doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 2-1/2" VH for ducks?

Many years ago in a local shop I found an "honest" Parker VH 12ga. made in 1913, very little case or blue left but screws had never been turned, wood is great, barrels still ring, bores are clean and the gun still has short, (2-1/2 or 2-5/8") " chambers. I understand this is the most common variation of Parker, a 12ga. on a #2 frame w/30" barrels, about M&F.

It's been in the safe for almost 14 year, I never took it afield. Too much gun for upland and, I always thought, not enough for modern waterfowl.

I have an invite to go duck hunting on Monday morning and I was wondering if it may be a good day to finally shoot this old gun. I have some Winchester era Bismuth No-Tox, 2-3/4" shells with 1-1/4oz. of #4 shot, 3-1/4 dr. equiv.

I'm sure the #2 frame is heavy enough but do you think I will be OK with the short chambers? I'd rather not pound the wood into splinters, what is your experience with No-Tox and old guns?

thanks, Rob

I shot a 2 5/8 VH 2 frame for years with hot 1 1/4 hand loads. Ducks were well hit if I did my job. I dented the barrel with a decoy weight one day. After fixing I just used on dove. My thoughts USE IT
bill

I shot a 2 5/8 VH 2 frame for years with hot 1 1/4 hand loads. Ducks were well hit if I did my job. I dented the barrel with a decoy weight one day. After fixing I just used on dove. My thoughts USE IT
bill

The gun should be fine with Bismuth 4's, but I tried those loads a few years ago and was not impressed. I'd probably spend some money on Classic Doubles non-tox shells. I know a guy who regularly shoots 2-3/4" Bismuth and 2-1/2" RST in a 2-frame Parker with good results.

Parker Brothers intentionally bored their guns at 2 5/8" for 2 3/4" shells. So did other major gun companies. End of story.

They didn't do that thinking of hot SAAMI spec loads in 1913, or, thinking the gun would be in service, with those loads, 98 seasons later.
Not end of story. The guy is asking a legit question. He will have to appraise the condition of that wood himself, but, short answer, I wouldn't do it if it were my gun. I've got others that are better qualified to ride in the bottom of a duckboat.
A hundred year old gun, with current spec ammunition, isn't the best choice for ducky gun duty.

Best,
Ted

Rob: I don't blame you for thinking about hunting ducks with that gun, but if I'm reading your post right, you've never even shot it. Under those circumstances, personally, I wouldn't start with a fairly heavy load in a crowded duck blind, even though you probably won't pull the trigger more than a half-dozen times. Take another gun on Monday, and then find yourself some short, low-recoil loads and a trap range for the Parker. You can always take it waterfowling next year. TT

OK, thanks for the advice from both sides. 8B, thanks for confirming what I suspected, the gun was made to shoot 2-3/4 shells.

Ted, you hit it on the head, my feelings exactly about the gun and preserving it.

TT, I'll take your advice and shoot something else Monday. As an aside, your signature quote was the direct cause of my purchase of an AYA 3-1/2" 10ga. I have some 3" steel loads for that, perhaps it will come with me. We're planning on gunning the mud flats of East Rockaway, NY, in the shadow of Kennedy Airport.

Rob: How did the hunt go? Any luck, and did you take the 10? I hope so. For my last duck hunt of the season, I took my 10-bore Lefever and a handful of 1 1/4 oz. Bismuth loads. Hunted a little slough surrounded by picked corn and had some good shooting. What do you see on the coast? Here, late in the season, it's almost exclusively mallards.

Your description got me thinking, and when I used MapQuest to look up East Rockaway, at first I couldn't see anything but NYC! But when I zoomed in and used the satellite imaging, I found your mudflats and, frankly, it looked pretty damned "ducky." A far cry from where I do my hunting out here in on the prairie, but it makes me chuckle to know that guys like you are still "taking them" on Jamaica Bay.

Happy hunting. TT

Bob,

I hunt exclusively with Damsacus barrelled Parkers and LC Smiths. Mostly I shoot handloaded Nice Shot for ducks and geese at 9000 PSI. On occasion I shoot factory loaded steel shot through my Damascus barrels without problem.

The only issue you may have shooting your VH with 2 5/8" chambers is a tiny bit more recoil. That stated you probably won't notice it. The short chamber would be the inverse of long forcing cones. Some people think they lessen recoil a bit, others laugh at them!

If you use Bismuth or Classic Doubles ammunition neither will bother your gun or shoulder. The ducks may however not survive.

Anyone can shoot sporting clays wih an O/U. We shoot SxS's for reasons unexplained.

Everyone shoots at ducks with their autoloaders. I'd rather hunt ducks with guns that dropped ducks before the start of World War I.

PS: Eightbore knows more about waterfowling with SxS's than most of us could ever dream of.

Please visit the Parker Gun Collectors Association website for more information of putting that Parker back into service:

http://parkerguns.org

Respctfully,
Mark