About a year ago, I happened to come across a old Parker Brothers Shotgun. It was dirty and had years of crud on it, but was in pretty good shape. Now, I’m not an expert on Parker Bros. shotguns. And I know there is a huge following, with some examples going for big bucks. Let’s just say the price was right and I brought it home.
I did a bit of research on the internet and traced the serial number to an 1876 manufacture date. The Twist barrels are in worn but great shape. And the action, although a bit loose, isn’t bad at all for the age.
The markings on the watershed indicate its a 12 gauge and have a barrel weight of 4 – 1. I couldn’t find any grade markings on it but some light research indicates that it’s a Grade 1 (I could be wrong on this). The older shotguns were not marked like the later models.
The butt plate is plastic and does have a crack in it and is pretty worn (see pic); as well as the checkering on the wood. This gun has seen a lot of use over the years.
The patina is fantastic and other than some very light surface rust, does not show any pitting at all. The barrels are dark but not pitted. I feel this would be an excellent shooter if I could come across some light loads.
I don’t plan on shooting it but if the opportunity comes along, I may. I would also appreciate any feedback from any resident Parker Brothers Collector/Experts. This is an area that I’m not really up on and any additional info would be much appreciated.
Freeze
www.John1911.com
“Shooting Guns & Having Fun”
Freeze is our resident All-American hunter, shooter, gunsmith and military surplus collector. When he is not processing his own game or running the smoker, he focuses on Com-Bloc weapons and Black Powder Shooting.
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