

I will say that your Trojan is the strongest of the three on your wall.



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[Joe from MO]

Originally Posted by Garry L Gordon

Welcome, Joseph, from another Missourian (from up near the Iowa border).

I own a place close up that way, just N/W of Macon Missouri.

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Joseph Sheerin

I own a place close up that way, just N/W of Macon Missouri.

Hey! Then we are "neighbors" of sorts. We live in northern Adair Co. and have a tree farm in SE Putnam Co. I've taken a few ducks over the years at the Atlanta WMA.

[Joe from MO]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

Joseph, a Parker Trojan 12 on a 2-frame is a very stout gun. When I was a youngster and hunted ducks and pheasants with the same gun I shot whatever was on the shelf at the hardware store. Plastic shells and shot collars/wads had only recently come on the scene and we were not yet restricted to non-toxic shot so for me it was “high brass” lead #6’s for everything. Except for the 100 year old stock there isn’t much to worry about in what you feed it... as long as it’s reasonable.

I will say that your Trojan is the strongest of the three on your wall.



.

The stock on this gun, is in excellent shape, and it is a #2 frame. Feels very stout, even compared to the Ithaca NID of the same configuration. I did notice when shooting clays the other day, the NID definitely had more bite to it than the Parker..... I am very excited about finding this gun, it's not perfect, but I buy these guns to shoot them, and have shied away from the graded guns.... Mostly because sinking several grand into a gun that unless you are an expert at identifying issues, you never know what you are getting. I think I know enough to avoid a major mistake, but when dumping 3-5K into a gun.... And, I know we have all seen 3-K mistakes on Gunbroker and Guns International....

I had been looking at guns in shops, online for several years now just hoping to come across one that I thought was in the right condition, for the right price. While I'd love to have it in 20 or 16ga..... There is nothing wrong with 12ga guns either. And, I love 30" barrels on a SxS. My Fox 16 is very light and fun to hunt with so I have that if I want to use a sub gauge.....

[davidboyles]

Nice functional group of serious hunting firearms that you don't need to baby in the field and they will all hold their own. Bet your auto loader friends will be jealous. Mine are!!

[Harold Pickens]

Yes, that is a stable of solid performers, not a lot of flash, but will get the job done in any situation for the next 100 years. Welcome to the PGCA.

[George Lang]

Welcome aboard Joe. Unfortunately that's how it all starts, one of each American double, then one in each gauge, then each model and so on and so on. Good luck, enjoy them.

[Keith A. Zynda]

Welcome from another Missouri member!
That's a nice collection you've started. It certainly does get addictive.