doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com RBL 28 or Parker Repro 28

The Parker Frame sizes key off the horizontal distance between the firing pins and the vertical distance from the water table to the firing pins. The larger the frame size the larger those two distances.

Best,

Mike

So, are we saying that a two gauge set must be built on at least the minimum frame for the larger gauge? A 20/28 gauge set must be built on a 20 gauge frame. Yes?

We can discuss technical specifications all day long, but in my mind there is no better combination of "feel" and "looks" for around 5K than a Parker Repro 28ga, especially with 28" barrels!

Yes, if that makes you happy.
The differences would be so small that you couldn't tell the difference without measuring instrument.

I would carry 28br and hit like 16br, so 28ga would not be my choice. Why carry 28br and hit like 28br when one does not have to? I would buy quality 2" Basque SLE or 2nd hand Birmingham made BL instead of RBL or Repro. I had several quality Jap guns, but just could not get that warm und fuzzy feeling about them. Gee, do you think it's because there is no "ghostie of the past" in them?
Next time I will pick up Sakaba (est.1855) modelo 'Royal' to get that warm und cozzy fellin.
Parker Repro is pretty good gun when one considers it was made at the 'SUNSHINE' Tochigi City factory!
Don't know, but perhaps they could make good vodka too.

DM - it makes me a bit more enlightened and that makes me happy. I suspect that people will get a little bit heavier weight and higher swing effort from the smaller gauge of a two gauge set. And, that is likely to aid their shooting. In that respect, two gauge sets are a good thing.

The real Brothers P made all manner of two-gauge sets. The famous pair of 12-20 and 28-.410 skeet guns, the 28-gauge A1 Special that later got a set of .410 barrels, etc. And, my 1889 vintage 2-Frame 12-gauge that weighs just over 9 pounds got fitted in the late teens or early 20s with a set of 32-inch 20-gauge barrels for a total weight of 8 pounds 4.5 ounces.



Long ago I passed on the Parker repro but the 28-gauge RBL was ordered the first day.

Parker of Meriden made pretty darn good guns. I looked at old 20br DHE if very good shape. Not bad at all. Despite it's higher cost I would take it over "dime a dozen" Birmingham BLE anytime.

R - those 20 bore shells/snap caps are so far apart that they are going to need a telephone or they will ge mighty lonesome. Can you comment as to where Parker got the weight out on the 20 bore barrels - those are some beefy looking breeches! That 20 bore extractor would do credit to Larry Craig!

The 12-gauge barrels are very straight and thick all the way out. The 20-gauge barrels swamp in quite fast from those heavy breeches. Whoever owned this gun had it to use. Checkering is barely visible on the grip and both forearms are pretty smooth. The gun was fitted with the post-1910 bolt and bolt-plates, likely when the 20-gauge Vulcan barrels were added. The Vulcan barrels have the CT, USA barrel address but donot have the "Parker Overload Proof." So roughly puts them between 1918 and 1927. The original 12-gauge Damascus barrels lost their front 2-inches and most choke somewhere along the way.

Some days I think I should have the gun restocked and refinish the metal, maybe even an upgrade, and other days I think just keep it and shoot it the way it is. So far the no expense way has won out!