Early 28 Gauge Production

[edgarspencer]

Originally Posted by Chuck Bishop

The problem isn't with the order book copies, it's with the stock book copies. They were copied on a Xerox copier that was 17" long. The stock books were at least 20" long so information on the right hand side of the ledger wasn't able to be copied. That plus the fact that sometimes the copier lid wasn't all the way down allowing light into the copier resulting in a dark unreadable copy on some Xerox copies.

I photographed all are paper copies with a digital camera so I don't use hard copies anymore. I can zoom in with incredible detail. All this could be resolved with a digital camera. Getting back in is the problem.

Originally Posted by Chuck Bishop

Not true Bill. There is information that couldn't be copied at the right hand side of the stock books due to the limitation of the width of the copy machine. I would love to photograph all of the stock books, if I could.

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

Chuck, obviously I was kidding. However, these guys, Edgar included, should realize that all the serial number and barrel length and other basic information from the stock books is in the PGCA collection and doesn't have to be copied. It is already there.

Bill, I'm sensing you don't love me anymore
Maybe I should have said "Photographed" and not copied, because it was Chuck who pointed out that there IS (Despite your opinion to the contrary) valuable information which was not included in the 17" width of the copy machine, that could be added to a database if it could be accessed and PHOTOGRAPHED. You know, like with a camera?
I am not aware of any data in TPS which includes numbers of a particular frame. Maybe that might appear on the portion that didn't fit on the copier ?

[Wild Skies]

Yes Edgar, that was exactly what I was looking for, thank you. I'm a little bit surprised that the 28's are a little lighter than the 20's. When comparing weights of bi-gauge sets with the smaller bore barrels aboard usually make for a heavier gun. i.e. Parker Repro 20/16 & 28/.410 sets.

[Phil C]

I own SN 173862. It is a DH 0 frame with 28” barrels. It was made in 1916.
I was recently invited to shoot pigeon and took this gun along with several other vintage doubles.
The Parker 28 performed very respectably with those 28” barrels. I missed some birds, but that was my fault. When I did my job I was tickled to see how 5/8 oz of 6’s and 7 1/2’s dropped these tough pigeons.
These is just something special about shooting passing birds with a 28 gauge.

I have attached a copy of the letter.

[James L. Martin]

Phillip, does the letter say the gun was ordered with 2 3/4 inch chambers? I can't make it out. If so that may be why it was made on a 0 frame.

[Phil C]

Yes it was ordered with 2 3/4” chambers. I had not given any thought to the chamber length before.
I did some quick research on E H Hotchkiss. I always wondered why this gun was in such high condition. It appears Eli died only 6 months after the gun was shipped.

[Bill Murphy]

As was usually done with Parker guns, the gun was chambered 2 3/4", probably for 2 7/8" shells. I didn't know that 2 7/8" shells were made that early, but maybe they were. They became the standard shell for 28 gauge until after WW2.

[Randy Roberts]

BHE 20 Ga-- 5 lbs 15.2 oz.
VHE 28 Ga-- 6 lbs 9.6 oz.

Both are configured the same:
30", Straight Grip, SFE, DT, O frame

[Wild Skies]

Originally Posted by Randy G Roberts

BHE 20 Ga-- 5 lbs 15.2 oz.
VHE 28 Ga-- 6 lbs 9.6 oz.

Both are configured the same:
30", Straight Grip, SFE, DT, O frame

Yours are more inline of what I was expecting. The BHE 20 must feel wand-like.

[Bill Murphy]

Randy, does your 28 have a beavertail, a set of Briley tubes, and a vent rib? Maybe you have Colonel Askins' 28 gauge.