Defining a Parker Long Range shotgun

[Researcher]

Do we have a number on the L.C. Smith Wildfowl/Long Range guns? A quick look in Houchins this morning while my oats were cooking, I didn't see one.

The count of their records Ithaca Gun Co. did back in the 1960s showed 87 12-gauges built on the NID magnum-frame. The Magnum-12 wasn't listed in the Ithaca Gun Co. catalogs until 1937, but we see 12-gauge guns throughout the 500000 serial number range. However, some of these 12-gauges built on the NID magnum-frame that have surfaced have 2 3/4" chambers.

A.H. Fox Gun Co./Savage Arms Corp. built about 950 12-gauge HE-Grade Super-Fox guns but how many started life chambered for 3-inch shells is not known.

Some other manufacturers tried their hand in the field as well. Davis Warner Arms Corp. offered one of their N.R. Davis doubles which they called Hy-Power Grade --

Davis Hammerless Guns 1926 E.K. Tryon.jpg

The Hy-Power Grade doesn't appear in the Crescent - Davis Arms Corp. paper from the 1930s.

[OH Osthaus]

Originally Posted by Dave Noreen

Do we have a number on the L.C. Smith Wildfowl/Long Range guns? A quick look in Houchins this morning while my oats were cooking, I didn't see one.

There was a real nice half page chart in an LC collector association newsletter many years ago- I believe it was put together by Jim Stubbendieck - it breaks the total down by grade and options. I’ll see if I can find my copy Dave, It would be good addition to your ever growing data collection

Originally Posted by Daryl Corona

Just my 2cents......

To me a lot of the long range, super dooper duck crushers were merely marketing hype

Exactly Daryl, my earlier point

Nash Buckingham gave the Super Fox it’s reputation, but if we were honest, few if any of us will ever shoot like him no matter what’s at our shoulder

[Dean Romig]

Here’s one I immediately fell in love with when Tony advertised it on his website in 2002.
I was trying to round up some of the money when it disappeared…
Good thing though - I would probably have found myself single a lot sooner than now…


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[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

Here’s one I immediately fell in love with when Tony advertised it on his website in 2002.
I was trying to round up some of the money when it disappeared…
Good thing though - I would probably have found myself single a lot sooner than now…


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I didn’t see it in the description with the picture , but did you find out if it had 2 7/8” chambers ?

[6pt-Sika]

Kinda along these lines I have a DH 16 gauge 32” on a 2 frame I purchased from someone here less than a year ago . It’s a 1916 gun that’s PG DT splinter FE drop at heel is 2 1/2 and lop to the SB is 14 1/2” with a weight of 8 pounds even . Both barrels are full plus . To me the 2 frame is unusual as well as the letter verified 2 7/8” chambers . This past tower shoot season I was fairly regularly making shots on pheasants I normally wouldn’t try with my 12 pigeon gun .

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by CraigThompson

I didn’t see it in the description with the picture , but did you find out if it had 2 7/8” chambers ?

Back then I was so new to Parkerology that I never even considered asking. I never asked and if it was in the rest of the description I wouldn’t have thought to remember.





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[Dean Romig]

Wow Frank, those are TIGHT chokes! Congratulations on finding that awesome "fowler."




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[LtCol Henderson Marriott]

Frank,
Nice VHE Parker. Appears that it might resemble the very nice 1924 VHE
waterfowl shotgun that graces the front cover of the Winter 2021 issue of Parker Pages.
You have managed to locate some excellent sources
for both Parkers and the occasional Fox.

[Bill Murphy]

The gun Frank describes probably predates the "Long Range" 3" gun seen in Parker literature. By the way, a letter or other documentation is not necessary to identify an original "Long Range" 3" gun. They were stamped on the left side barrel lug with the 3" marking along with the grade of the gun. To answer Dave's question, Albright's Gun Shop in Easton, Maryland sold a field used VHE 3" marked 30" #1 1/2 frame gun several years ago. It had/has typical Remington markings on the left side of the barrel lug. I could not get past the low condition and short stock so it went on to be sold to Mark Conrad. I believe Mark improved the condition a bit and may have sold it. I have not seen the gun for more than 15 years. It was a beavertail, single trigger gun.

[Researcher]

They were stamped on the left side barrel lug with the 3" marking along with the grade of the gun. To answer Dave's question, Albright's Gun Shop in Easton, Maryland sold a field used VHE 3" marked 30" #1 1/2 frame gun several years ago.

Those are all late Remington guns in the 241xxx range. VHE on 1 1/2 frame --

241231 02.JPG

CHE on a 2 frame --

241442 05.jpeg

CHE on a 1 1/2 frame --

241838 01 CHE-Grade, 12-gauge 3-inch, 32-inch vent rib barrels.jpg

I was asking about guns from Parker Bros. well before those late 3" marked Remington guns.