Opinions - True/Best Definition of Parker Skeet Gun?

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Russ Jackson

Good Morning Dean , No it isn't but it could also be considered a Skeet gun I wish it were marked ! The day I bought that gun Dean I feel like I was the most blessed individual on the planet I called the dealer and made arrangements to trade two guns and some cash for it and they agreed but I had to send the guns for evaluation ,it was a " Nail Biting " couple of days but all went well ,my description of my guns was suitable and the deal went through ! A few months later I met with Chuck Brunner to purchase a gun from Chuck and took the CHE 20 with me for show and tell and he told me he had contacted the same dealer about the C a few minutes after I did but they were good to their word and I ended up with it ,not sure just how many years ago that was but I would say were pushing 12 to 15 years I have owned it , I love carrying it but I have to admit I am quite careful with it in the field and never carry it for Grouse just Field hunting Pheasant !

Well, when it becomes mine Russ, it will definitely see the grouse woods... on fair weather days only.

I remember just after you first got it and wondered about its originality and you brought it to the Spring Southern, if memory serves correctly, and the experts couldn't find a single reason not to believe it is completely original. I fell in love but I didn't get to hold it for very long - a LOT of guys wanted to examine it.




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[Dean Romig]

[QUOTE=Dean Weber;349910]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

Dean, The subject of "What Defines a True Skeet Gun" is a deep and very convoluted definition.
In my opinion, in regard to Parker shotguns, and there are those who will disagree with me, a Parker Skeet gun should have the following features:

1. Barrel length 28" or less.
2. Beavertail forend.
3. Non Automatic safety.
4. Chokes of IC/MOD or less but more open is preferred. (Skeet In/Skeet Out stamps not required)
5. Twin beads.
6. Should have originally been bought primarily to shoot Skeet but hunting upland game as well is not a disqualifier.

Dean,
I appreciate your input to my questions. Do you agree that your criteria in 4-6 would not have been taken into account in TPS chart? If true, if we disregard any guns which were upgraded after the fact, the numbers in the chart would still be potentially higher than if we also considered non-automatic safety or twin beads as an absolute criteria? Certainly the authors were unable to consider the purpose of the gun in #6.
Best

Dean, I wouldn’t begin to second-guess the work of the authors of “The Parker Story”
There may have been some omissions in the data they have presented but we must keep in mind what a colossal task it was to have compiled and sorted all the data that they did - our collective hats-off to them.
We can imagine and presume a lot of things to fill in certain blanks but in the end I think we need to accept that there will always be questions that remain to be andwered.





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[B. Dudley]

There are certainly "True" skeet guns that are guns ordered as Skeet guns as per the catalogs and I would think that these guns would be also choked and marked as such Skeet-In and Skeet-Out. As cataloged, the skeet guns would be straight grip, BTFE, checkered butt, SST and Skeet chokes. To me the Skeet Choking is the trump card. That is the first and foremost in defining a true skeet gun. If the customer wanted a skeet gun, but preferred a pistol grip, or a recoil pad, there were plenty of true skeet guns ordered like that. Also Double triggers would fall into that personal preference category. The BTFE is something that I cannot imagine someone not wanting on their skeet target gun.

Barrel length will also come into play as shorter barrels were considered the standard for the early days of Skeet shooting.

There are certainly many guns made that one would call "Skeet configured" in that they have BTFE, Checkered butt and Straight grip, but they are choked tighter than skeet, ie: IC/M or M/F, etc... If the gun does not have the Skeet markings, then I would not call it any other than a "Skeet Configured" gun. Not an official "Skeet Gun".

The above are MY thoughts on the matter. That is all.

You have to be careful with skeet guns. Due to many Skeet "upgrades" that came out of Ilion after the fact. They can fall into the category of '32 Fords. There are more on the road today than there were in 1932.

[Bill Murphy]

Guns marked Skeet In and Skeet Out did not neccesarily leave the factory marked such. As Brian says, "skeet configured" guns are common, with some of their features added later. Beavertail forends are one feature that can be added. However, I have found that 28" barrels are not a kiss of death as I and some others once thought. Anyhow, watch out.

[Larry the Gun Guy]

This is my little 20 gauge Skeet gun. No big deal about it, just thought I would post some pictures for the discussion.
X
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[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Brian Dudley

There are certainly "True" skeet guns that are guns ordered as Skeet guns as per the catalogs and I would think that these guns would be also choked and marked as such Skeet-In and Skeet-Out. As cataloged, the skeet guns would be straight grip, BTFE, checkered butt, SST and Skeet chokes. To me the Skeet Choking is the trump card. That is the first and foremost in defining a true skeet gun. If the customer wanted a skeet gun, but preferred a pistol grip, or a recoil pad, there were plenty of true skeet guns ordered like that. Also Double triggers would fall into that personal preference category. The BTFE is something that I cannot imagine someone not wanting on their skeet target gun.

Barrel length will also come into play as shorter barrels were considered the standard for the early days of Skeet shooting.

There are certainly many guns made that one would call "Skeet configured" in that they have BTFE, Checkered butt and Straight grip, but they are choked tighter than skeet, ie: IC/M or M/F, etc... If the gun does not have the Skeet markings, then I would not call it any other than a "Skeet Configured" gun. Not an official "Skeet Gun".

The trump card for me is not necessarily the Skeet In - Skeet Out stamps on the barrel flats, but the fact that the factory records record it as a "Skeet gun."
In the case of mine, 236912 a 1935 gun preceding the adoption of the desirable Skeet stamps, all documentation supports it being a "Skeet gun" and I can't argue with that.






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[David Noble]

Here is my contribution to this discussion, especially on barrel length.
I found this several years ago at a very reasonable price and remember thinking it was such an odd configuration for a SKEET GUN that it was undoubtedly one of the Del Grego upgrades.
I decided recently to request a letter on it and was surprised to learn that it actually IS a real SKEET GUN. The serial number and Remington code place it's production in 1937 where it stayed in the Meriden warehouse until being moved to the Remington factory in 1939 and apparently it was still there around the time Remington stopped Parker production in 1942. I guess the fact that Parker and Remington only made 28 16ga GHE SKEET GUNS shows that they weren't hot sellers.
Only about 13% of all the SKEET GUNS made in all gauges (1098) had 28" barrels so it's probably safe to say less than 2 or 3 were made in that length in GHE 16 ga.
This gun also has the manual safety feature.

[Reggie B]

According to the letter on my VHE is a 1935 made gun. It has skeet choke markings. Serial #237230. And I see that Russ' skeet gun is also a 1935 mfg with the skeet markings on the flats. Interesting.

[Bill Murphy]

David, that is a great addition to the skeet gun story.

[Dean Romig]

That's quite a nice one David.





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