Parker GH 12 gauge circa 1891 with Lyman 525 grain slug !

[6pt-sika]

Took out my Parker GH 12 gauge Damascus gun that was made in 1891 . Couple months earlier I had worked up a load with the Lyman 525 grain Sabot slug in this gun loaded in the Claybuster klnockoff of the WIN AA12 wad pushed with SR7625 and set off with a WIN209 primer . The gun will keep three from the right barrel in about 2 inches at 25 yards and almost that at 50 yards . Although at both yardages they hit about 3-4" right of point of aim . Left barrel shot about as well but they are 3" left of aim at 25 yards and about 6" left of aim at 50 yards .

So when I carry it in the woods I use the slug in the right barrel and handloaded single 0 Buck in the left barrel .

The slug .

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/Parker%20GH%2012%20gauge%20circa%201891/slugs3_zpsaa3b8ff9.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/Parker%20GH%2012%20gauge%20circa%201891/slugs3_zpsaa3b8ff9.jpg.html)

The gun , it was broken pretty bad in the wrist over 50 years ago and someone did a noticeable but usable repair .

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/Parker%20GH%2012%20gauge%20circa%201891/DSCN6437_zps7bee69df.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/Parker%20GH%2012%20gauge%20circa%201891/DSCN6437_zps7bee69df.jpg.html)

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/Parker%20GH%2012%20gauge%20circa%201891/DSCN6439_zps80a77fc1.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/Parker%20GH%2012%20gauge%20circa%201891/DSCN6439_zps80a77fc1.jpg.html)

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/Parker%20GH%2012%20gauge%20circa%201891/DSCN6438_zpsd7df9643.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/Parker%20GH%2012%20gauge%20circa%201891/DSCN6438_zpsd7df9643.jpg.html)

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/Parker%20GH%2012%20gauge%20circa%201891/DSCN6440_zpsd164fef1.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/Parker%20GH%2012%20gauge%20circa%201891/DSCN6440_zpsd164fef1.jpg.html)

The repair in the wrist , there are plates like this on both sides .

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/Parker%20GH%2012%20gauge%20circa%201891/DSCN6441_zps11022229.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/Parker%20GH%2012%20gauge%20circa%201891/DSCN6441_zps11022229.jpg.html)

Now this little guy was tip toeing by me in a river bottom while we were doing a man drive . I watched him a couple minutes until he got as close as I thought he would which turned out to be about 26 yards . I was sitting on a log when I shot and he was DRT dropped at the boom of the gun !

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/Parker%20GH%2012%20gauge%20circa%201891/4_zps2b98254b.png (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/Parker%20GH%2012%20gauge%20circa%201891/4_zps2b98254b.png.html)

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/Parker%20GH%2012%20gauge%20circa%201891/2_zps0cd7ff6f.png (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/Parker%20GH%2012%20gauge%20circa%201891/2_zps0cd7ff6f.png.html)

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/Parker%20GH%2012%20gauge%20circa%201891/3_zps0839edf4.png (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/Parker%20GH%2012%20gauge%20circa%201891/3_zps0839edf4.png.html)

While in the past I've killed several deer with sabot slugs in rifled 12 and 20 gauge guns as well as killing several with handloaded buckshot in 10 and 16 gauge guns this was the first I ever killed with a slug in a smoothbore and homecast on top of that ;)

[6pt-sika]

Shot him this past Friday 1-2-15 !

That's the next to the last day of our gun season .

Nice way to finish out the season !

[jmort]

Yes indeed, a nice way to finish the season. The Lyman 525 is a freight train with a serious meplat. The repair job gives that gun some character.

[6pt-sika]

This gun has one special order feature I kinda like . GH guns usually had dogshead buttplates . This one has a skeleton steel buttplate that wasn't standard until you got uop to the D grade guns .

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/Parker%20GH%2012%20gauge%20circa%201891/DSCN6447_zps82faca08.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/Parker%20GH%2012%20gauge%20circa%201891/DSCN6447_zps82faca08.jpg.html)

It also has what Parker collectors call the "fishtail lever" . I think this was a leftover thing from the older hammer Parkers , although my Grade 2 Parker 10 gauge hammer gun has a normal straight lever and was made in 1884 .

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f316/6pt-sika/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/Parker%20GH%2012%20gauge%20circa%201891/DSCN6448_zpscb39718b.jpg (http://s50.photobucket.com/user/6pt-sika/media/Parker%20Grade%202%2010%20gauge%20circa%201881/Parker%20GH%2012%20gauge%20circa%201891/DSCN6448_zpscb39718b.jpg.html)

[Hogtamer]

That lever looks like something a lefty would have come up with.....Great job and congrats. Your love for those old doubles is especially appreciated in this day and age of plastic and stamped metal.

[qkdraw44]

hi, i have a parker almost the same as yours in good shape. do they have any collector value? i am afraid to fire any damascus barrel shotgun. i was going to drop in two 45-70 liners and make it a double rifle with two sets of sights. how did you figure out the pressure was safe? thanx lenny

[6pt-sika]

hi, i have a parker almost the same as yours in good shape. do they have any collector value? i am afraid to fire any damascus barrel shotgun. i was going to drop in two 45-70 liners and make it a double rifle with two sets of sights. how did you figure out the pressure was safe? thanx lenny
Of course it has collector value provided it's in any kind of decent shape . But if you drill holes and put sights on it that doesn't help the collectibility . The barrels on this gun have no pits inside or out and the guns tight . I shoot eight or so Damascus barreled guns . I try and keep the payload and the powder charge kinda low . That doesn't really answer your question .

[6pt-sika]

That lever looks like something a lefty would have come up with.....Great job and congrats. Your love for those old doubles is especially appreciated in this day and age of plastic and stamped metal.
Parker collectors claim it came about to give the shooter room to have the hammers cocked when they cracked the gun open . I got the Parker Grade 2 10 gauge hammer gun the same time I got this 12 gauge and was able to get a pair with it as well shooting hand loaded single 0 Buck . Now I need to find a Parker hammer less EH grade 10 gauge or better yet a pair of them one on a number 2 frame and the other in a number 3 frame ! And date I say it finally a Parker hammer less 8 gauge .

[6pt-sika]

I've fooled with old doubles for well over forty years , but recently the Parker , Fox and Smith guns have me under their spell again .

[qkdraw44]

I made an error. my shotgun is a t. barker not a parker. anybody know if it has any value?

[jsizemore]

I made an error. my shotgun is a t. barker not a parker. anybody know if it has any value?

You might try going here and asking;

http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewforum.php?f=5&sid=519f7e77db8b3f2025aa1fb96f1facb4

[bikerbeans]

Very nice.

BB

[6pt-sika]

I made an error. my shotgun is a t. barker not a parker. anybody know if it has any value?

I have a book "The Golden Age of Shotgunning" by Bob Hinman .

It states ,

T. Barker , also Thmas Barker sold by Sears and Roebuck also see H.D. Folsom .

H.D. Folsom without printing word for word was a company that made guns for other companies and a good many of their guns were made in Belgium . I think it's safe to say that the Folsom guns were decent utilitarian guns back in the time they were made . I have owned three or four guns in variouse names that could be traced back to Folsom and generally the value for the ones in decent or better shape was never anymore then perhaps $350-400 .

On a side note Folsom acquired Crescent Firearms of Norwich Conn and a lot of double gun people consider Crescent a middle quality double maker . I have a Crescent Arms 410 SxS that's a decent little gun .