A few weeks ago my wife got me in trouble by talking me into putting a 1921 Parker Trojan on layaway at a local shop. I told a long boring story then, so I won't go into it again.

We got it out last week and took it home. It looked even better than I remembered. I was pretty much convinced it had been refinished, but when I posted my rather poor pictures on the Parker forum, a couple of members said they didn't think it had been other than having had the color case hardening on the receiver polished off. They said the blue and wood both look original, but the jury is still out on that. It doesn't matter to me either way. It looks pretty good I think.

The Trojan was Parker's entry level gun made to be sold at hardware stores and such. The barrels are 28", fluid steel, with 2 3/4" chambers. The chokes are modified and full. It just snaps to my shoulder. I would have loved to have this back when I still hunted.













I did a little checking around and have found a sporting clays range not to far from me. My wife and I drove out there yesterday to make sure where it was. I didn't expect them to be open, but now I know where they are, and that they're still there. I'm going to try to get out there this or next week one afternoon. Maybe this fall, I'll find a dove field to try for an afternoon or two.

I might even wear a tie.

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John 3:16 .

If'n you do,you better be hittin' at 80%,or some of them good ol' boys out there with you will have a high old time at your expense.
f.t.

p.s. Just kiddin'. Nice double!

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South Carolina-God's country

There is something about those old doubles, no matter their grade, that appeals to Southerners like me more than other types of shotguns. They just seem to hint at bygone days...a more genteel way of life and bird hunting. I don't hunt any more, myself, but at one time, I did observe some traditions associated with quail hunting.

These old guns are the antithesis of today's modern shotguns. People don't buy these old doubles with the intention of using them for home or self defense, there isn't anything "tactical" about them.

I think a lot of people buy the old doubles because they bring back memories of their youth, memories of fathers and grandfathers, memories of a time that a lot of us remember as "The Good Ol' Days".

Your wife is a smart lady, and knows value when she sees it. That's a neat old gun, no doubt about it.

Those old SxS doubles also appeal to some of us "yanks". Men I grew up with in the 50's and 60's hunted with double guns, and to me they were always the classic bunny and bird gun. Over the years I have acquired a number of vintage double guns, all of them field guns. I have hunted birds for over 40 years and today my "go to" bird gun is a 16 ga. ( I also have a fondness of that chambering) SxS, I have bagged a lot of birds with that gun.
I shoot clays every other week and occasionally I will take one of my SxS"s instead of my designated clay cruncher. Enjoy your Parker, " they don't make em like that anymore".

Then nothing has changed since I used to hunt with the club.

I recall one morning, waiting for legal shooting time opening day of dove season, many years ago, the fellows set up a portable trap and charged $5.00 for 15 birds to raise money for the club.

I was shooting a Remington 1100 that day and proceeded to run the 15 straight. By the time they got to ten they were trying to make me miss. They changed the angle of the shot, up and down. They even threw a double once. It didn't matter. I hit every one of them. It was going around the club. Watch him today...he's hot.

I went out in the field and couldn't hit the ground with my hat.

That was a fun day.

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John 3:16 .

Nice looking Trojan. Finish looks original. The case colors on Parkers is pretty delicate. It isn't unusual to see a Parker that looks in overall high condition but with case colors that are completely faded.

Double check those chamber dimensions. That gun should have chambers that actually measure 2 5/8 inches which was the specs for 2 3/4 inch shells. I would keep the loads on the low pressure side. Even though the fluid steel barrels will handle modern shell pressures you're dealing with 95 year old wood. Baby it and it will last another life time.

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Bill Bates

Great looking Parker!

You wasted all your "good shots" during practice! I think that is why Allen Iverson hated practice so much. Your quote above made me chuckle BTW!

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Miss My Buddy crsides!!

No worries about high power loads. This one will never see anything but low base loads and not many of them. I've got a couple of pump guns for the high power/magnum stuff.

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John 3:16 .

I think it's very common for maturing hunters to want to return to using vintage firearms. Too many modern guns look like they were imported from Mars but that old double instantly reminds me of gentleman hunters of yesteryear wearing red and black Woolrich clothing and who could fill their bag limit without 30-round magazines.

Good luck with the old Parker.

Many low base target loads operate at fairly high pressures. Do a little research before tossing just any low base shells in that old Parker. Remember with that Parker's slightly short chamber; pressures do bump up a little. Many people choose to only run 2 1/2 inch shells in them because of the 2 5/8 inch chamber length.

Sadly, most US manufacturers don't list pressures on their boxes and finding the actual load pressure can be difficult. It is not required by SAAMI. Most European manufacturers do list pressure because it is required by C.I.P. One I like, that is pretty gentle, are (B&P) Baschieri & Pellagri CompOnes. Of course RST and Game Bore shells are great but kind of pricy but they are one of the few sources for low pressure 2 1/2 inch shells.

Have fun and be safe.

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Bill Bates

[QUOTE=CajunBass;139018676

I might even wear a tie.[/QUOTE]

Good thinking! Dress to the gun. You should dress like a gentleman when shooting a gentlemans gun. Larry

Back in my youth, which was many years ago, my best friend had a 12 ga Parker Trojan double which was old even then, and had been in his family for a long time. It had been through a lot, and the metal and wood finish was mostly a dim memory. But it was still tight and shot well. We never gave things like chamber pressure and chamber length a second thought, just fired whatever 2-3/4" loads he had.

Regarding the fine bespoke British double shotguns, it is unusual to find one which hasn't been refinished, often several times. The gentlemen of the British aristocracy would never be seen on a bird hunt at his lordship's estate in Scotland with a gun which didn't look like new. If it started to show any signs of use and wear, back it went to Boss, Holland and Holland, Rigby's, Purdey's or wherever else it came from to be re-finished.

There is some confusion about high base and low base shotgun shells. Low base have more room for powder, wads and shot. High base (it refers originally to the fiber insert at the base of the shell) is the designation for lighter loads. The confusion comes from high brass and low brass, which once differentiated between lighter and heavier loads. The bases in modern plastic shells are molded as part of the shell, and I don't think there is a difference between light field/target loads and express loads. In the old days, of paper shells, the brass was supporting the body of the shell; nowadays, the brass is to prevent tearing the plastic during extraction. The plastic is plenty strong to accommodate the pressure, but extraction, particularly with semi-automatics can be rather violent.

Unless it states so on the box of ammo that the shells are loaded to a specific (low) chamber pressure for vintage shotguns,,
you can generally be assured that most over the counter shotshell ammo sold today is running at or near the max SAAMI allowable chamber pressure which in 12ga is 11,500 psi if I'm not mistaken.

(Just for comparison,,vintage shotgun shooters like to load in the 5000psi to 7000psi range for their damascus 12ga guns generally. BP loads usually run about in the middle of that.
The smaller the gauge,,the higher the pressures run.)


Shotshell manufacturers load shells for modern firearms and state so on the ammo box.
They want their customers to be pleased with their ammo. That means that their new semi auto guns work,,and work everytime with their ammo.
Any pressure shell will work in a pump, single, or double.

High brass, low brass, high base,,low base....it all means little these days when looking at a shell and trying to determine what chamber pressure it's going to give you.. It all used to mean something,,but no more.

Nice Parker! Give it a go on Clays. Don't let tight chokes deter you either. Makes you a better shot. Choke can be your friend,,,just let 'em get out a little further.
I shoot Skeet w/all vintage guns and all but one (cut down '97) is a full choke.