doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com William Parkhurst 28 ga info

I just saw a local advertisement for a William Parhurst 28 ga hammergun. Does anyone have info/ input on general values, quality, opinions? I haven't seen the gun. They are asking $750 Thanks

They were the cheapest of Belgian guns imported and sold by SD&G.

I like 28 ga, shoot it exclusively on chukars and quail. Looking for a bit of a twist on some desert quail hunts. Are these cheap in that they're trash or at the right price (?) it might be an interesting little gun to shoot? Any idea of values?

Parkhurst shotguns were made in England by J.P. Clabrough and later in Belgium by Simonis, Janssen & Dumoulin (SPI). The quality of these was never top end. Some are better than others. Some are junk. Pictures, especially of the barrel flats and receiver would help.

A close examination of the gun and barrels is in order. The 28ga is attractive, but also demands decent condition because of the pressures.

Pete

That would be the one on KSL.com. They were asking $1000 for a long time. It looks a little rough to me, even at $750. I share Pete's concern about an older 28 and modern 28 ga. pressures. However, it is a rather neat looking old gun. I love hammer guns AND 28 gauges.

At least it's up in your end of the state, so you could go look it over and fondle it before committing to anything.
Let us know if you look at it, or buy it.

Records show that Parkhurst was a brand name,[One of more than one hudred] used by H&D Folsom Arms Company,312-314 Broadway, New York, N.Y. The Parkhurst examples that I have seen have been very poor quality,[junk] Belgian Imports. I have not seen any example attributable to Clabrough,nor can I find any indication in Clabrough,s catalogues that they ever used the name, Parkhurst.

Here is the page for these fine $10 to $11 smallbore hammer guns from the 1912 Schoverling, Daly & Gales catalogue --



Do be advised that in the day these guns were being sold the "standard" 28-gauge load was put up in a 2 1/2 inch case and contained 1 3/4 drams of bulk, or drams equiv. of dense, smokeless powder and 5/8 ounce of shot. The 3/4 ounce progressive burning powder Super-X load in a 2 7/8 inch case came on the market in the 1931/32 time frame.

Our buddies at RST do put up a lovely little 5/8 ounce 2 1/2 inch 28-gauge load.

My old friend the late Henry Thomas of Federal Oak Farm, Charles County, Maryland, gave me his Frather's rather similar old Belgian-made 28-gauge marked "Richard". It graced my gun room for a number of years, but before I left the area, I passed it along with Henry's 1938-vintage 20-gauge Fox-Sterlingworth to a younger Southern Maryland bird hunter and Setter man.