Defining a Parker Long Range shotgun

[Researcher]

These were developed by John Olin at Winchester-Western and first used by Charles Askins and Nash Buckingham with a couple of AH Fox HE 3 in Super Fox guns bored by Bert Becker about 1923-25.

It wasn't Winchester-Western, it was Western Cartridge Company! The Olins didn't buy the defunct Winchester Repeating Arms Company until the end of 1931. Askins and Sweeley were at the A.H. Fox factory working with Becker the summer of 1921. Buckingham's testing of an early Super-Fox and early Western progressive burning powder shells, written up in his article "Magnum Opus" in the September 1955, Outdoor Life, likely took place in the fall of 1921. The 2 3/4-inch 12- and 20-gauge Super-X shells were on the market for the 1922 season with the 16-gauge Super-X 1 1/8-ounce load added late that year. This magazine ad appeared in the October 1922, issue of National Sportsman and other sporting magazines.

Ad introduces 16-ga Super-X load in Field Shell Oct. 1922.jpg

The term "Magnum" wasn't applied to the 12-gauge, 3-inch, Super-X 1 3/8-ounce load. The term "Magnum" was used to describe the 12-gauge, 3-inch, 1 5/8-ounce load which came out in 1935, along with the Winchester Model 12 Heavy Duck.

Super-X 12-gauge, 3-inch, 1 3-8 ounce #4Ls top.jpg

RECORD Super-X 12-gauge 3-inch MAGNUM #5 chilled.jpg

[LtCol Henderson Marriott]

As well built and as strong as the Super Fox HE grade and the later Fox Sterlingworth 3- inch guns were, they seem to have served best with goose and duck hunters.
Unless ordered with lesser weight barrels, and less overall weight-they were not ideal for
hunting wild turkey. ( From direct experience in the East and Western United States).

In this instance, the LC Smith Long Range , Winchester Heavy Duck M-12, and Parker Long Range guns may well have held a weight advantage. However, a number of Super Fox actual users, then and now- attribute longer range of the HE grade, gun to gun.
It is also a factor that the Winchester M-12 3-inch Heavy Duck guns held a price advantage and continued to be produced. Unless these long range shotguns are compared with relative weights, ranges, pattern densities and modern available shot shells- it becomes a matter of opinion.

However, in hunting with all of them except the Parker Long Range gun, I have established some comparative objective performance standards concerning the guns that I own.
Hence, the original question which has been partially answered.
{The opinions of the author are his own, and are based on his own hunting experiences utilizing various shot shells from manufacturers in his own shotguns.}

Hopefully, this has been of some value to the membership.

[Bill Murphy]

Colonel, if carrying weight is a consideration, the 7 1/2 pound Model 21 Winchester 3" gun and the 7 1/2 pound Remington era 3" chamber, "Long Range" Parker win hands down. The 3" Model 21 used barrels that are identical to 2 3/4" barrels and the gun weight is also the same. We will wait to see if someone will measure the wall thickness of a Remington era 3" Parker and compare those measurements to a common 1 1/2 frame 12 gauge of the same era. The Remington era 3" Parkers I have handled were very light and seemed identical to any 1 1/2 frame 12 gauge. I have never seen or heard of a 3" Parker made in the late era with a #2 or #3 frame, although they may exist.

[LtCol Henderson Marriott]

Bill:

Weight is a consideration, but I will plead guilty to a certain bias toward Parker Brothers, AH Fox, and LC Smith double guns.
I have 1886 Winchesters and pre-war Model 70s. But, I probably will never own a Model 21.
But you have a point; those who hunt grouse and pintails as speedy birds have never seen an Eastern old gobbler come out of a full strut to beat American Pharoah in 50 yards.

[Researcher]

Does anyone actually have an unmolested Parker Bros. 12-gauge, gun chambered for 3-inch shells, from the period 1923 to 1933 that letters as such?

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by Dave Noreen

Does anyone actually have an unmolested Parker Bros. 12-gauge, gun chambered for 3-inch shells, from the period 1923 to 1933 that letters as such?

Back in 63 before I shipped out I ha........ wait that was a bad dream sorry

[Cold Spring]

Originally Posted by Dave Noreen

Does anyone actually have an unmolested Parker Bros. 12-gauge, gun chambered for 3-inch shells, from the period 1923 to 1933 that letters as such?

Dave, not quite what you asked about but I recently found a 32" 12-gauge VHE, 194000's range shown as made in mid 1921, that has 2-7/8" chambers, bores at .749/750" and 6+" long full tapered chokes with constrictions at 48 and 50 points. That's with my Super-Fox chamber length gauge and Stan Baker bore mike, so the measurements are accurate. I know that 1921 date is a bit pre-intro of progressive powder factory shells but we know a lot of 3-inch experimentation was going on in that period by Askins, Sweeley, E I DuPont and others, and was being written up in the sporting mags. And in turn that influenced some people to Jump in and order guns for handloaded 3-inchers and anticipated factory machine made shells. It's an interesting gun with barrels that look to be unmolested, and I'll be doing more research on it along with patterning etc. Also looks to have been a ducker, no surprise there.

[LtCol Henderson Marriott]

Originally Posted by Dave Noreen

Does anyone actually have an unmolested Parker Bros. 12-gauge, gun chambered for 3-inch shells, from the period 1923 to 1933 that letters as such?

Dave has gotten me to reflecting:

I have owned 3 and still hunt with a Long Range 3 inch LC Smith, a Super Fox 3 inch gun of which I have owned two, and retain two M-12 3 in Heavy Duck guns.
I have not actually seen or handled a Parker 3 inch gun. It does beg the question:how many Parker 3 inch or 2 7/8 inch guns were actually made
and sold?

Other manufacturers by the 1930s were surely taking up market share: Winchester, Fox (Sterlingworth), possibly Ithaca, and some British doubles.
Fox later used up the last of the HE grade barrels and frames to market
a waterfowl heavy Sterlingworth. The price of that rarer late Fox was close to the original Super Fox HE price. Not many were offered or sold.
The Depression and new game law restrictions on geese and duck limits played a part in supply and demand. Many hunters bought used Model 12 pump shotguns in the 30s because they could not afford even a used double gun.

An Abercrombie and Fitch NYC 1933 used gun catalog, personally owned- offered a Parker A-1 Special for a bit over $200.

[OH Osthaus]

Originally Posted by henderson Marriott

possibly Ithaca,

I have no doubt an NID in 3" 12ga would handle the heavy load well

but Ithaca's specific entry to the long range waterfowl arms race was the 2 7/8 Super 10 - not to be confused with the later 3 1/2 magnum 10 boat anchor

The Ithaca Super is a wonderfully efficient hunting tool

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Rick Losey

I have no doubt an NID in 3" 12ga would handle the heavy load well

but Ithaca's specific entry to the long range waterfowl arms race was the 2 7/8 Super 10 - not to be confused with the later 3 1/2 magnum 10 boat anchor

The Ithaca Super is a wonderfully efficient hunting tool

I like my 3 1/2” Ithaca Boat Anchor, but I do have to buy longer sleeved shirts after using it. It’s a turkey killing machine.