Things To Come....

Dave McC · January 6, 2009, 08:13 AM

I had the pleasure recently of handling and firing a fine Parker SxS shotgun belonging to a friend.

It was made in the 20s or 30s as a dedicated trap gun. It has 30" barrels, choked "Tight" and "You've got to be kidding" for the ammunition of the day, a generous butt to spread out the kick and dual triggers. The vent rib was innovative at the time it was made, and the stock had a new fangled pad and a bit less drop than common then.

I took a few shots with it at trap singles. It erased the targets nicely.

When it was made, it came close to being state of the art. Besides being a fine trap gun for singles and doubles, it could work in a dove field or duck blind od the time. It handles nimbly,for a gun weighing 8 lbs or so.

Now, only SxS fans like my buddy would shoot something like that, and only for fun. My friend uses it for live pigeons and casual clays.

Trap guns these days have longer barrels, less choke,more weight, are stocked to put most or all of the pattern over the bead and never ever have two triggers any more.

I know shooters in their 80s, so all these changes in specialized shotguns have taken place in living memory.

Here's a few changes my crystal ball says we can expect to see in our lifetimes......

The current trends in ultra light ammo and shotguns will continue. More 7/8 oz 12 gauge loads willl turn up. These are as efficient and effective as 1 1/8 oz loads of old.

The craze for the 28 gauge will surge. Many of us find these enough gun and appreciate the lighter weight now that the hills are steeper than of yore.

Super heavy turkey loads will diminish. While some folks will adhere to The More Is Better Principle, most shooters will find that effective nontoxic loads of less than 1.5 oz are more comfortable and effective.

Same with Maggie Numb buck loads. 15 00 pellets in the real world do little than 8 or 9 cannot.

Cheap shotguns will continue to be made and imported here from places with low labor costs like Turkey and sundry -stans. Nothing new there, a century ago they came from Belgium and served folks who needed a cheap shotgun.

As will all bargains, durability and longevity are suspect.

New materials and further use of synthetics are givens. Carbon fiber and titanium are the new steels of tomorrow.

And one thing that will not change.

Some misguided folks blame inanimate objects for evil done by people. Some of these folks have just been elected to high office, others have been there for way too long.

Whether your shotgun is a fine Parker like the one above or a made in Turkey, some officious idiots want to take it away.

For your own good. Or for the children. Or for their own self interests.

No dictator from the days of Darius of Persia has wanted the common people to have arms.

None.

Think about it.....

January 6, 2009, 08:13 AM	#1
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	Things To Come.... I had the pleasure recently of handling and firing a fine Parker SxS shotgun belonging to a friend. It was made in the 20s or 30s as a dedicated trap gun. It has 30" barrels, choked "Tight" and "You've got to be kidding" for the ammunition of the day, a generous butt to spread out the kick and dual triggers. The vent rib was innovative at the time it was made, and the stock had a new fangled pad and a bit less drop than common then. I took a few shots with it at trap singles. It erased the targets nicely. When it was made, it came close to being state of the art. Besides being a fine trap gun for singles and doubles, it could work in a dove field or duck blind od the time. It handles nimbly,for a gun weighing 8 lbs or so. Now, only SxS fans like my buddy would shoot something like that, and only for fun. My friend uses it for live pigeons and casual clays. Trap guns these days have longer barrels, less choke,more weight, are stocked to put most or all of the pattern over the bead and never ever have two triggers any more. I know shooters in their 80s, so all these changes in specialized shotguns have taken place in living memory. Here's a few changes my crystal ball says we can expect to see in our lifetimes...... The current trends in ultra light ammo and shotguns will continue. More 7/8 oz 12 gauge loads willl turn up. These are as efficient and effective as 1 1/8 oz loads of old. The craze for the 28 gauge will surge. Many of us find these enough gun and appreciate the lighter weight now that the hills are steeper than of yore. Super heavy turkey loads will diminish. While some folks will adhere to The More Is Better Principle, most shooters will find that effective nontoxic loads of less than 1.5 oz are more comfortable and effective. Same with Maggie Numb buck loads. 15 00 pellets in the real world do little than 8 or 9 cannot. Cheap shotguns will continue to be made and imported here from places with low labor costs like Turkey and sundry -stans. Nothing new there, a century ago they came from Belgium and served folks who needed a cheap shotgun. As will all bargains, durability and longevity are suspect. New materials and further use of synthetics are givens. Carbon fiber and titanium are the new steels of tomorrow. And one thing that will not change. Some misguided folks blame inanimate objects for evil done by people. Some of these folks have just been elected to high office, others have been there for way too long. Whether your shotgun is a fine Parker like the one above or a made in Turkey, some officious idiots want to take it away. For your own good. Or for the children. Or for their own self interests. No dictator from the days of Darius of Persia has wanted the common people to have arms. None. Think about it.....