Parker SB Trap Guns

[Jeff K.]

It could be worse. Like the day my step son and his buddy told me that they had shot some clays, but not to worry. They didn't shoot up my new shells, just those old ones!

[Autumn Daze]

Jeff, Did it go something like that?

[Jeff K.]

Only after I calmed down. Teenage logic go figure! And they all went off.

[Bill Murphy]

I bought my first Parker single trap when I was in my twenties. I bought the twenty gauge when I was in my fifties. I am looking for another one now. They are what we should be looking for. They are wonderful guns.

[Dean Romig]

Bill, I could look it up but my Parker Story is in the other room... do you know how many SBTs in 20 gauge were made?

[Bill Murphy]

Three or four, I think. My book is in the other room. One was offered for sale some time ago, at a price I couldn't pay. I guess someone here has it now. I don't know where the 34" 20 is, but it is out there also. There is also a high grade two barrel set with a 20 gauge barrel that comes on the market every few years. I don't know who bought it last, or whether it is a real 20 or not. I once knew where all of them were, but no more.

[Bill Murphy]

TPS says five 20 gauges. I don't know what five they refer to. I assume it is ones they found in the stock books, because there is only one that I know of in the order book era, and I don't know whether they caught that one. That is the 34" SC 20. Colonel Cutts probably ordered the 20 gauge 26" compensator gun mentioned in TPS because he is named on an order for a 12 gauge 26" SC that he ordered later. He was obviously experimenting with his compensator on competition trap guns for an expanded market. I don't know whether the 20 gauge Cutts gun has been located. The Serialization Book describes it as an SB Grade. The 235,777 gun whose work tag is pictured in TPS shows up in the Serialization Book as a 12 gauge. The work tag describes it as a 32" 20 gauge. I don't remember the serial number of the 20 gauge that showed up on the market a few years ago, nor do I remember the number of the high grade two barrel set 12 and 20 gauge that is out there on the auction market occasionally. I have not searched the Serialization Book for other single barrel 20s. The question I have had is how many of the 20 gauge singles were made with insert barrels. If any of us have a 20 gauge single, let me know whether your barrels have 20 gauge inserts or not. At least one factory .410 was made with insert barrels. Our researcher and I have both inspected this gun and agree that the barrels appear to have .410 inserts.

[Bill Murphy]

I suspect that the 34" 20 gauge has a 20 gauge insert because the owner said it weighs 8 1/2 pounds.

[Dean Romig]

Thanks Bill - you're always informative.