Parker VHE double with twin triggers

[Bill Sprague]

Hi all,
I have a 1902 Parker VHE 12 gauge double with double triggers. It appears that the left barrel is more open than the right barrel. Back when these guns were manufactured, were barrels full choke, modified, or something in between? I seem to remember my grandfather telling me that the right barrel was for distance shots if you missed your first shot with the left barrel.
This is strictly a field grade gun and wasn't custom for skeet etc. Would appreciate any info. you all might have.
Thanks
Bill

[Mills]

Usually the right choke is more open but not always. I have one or two with the left choke more open

[Bill Sprague]

thanks

[B. Dudley]

Reversed choking would usually be intended for shooting driven or incoming game.

[Researcher]

While most Quality VH guns were "made for stock" to standard specs. They could be ordered any way the customer wanted though. Some folks liked to shoot the back trigger, for the left barrel first, on the theory that recoil would put their hand in position for the front trigger on the second shot. The occasional gun was ordered for a left-handed shooter with the chokes reversed and triggers reversed and canted for a left-handed shooter.

[Bill Murphy]

Or a more likely scenario with the mentioned gun is that the left barrel had its left barrel choke drilled out sometime in its long history. A PGCA letter may confirm the original chokes.

[Tracy Pellett]

I have a DHE that has a Mod right and a IC left , the PGCA letter has no info addressing chocks . I would prefer to shoot the open barrel with the front trigger . Can the tiggers be changed over ? Or is a single trigger the only option ? Is anyone offering a single trigger at this time ? Thanks Tracy

[Setter Man]

I had a 12 ga DH (mid1890) that was reversed it was ordered that way by a gentleman who owned a large sporting goods store in NYC and was an avid duck hunter. It was explained to me that the first barrel (right) was usually shot as ducks approached the decoys and the second barrel was more open because the ducks flaring overhead after the first shot. I’m not much of a duck hunter but I’ve shot Blue Bills on Lake St Clare and have seen them do that often.

[John Knobelsdorf II]

For Tracy:

I don’t know why somebody can’t retrofit triggers to change which barrel is being fired. But I expect there’s a very good reason (about how the linkage is designed) that makes it impossible to do the swap you ask for.

Here’s where to go to get a single trigger installed nowadays.

http://www.millersingletrigger.com/services.html

There may be others that install single triggers, I just don’t know about them.

[John Davis]

The triggers can be easily swapped. I had that done to one of my Parkers not long ago. Left trigger was in front and right trigger was in back position. Had them reversed.