Custom Parker Brothers DH Grade 3 30″ 12 GA SXS Double Shotgun, 1905 C&R
SOLD FOR: $3560
LSB#: 230802FS002
Make: Parker Brothers
Model: Custom DH Grade 3 Hammerless
Serial Number: 131423
Year of Manufacture: 1905
Gauge: 12 Gauge, the chambers appear to have been lengthened for use with 2 3/4″ shells.
Action Type: Side by Side, Double Trigger Shotgun with Extractor
Barrel Length: 30”, the barrels or the rib appear to have been shortened slightly.
Choke: Left: Improved Modified, Right: Modified, Both Fixed
Sights / Optics: There is a silver colored bead mounted to the front of the rib behind a scribed line. The top of the rib has fine serrations for glare reduction which extend just past the scribed line.
Weight: 7 lb., 12.7 oz.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece checkered walnut with splinter forend, straight wrist, straight comb, steel tip on the forende and steel skeleton buttplate with checkering in the wood on the face of the butt. The stocks have only a few scattered minor marks. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. Drop at comb is 1 5/8”, drop at heel is 2 1/2?, the cast is about neutral. The LOP measures 13 1/4? and 14 1/8? from the fronts of the triggers to the back of the buttplate. The plate has infrequent tiny spots of very minor oxidation. The stocks rate in about Excellent overall condition as restored.
Type of Finish: Blue & Case Color
Finish Originality: Professionally Restored
Bore Condition: The bores are mostly bright. There is some stubborn fouling in the bores, mostly in the choked section at the muzzle-end. There are a few minor dents visible in the left bore just behind the choked section. Overall, the bores rate about 6 out of 10 and would rate 7-8 but for the dents.
Many military and C&R-eligible weapons have bores that will show erosion. This is not only due to age but to the fact that corrosive primers were commonly used in ammunition worldwide.
Overall Condition: This shotgun retains about 97% of its current metal finish. The finish is generally strong throughout with only a few scattered minor marks. The action shows operational wear. There are infrequent spots of very faint surface oxidation. A close and thorough inspection will find just a few tiny spots of erosion under the finish, most easily found on the trigger guard. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this shotgun is in Very Good-plus condition as restored.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The tang mounted safety returns to ‘safe’ when the action is opened. The barrels have no play to the frame. The lever sits just left of center when the action is closed. We have not fired this shotgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.
Our Assessment: This Parker Brothers Hammerless double gun comes to us from 1905, right at the turn of the century. Parker Brothers is part of a strong heritage of quality double gun manufacture in America in the late 19th and early 20th century. Along with names like A.H. Fox, Ithaca and L.C. Smith, Parker Bros. made double guns of a quality which rivaled the English Best guns or other offerings from Europe. They also offered guns in a variety of grades, with unembellished field guns which were still crafted to the same quality standards, as well as highly embellished presentation guns for those who could afford them.
This 12 Gauge example comes from a serial range for which the records have been lost and has been quite skillfully restored. It cannot be sure whether this left Parker Bros. as a DH Grade 3 gun with Titanic Steel barrels, but the engraving is certainly up to snuff and the gun looks the part. The left bore has a few minor dents which may need to be addressed, but the action locks up tight and the gun is quite attractive overall. This shotgun would make a great addition to any collection, especially an avid bird hunter or Parker collector. Please see our photos and good luck!
Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud
