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Fergi_B,
I just had a chance to look up your VH-grade Parker Gun and look at the pictures, in the last linked picture above I can see the end of the matting terminates on the barrel's rib, they are uncut. What else I notice in the same picture is the fillet cut into the butt stock's top heal, it's a V shape cut into the wood with a filler piece, this and the gold shield on the bottom make me wonder if it is the factory butt stock it came with, why do you think it's a replacement? The black cap on the bottom of the grip, is it a Parker Brother's cap?
Parker Brother's kept stock books on all their guns and they went in order of serial number and were not separated by grade, the most expensive AAHE-grade could sit next to a field grade VH-grade in the stock book; each stock book held apx. 2811 entries, the stock book that held the data on your shotgun's build is number 47, it covers serial numbers 130976 to 133787 spanning 1904 and 1905 years, stock book number 48 begins in November of 1905. Total production in 1905 was 4,336 guns beginning with serial number 130112 and ending at 134448, so your VH-grade Parker Gun was made in 1905 in probably the first quarter of that year. Total production of hammerless VH-grade guns with Vulcan Steel barrels is 78,659 guns for all years, out of those 51,901 were 12ga. guns and out of those 13,660 had 28" barrel, 30" barrel were the most sold in 12ga VH-grade Parker Guns.
The stock books are held by the The Parker Gun Collectors Association (PGCA) today, but not all of them have survived the years, unfortunately the whereabouts of stock book number 47 is unknown, this does not mean you cannot have your Parker Gun authenticated by the PGCA, you can still get a letter from them with the basic information about your Parker gun, it just won't include a photocopy of the stock book entry.
The Vulcan Steel barrels are a good thing, you can shoot some modern ammunition, you're generally safe to shoot low base trap loads and even some upland game loads, I wouldn't shoot anything bigger than #6 lead shot in it myself, you may want to look at the Heavi Shot Classic Doubles line of ammunition for hunting if it requires non-lead shot.
I have a VH 12ga with 30" uncut barrels made in 1910 and a VHE (the E is for ejectors) 16ga. with 28" uncut barrels made in 1918, the VH-grade Parker Guns were utility guns back then, mine sold new for about $66-$70 dollars, yours was probably about $55 new in 1905, the VH-grade Parker Guns were their best selling grade but it was not the lowest grade, that was the Trojan.
Can you give me one last picture, one of the end of the barrels face on just to double verify they are uncut. And one last question, measure the length of pull from the trigger to the end of the rubber pad and from the trigger to the end of the wood, what are these measurements?
Mac
.
I just had a chance to look up your VH-grade Parker Gun and look at the pictures, in the last linked picture above I can see the end of the matting terminates on the barrel's rib, they are uncut. What else I notice in the same picture is the fillet cut into the butt stock's top heal, it's a V shape cut into the wood with a filler piece, this and the gold shield on the bottom make me wonder if it is the factory butt stock it came with, why do you think it's a replacement? The black cap on the bottom of the grip, is it a Parker Brother's cap?
Parker Brother's kept stock books on all their guns and they went in order of serial number and were not separated by grade, the most expensive AAHE-grade could sit next to a field grade VH-grade in the stock book; each stock book held apx. 2811 entries, the stock book that held the data on your shotgun's build is number 47, it covers serial numbers 130976 to 133787 spanning 1904 and 1905 years, stock book number 48 begins in November of 1905. Total production in 1905 was 4,336 guns beginning with serial number 130112 and ending at 134448, so your VH-grade Parker Gun was made in 1905 in probably the first quarter of that year. Total production of hammerless VH-grade guns with Vulcan Steel barrels is 78,659 guns for all years, out of those 51,901 were 12ga. guns and out of those 13,660 had 28" barrel, 30" barrel were the most sold in 12ga VH-grade Parker Guns.
The stock books are held by the The Parker Gun Collectors Association (PGCA) today, but not all of them have survived the years, unfortunately the whereabouts of stock book number 47 is unknown, this does not mean you cannot have your Parker Gun authenticated by the PGCA, you can still get a letter from them with the basic information about your Parker gun, it just won't include a photocopy of the stock book entry.
The Vulcan Steel barrels are a good thing, you can shoot some modern ammunition, you're generally safe to shoot low base trap loads and even some upland game loads, I wouldn't shoot anything bigger than #6 lead shot in it myself, you may want to look at the Heavi Shot Classic Doubles line of ammunition for hunting if it requires non-lead shot.
I have a VH 12ga with 30" uncut barrels made in 1910 and a VHE (the E is for ejectors) 16ga. with 28" uncut barrels made in 1918, the VH-grade Parker Guns were utility guns back then, mine sold new for about $66-$70 dollars, yours was probably about $55 new in 1905, the VH-grade Parker Guns were their best selling grade but it was not the lowest grade, that was the Trojan.
Can you give me one last picture, one of the end of the barrels face on just to double verify they are uncut. And one last question, measure the length of pull from the trigger to the end of the rubber pad and from the trigger to the end of the wood, what are these measurements?
Mac
.
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