Defining a Parker Long Range shotgun
This subject was partially approached by our membership in a thread of 2-24-2017 and some excellent points were made.
Page 23 of the 1929 Flying Geese catalog refers to the ""Parker Long Range Duck Gun".
The question that remains is what did Parker Bros actually do to the Long Range guns to allow them to handle the new Super-X 3in magnum shells?
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.
The Super Fox guns were over-bored on heavy almost 10-ga- 12 gauge frames. The LC Smith Long Range Wildfowl models had reinforced lug "splinters".Most of the Fox-Smiths were full choked with barrels 30-32 inches in length.
Parker stated in 1929 " The purchaser of a Parker Long Range can rest assured
that he will receive a gun heavy enough and properly bored to shoot the heaviest loads for the killing of wildfowl at extreme ranges".
What did Parker Bros actually do to the barrels and actions of their Long Range shotguns? Technically, that is.
This Long Range shotgun issue has also been explored on the LC Smith site where some LC Smiths were 3 in chambered earlier in the 20s but not marked Long Range. Parker was undoubtedly influenced by Fox, Smith and Winchester to produce a Long Range Wildfowl gun to utilize the new progressive powder shells like the Super-X 3in 12 ga and to compete with the other U.S. shotgun manufacturers.
The 1930s Long Range Remington-Parkers were marked with 3 inch chamber stamping. just like the earlier Fox and LC Smith guns.
It also appears that Fox, Smith and Parker could mark chambers or not, with 2 3/4 in or 3in actual chambers. {I own a 3in Super Fox and a 3 in Smith Long Range Waterfowl , along with two Winchester Heavy Duck 3 in Model 12s }.
My 1930s Remington-Parker catalog on page 32 states under the paragraph heading : Parker Extra Long Range Duck Guns ;
"Ordinarily, Parker 12 gauge guns are chambered up to and including 2 3/4 inches. Those guns can be furnished with special long range choke
boring to give more effective results at extreme ranges. 12 gauge guns -with the exception of the 'Trojan' are also available with 3 inch chambers for use with maximum long range heavy loaded shells. So chambered, Parker guns are guaranteed to handle these shells properly."
So, special boring and chambering, and possibly 1 1/2 -3 frames, but no mention of a special magnum or heavy 12 gauge frame and possibly no
extra action reinforcing to handle repeated use with magnum level 3 inch shells. But Parker guarantees their guns to properly handle the magnum 3-inch pressures like in the Super-X loadings.
The question still remains: did either Parker Bros in 1924-29 or Remington -Parker later reinforce their guns in some other manner to
withstand repeated pounding from Magnum 3-inch 12 Ga shells?
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