2 Barrel Sets

[Todd K.]

Lots of people like 2 barrel sets so I thought I'd post a couple of pictures of some. The hammer gun is a 10 gauge, the DH is a 10 gauge/12 gauge, and the GH is 12 gauge. The GH was originally ordered as a 2 barrel set, the other 2 were both sent back to the factory to have a second barrel fitted. The DH only has 1 forend but it fits the 12 gauge and 10 gauge barrels. Hopefully others will post their sets for all to enjoy. Thanks and Happy New Year to all.

I will post 3 sets of pics.

[Todd K.]

This gun started life as a 10 gauge and the 12 gauge set of barrels were added at a later date.

[Mills]

Nice ones Todd! I like that early DH in particular

[Todd K.]

The GH started life as a 2 barrel set, one short barrel with open chokes that is heavily used and one longer barrel with tight chokes that was not used much.

[Bruce Day]

Great thread, Todd. Maybe we can get back to appreciating Parkers with this subject.

Here is an 1891 CH, one of the early hammerless C grades, on a #2 frame with 30" heavy Bernard 12ga barrels and 26" Damascus 10ga barrels. The 26 inchers are factory cylinder bored. With the Bernard 12's , the total gun weight is about 8 1/2 lbs, with the Damascus 10's, about 7 3/4.

The gun was proofed in 1891 with Wood's smokeless powder and intended by Parker to be used with smokeless powder. This gun was used in Portsmouth NH for most of its life, then acquired in poor condition by Austin Hogan. This was a project gun for Austin, who after substantial work on it, gifted the gun to me, and I put more time and money into it to get it to its present condition. Both barrels were loose against the frame standing breech face , and Larry Del Grego repaired the wear.

Its not perfect but really a nice gun, and I have shot waterfowl and pheasant with it. I am grateful to Austin to be its present caretaker.

[Researcher]

I've posted this gun many times before, so hopefully it won't be too boring to the regulars. Very early heavy, bit over nine pounds, 2-frame GH-Grade, Damascus barrel, 12-gauge. Was back to Meriden between 1918 and about 1926 for a set of 32-inch Vulcan Steel 20-gauge barrels and the post 1910 bolt and bolt-plates. As originally acquired --





Restocked and barrels refinished --

[Mills]

Don't worry, we won't ever get tired of seeing that gun. Beautiful photos! Mine is not nearly as nice as others posted here, but here it is. It is a great gun to shoot

[wayne goerres]

I am envious. I don't own a two barrel set.

[C.O.B.]

The two barrel set is a curious thing to me, while I understand the thought behind them haveing two sets of barrels of different lengths and chokes allegedly makes the gun more usefull but how often does the second set get used?

I currently have four two barrel sets. The Hollywood gun a 16ga left the factory with two sets of vent rib barrels both 28 inches one set skt/skt the other M/F, A CHE 16 with two sets of Bernard ejector barresl the second set being in 12ga, An AAHE 28, Parker barrels IC/M the second set came from Purdy M/F and a GH with 28 and 32 inch damascuss barrels. I have had others sets that have found different homes.

The M/F set of barrels haven't been on the Hollywood gun 5 times in the 8 years I've had it, the 12ga barrels on the CHE have never been used since I've owned the gun, the Purdy barrles on the 28 have been used twice and the 32 inch damascuss bbls on the GH 16 are at Dale Edmonds so the jury is out on them. Maybe it's just me (it wouldn't be the first time ) but I just don't get the added value of a second set of barrels.

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Rich Anderson

The two barrel set is a curious thing to me, while I understand the thought behind them haveing two sets of barrels of different lengths and chokes allegedly makes the gun more usefull but how often does the second set get used?

I just don't get the added value of a second set of barrels.

Which just begs the question... If you "just don't get the value of a second set of barrels" why then, do you own four of them??


It seems to me that anyone who ordered a gun with two sets of barrels, or sent their gun back for another set with different chokes or even gauges, shot a lot more and more often than we do today and likely at a lot more diverse kinds of game bird. Hence, the flexibility of two sets of barrels made a lot more sense to the man ordering them.