I've never understood the allure of the "carriage bolt" guns either. Perhaps the bolt is there to keep the gun from looking as horrible as a 21 does in the action bar, but, it looks more like a primitive repair. The Parkers I get to see around these parts(low grades, for the most part) often have a homemade matching repair in the stock. Is there a wedge built into a Parker, that is designed to split the head of the stock? One could begin to believe that with the frequency one sees bolts stuck through the head of the stock. A Parker is a complicated boxlock. At least the Parkers could be had in well balanced, lighter configurations, and had double triggers available to the end.
The 21 was there for the greatest falsehood ever foisted on the American shooting public, the twin myths of the magnum and short magnum cartridges. It was built heavy enough to indure a steady diet of same, at least if the ribs hold on anyway, and they often don't. In a time when most here have actually gone the other way, to low pressure and 2 1/2 inch loadings, often in smaller gauge guns, the 21 is an expensive anachronism, particularly in a discussion about hunting "Bonasa". Use it for that work if you like, but, calling it perfect for that use here will cause people to wonder if you have ever handled a different double gun, or if you really hunt grouse. The actual grouse and pheasant hunting I get to do here in the brave new millenium, always seems to involve lots of legwork, per bird taken. Maybe the guys that bought those 21s new had it easier.
Best,
Ted
