Hello Gene:
I got a neat old 16 ga. Parker VHE from 1914 about fifteen years ago for the right price ($600). It had very long pipes (32), double triggers, and was oddly choked, EF in the right barrel and F in the left, originally set up for Pacific coast waterfowl I was told. Wonderful figure in my stock as well.
I tried to get a Parker letter on it, and none was available for that serial #. There are some ragged holes in the Parker records apparently.
I hunt upland birds on the prairie usually over pointers. With this choking I had the actual experience of blowing the legs entirely off of tight holding birds or missing them entirely with the front trigger, so decided to do the easiest thing to make it more appropriate... open that right barrel to modified. It is still a bit too tight for some of the shots presented, but for these situations where the birds are sticking I'll often carry a few spreader loads. I'll also shoot a whole sporting clays course with spreaders. In no-tox settings like wetland pheasants I'll shoot factory tungstun-matrix, and have also starting loading ITX #2 and #4 for waterfowl as well, and so far most the patterns look very good.
I'd say, make this new gun work for your situations! That is the only thing that will keep these fine old guns busy afield.
