The Parker Reproduction Closeout

[ArtS]

I like a sxs twenty eight to weigh as close to 5 pounds as possible. I have and have owned several that were in the 5-5-1/4 pound range. My favorite grouse and quail gun is a custom RBL with a stock ordered to fit me. It has 30" barrels and is choked .002 and .005. I shoot it very well. Due to health issues, I have used a lot of light guns over my life, especially in tight cover. In O/U configuration I prefer the baby frame Beretta 680 series with no sideplates. The older ones with fixed chokes tend to weigh around 5-1/2 pounds.I shoot them well over dogs and pass shooting doves. The reproductions I have handled tended to weigh around 5-3/4 # and I have seen them near 6#. I have probably a half dozen or more 16 gauge doubles under 6 #(one of them a Parker DH). For situations without heavy walking I will generally use one of those, particularly when ammo use is high. The 16 is a little heavier but much bulkier than the 28 so that is a deciding issue when I carry a lot.

I have several light 20's but seldom use them. The 28 is lighter, many of the 16's very close in weight and I find the 16 in general to have a lot of upside performance over the 20.

Ross Seyfried wrote a very positive article about the RBL several years ago about decoying ducks with a 30" 28 ga RBL. This was after I had been using mine for many years. I have shot birds up close and at a great distance with mine. I used to back up my daughter on quail with it and used a mixture of spreaders and nickle plated buffered 5's. If I had a shot on the flush I used the spreader load and if she missed twice I would take the bird at some extreme ranges with the buffered load.

[Wild Skies]

While on that same snoop I had mentioned in this thread’s first post the following letter was also found. For those of you that purchased a new Repro from any of the 3 dealers during the close out and didn’t receive snap caps at that time or soon thereafter; too bad.

[Bill Murphy]

My double trigger, beavertail, two barrel 28 gauge set came from Guns Unlimited. They were wonderful to deal with. The lady I talked to opened up at least three boxes to find a piece of wood she liked. Not a bad deal for $2695. And I got my snap caps. Mrs. Don Shrum supplied me with the oil bottle at a show a bit later. She said it was the last one she had. I think that was a bit after Don passed away. I was in Vegas when we got word that Don was gone.