New Parker Just Arrived

[Brush Buster]

Picked a new Parker off of the Internet this week ,the description was pretty vague but the Serial # showed a VHE 12 Gauge Vent Rib gun that left the factory with Ejectors , 30" Vent Rib barrel , Single Trigger Capped Pistol Grip Stock and Splinter forend ,and that is pretty much what i got ,Sans the Splinter Forend and fit with a Small Beaver Tail ! There are a couple of oddities about the gun ,the Nose of the Comb is Very Broad and has an odd taper and the stock is thicker than normal ,I am suspecting after market ? The thing odder than that is the Safety ,it has a Selective Miller Single Trigger but the selector is the safety lever ,the safe is in the center ,if you push the safety forward it fires the Right Barrel and is stamped accordingly and if you slide the safety back ,it fires the Left ! The other thing ,both Barrels are Full Choke the gun has 3" Chambers ,Bores are Excellent! The gun is very unique and I am quite pleased with it ,I don't often take a chance on one but it just caught my eye ! I am Posting Pictures ,has anyone else ever seen this safety / Barrel Selector set up before ,it's a new one on me ! Opinions are what this thread is about ,feel free to reply ! Forgot to mention ,this is a Late Remington Era Gun !

[Tennessee Dave]

Definitely an interesting gun. Never heard of the safety used as the barrel selector, but I am new to Parkers. I'm sure someone will come along and give you some info soon.

[Brush Buster]

Originally Posted by David Livesay

Definitely an interesting gun. Never heard of the safety used as the barrel selector, but I am new to Parkers. I'm sure someone will come along and give you some info soon.

I've sort of been hanging around here quite a while and have owned quite a few Parkers over the years but I have never seen this !

[J. Scott Hanes]

Nice gun! What is the frame size? It looks really large in the first photo but likely just the camera lens distortion. I have seen that selector on a friend's Parker with Miller SST. Good find.

[Cold Spring]

The earlier Miller single trigger conversions used the safety button for barrel selection, as in the pic. The later version used a R-L rocker in front of the trigger, inside the trigger guard bow. I’ve owned Fox guns with both types. I’ve heard that the early version was also available on request when the rocker style was current.

Russ, happy days, a nice find. I assume it’s a 1-1/2 frame?

[Brush Buster]

Thank You Gentlemen ! It is in fact a 1 1/2 Frame Gun ! I have had a few Parkers over the years with a Miller Trigger but never had the selector on the safety ,kind of neat though if I can get used to it !

[B. Dudley]

The little I see of the stock suggests it is not original. The safety selector on the miller was the original type used on the miller. What you have there is typical of an after market miller install

[Brush Buster]

I feel the stock is aftermarket also , a job well done but it doesn't appear correct and there is no serial# under the trigger guard ! it is heavier than normal but feels very nice on the gun for some reason !

[ArtS]

That sort of safety/selector was similar to an earlier system used by Ithaca on higher grade guns. It worked well and was popular with them but I suspect was found confusing to the average user and finally dropped. They were double trigger guns and selected, I believe, automatic or manual safety reset.

[Stan Hoover]

Originally Posted by Arthur Shaffer

That sort of safety/selector was similar to an earlier system used by Ithaca on higher grade guns. It worked well and was popular with them but I suspect was found confusing to the average user and finally dropped. They were double trigger guns and selected, I believe, automatic or manual safety reset.

Ithaca NID Models used selective single triggers, Miller triggers, like yours on any grade of gun, they later produced their own selective single triggers and it caused some controversy with Miller since it was very similar.
In Walt Snyder’s book (Ithaca From the Beginning), he writes that Ithaca requested that Miller not mark their triggers that were installed on Ithaca guns.

Most of the selective single triggers on NID Ithaca’s that I’ve observed use the safety as the selector, I myself prefer this over having to memorize the slide by the trigger or the rocker selector.