Parker Magnum 10

[Eldon Goddard]

I have read the parker story but have found little information on the parker magnum 10s. What frame size were they built on? How many were built? How much do they sell for? I have never seen one for sale.

[Bill Murphy]

There are a few out there. I have seen a couple, but not more. At least one is in the hands of one of our members. There is no way to determine the number of "late tens" that are chambered for the mag ten cartridge unless you examine the IBM cards individually. The later stock books may also indicate 3 1/2" chambering. The frame size was #3, but late short chambered tens were also built on the #3 frame. Some earlier pre Remington tens were chambered for the modern 3 1/2" shell, but they are even rarer than the Remington era guns. A PGCA letter would be the only way to identify one of those.

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

I know of two, one passed through Vintage Firearms a few years ago. Another is an AHE 10 magnum in high condition. The owner graciously offered it to me for more money than I could imagine. I politely declined.

Mark

[Mike Franzen]

One sold on the double gun forum, I believe, a couple years ago for $5000

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

Originally Posted by Mike Franzen

One sold on the double gun forum, I believe, a couple years ago for $5000

Okay, but were those documented Parker factory 3 1/2" chamber or was a short ten rechambered for magnum shells? Remember that Ithaca introduced the 10 gauge magnum in 1932. Maybe Bill M. can educate us on the first known factory Parker magun?

I have a very high condition PH made in the 1920's with magnum chambers but no factory documentation (on the chambers). It may have been rechambered by Remington, Del Grego who has the original factory tooling, or maybe by a good gunsmith. Documentation would double the gun's value.

Mark

[Mike Franzen]

I don't remember Mark. I do remember it was a steel bbl gun and Destry commenting to a potential buyer that it would be a goose killing machine. Btw... Can you shoot 2 7/8" 10 gauge in a 3 1/2" gun?

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

Originally Posted by Mike Franzen

Can you shoot 2 7/8" 10 gauge in a 3 1/2" gun?

Absolutely!

Please know that there are a lot of rechambered 10 gauge magnums out there which may have lost their collector value. Are they safe? One can measure the barrel wall thickness at the thinnest point of that extra chamber length, find the tensile strength for that grade of steel, and calculate that for the hoop strength of a thin wall pressure vessel.

For a fluid steel #3 frame Parker, most rechambered guns are probably safe. Have a good gunsmith and mathematician check and calculate this for you!

For a Damsacus Steel barrel with longer magnum chambers and lower tensile strength, it may very well not be safe!

Oh, the SAAMI maximum mean working pressure for a short or magnum 10 is 11,000. I would want my barrels to be good for factory proof loads of around 19,000 psi or higher!

The above stated, a heavy load in a short 10 will cream a turkey or goose!

Be safe out there,
Mark

[Mike Franzen]

Thanks for that info. I'm looking at a 10 ga mag bolt action. I think I would enjoy shooting 2 7/8 more than mags. Maybe Destry will see this thread and comment on the Parker mag

[charlie cleveland]

the mag ten with full chokes will only add about 5 yards to your killing zone..i have a wire twist parker ten that has 3 1/2 inch chambers i have shot it several times with the magnum shells but this gun has barrels at 30 inches long that weigh 7 lb 14 ounce so marked on the barrel flats and its a 3 frame...anyway a mag ten in a parker that is a factory gun is ver desireable...charlie

[Bill Murphy]

There are early guns rebarrelled by Remington with 3 1/2" magnum barrels. One of our members owns one of these. I have an early #6 frame twist steel gun with factory 3 1/2" chambers, documented in the original order. This gun precedes the 1932 introduction of factory 3 1/2" magnum ammunition. I also have a #6 frame gun rebarrelled by Parker with 3 1/2" chambers. This gun may have been barrelled after the advent of factory 3 1/2" magnum shells. The mystery of the Remington magnums may be solved by measuring the wall thickness of factory magnum guns and comparing the wall thickness to that of standard short chambered guns.