Parker Hale

[paul crow]

After a day at the local gun range my shooting buddy and I were chowing down a couple of What-A-Burger #1 special's when the conversation shifted to "What was your first rifle?". Man, talk about nostialgia! Anyway, While listening to his earliest experiences in our sport I was fondly remembering a (what to me at the time was a beautiful, sleek, brand-new) Parker Hale .303 bolt action. When my turn to relay my "sea-story" I told him about a time I was cruiseing the floor racks of a gun store when a couple of rifles caught my eye. Now at this point in time I was a newly wed, third class petty officer, and the term "money is tight" described my situation EXACTLY! So when the time came to deside between a Winchester Model 70 in .30-06 and this factory sporterized Parker Hale with a five round flush fitting magazine, pretty blonde stock, and reasonable price tag, I naturally (and responsibley too, or so I thought, untill my new wife found out about the purchase!) desided on the .303 caliber. Now the whole time I'm recalling this tale my buddy has got this questioning look on his face and finally ask's me "Whats a .303 Parker Hale?" I had to admit that I did'nt know a lot about the history of that particular series of rifles but it looked like to me that the company bought up a bunch of surplus military mark 4's and sporterized 'em for resale to the civilian market. The company did a great job rebarreling and restocking the actions, and turned out a nice rifle for the price the shop I was at was asking for it. After our conversation at the 'burger shop I got to thinking about that rifle and realized I had'nt seen another like it ever sence. As a matter of fact, nobody I have talked to has a clue as to what I am talking about when I mention a Parker Hale .303 cal. The more I research the history on this series of rifles the more I get frustrated. Anybody got any ideas where I can start researching from. I harvested my first deer and a host of ferral pigs with this rifle useing bullets I cast and fire-formed Krag-Jorgesion .30-40 brass. (new British .303 brass was hard to find in those days) So the rifle has a lot of fond memories for me and I'd like to learn more about it's history. Any information would be much appreciated and worth a couple of beer's, on me, if you find your way to north Texas anytime soon! Thanks, Paul Crow.

 

[P95Carry]

Paul - welcome

I can't give you much useful info but might just mention that way back in early 60's, when I shot .303 competitively at Bisley range in England ... the on-site store (Fultons) ... used to have what I seem to remember as just these rifles. Based on MkIV Enfields (which I shot, but those were std issue, with Parker Hale aperture vernier sights added)... they were very desirable rifles.

303british.com (or similar URL) ... might be a place to explore .. then there is Gibbs who do .303 rifles ... and I seem to recall another source of very up-market .303's on the web too. Maybe a web search based around the cal could help ... and there is a Prker Hale site too ... http://www.parker-hale.com/

I think some digging might help - plus we have a few guys here who are very Enfield savvy, SMLE is one I recall.

 

[paul crow]

P95Carry Thanks!

Appreciate the heads-up on where to start my research. This is a great web-site. On the subject of MK-4's, were you able to modify the rifles you were competing with in England, or were you limited to standard issue? I've seen a couple of sniper version MK-4's that were rebarreled in .308 caliber that looked like they could hold a pretty nice group across the course, and I was wondering if you got to shoot something similar while you competed. (I think I see a "project" comeing on if I run into a surplus .303 in the future!) Thanks again, Paul Crow.

 

[P95Carry]

were you able to modify the rifles you were competing with in England

Paul - no, no mod's. Reason was, they were effectively mil issue to me and my lot - we were shooting as army cadets.

They were aquired by our armory already converted to the PH vernier rear sights ... and I believe were originally set up with ''select'' barrels. Otherwise, they were std MkIV's ... same woodwork, even std issue webbing slings!!!

Interesting ... I found only few days ago - my score books from all that time ago - I will just out of interest scan and post a pic later ... indulging my own nostalgia maybe!! With our scoring a ''possible'' was 35 .... two sighters and seven to count. Never did achieve that but was a regular 32 and 33 shooter.

 

[P95Carry]

Here we go - nostalgia time! Bisley 1963 .... 500 yds ....