doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Parker value question

Well, the BSS is pretty reliable, I'll say that much. I probably didn't mention, I have a 20 gauge BSS that is brand new and still in the box and every time I talk about it, Ted goes wild over that pretty little baby! And I can't blame him for that!! Eat your heart out big boy!! 🤣

The only upland game friendly BSS are SLE versions which carry big premium over 12ga guns which sell for > $3000.
The Winchester 21 priced themselves out of the market, I would rather spend that money on smaller gauge Parker.
As someone suggested $8000 is possible downpayment on nice classic double, however, used (custum-made for someone else) stuff that costs > $100000 is nuts.

It depends on who you are, and how much $$$ you have.

I waded through an auction today and saw several guns that are expected to go for more than that.

The people who will buy them aren't nuts...

I have two BSS Sporters in 20ga, a 26" and a 28". There is nothing wrong with the Sporters for upland game. I also have a couple of Parker VHs in 20 gauge, both 28". The Parkers are lighter, trimmer, and prettier, but I have the great misfortune of living in California where we can't hunt anything with lead. The BSSs will digest anything I choose to feed them. I don't own any 21s (by choice) because they seem to handle like an expensive pig on the end of an expensive shovel.

Browning BSS make a good clays gun with the weight and single trigger. They are overbuilt and that means they are heavy. They only have single triggers and don't have a splinter forearm.

They are a good solid guns. They are not close in anyway to a original Parker except they certainly spend less time with a gunsmith.

Number of triggers has no objective bearing on how good a shotgun is.

Damning with faint praise? I mean, come on, I’m supposed to be going wild over a heavy, single trigger, beaver something forearm, Japanese boxlock, new in the box?

Funny, I don’t feel all wild.




Best,
Ted

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I don’t feel tardy, either.

I have shot one for a long time, very successfully, at clays and ducks. They're an easy gun to shoot well, IMO. However, they are not overbuilt. I have measured the width of the action on my 12 ga. BSS and compared it to almost every other American and European made 12 ga. S X S I have (quite a few) and the action width across the balls is the narrowest of any !2 ga. S X S I've ever measured. If they're overbuilt it is not in the action.

Another reason I say they're not overbuilt is that I have used mine for clays and ducks since about 2009, and I have shot it off face on the right barrel. You can see daylight between the right barrel breech face and the standing breech, to the tune of about .003". I have maintained it properly by cleaning and lubing as long as I have owned it. They're just not as bullet proof as many would have you to believe.

Those of you who actually own one - measure the size of the action and compare it to other S X S guns in the same gauge and report your findings. I think you may be surprised.

As to Parker value . . . . I own exactly one Parker. It is a two gauge DHE, 32" barrels, with both 16 and 20 gauge barrel sets. It was, and is, easily an $8000 gun. And, there's nothing obscene about it, eddie.

The only Parker I ever owned was one that had the barrels cut down to 18 inches. So I have never really owned a nice one, although I I've been tempted to buy one many times over the years. I know they are great guns. But, I guess it is probably too late to buy one now. I honestly think that the BSS is a great gun, too. And you can't go wrong with buying one. But I hope you guys don't take me seriously about me teasing you about having a new one in the box. I do, but I'm just pulling your legs and having fun about it. Take care.

B.C. Miroku is a solid gun that can be a real bargain. For example, older O/U in good to very good shape with double triggers can be found for around $600. The SXS set up as game gun (dt, splinter forend, straight grip) will cost $1300-$1500. Since they handle about the same i see no reason to throw money away by buying horizontal version of the same.