Any Parker Hale Experts

J

jim xyz

Inactive
Hi All,

I'm afraid this is my first post and it's a request for help.

I've just got my first rifle, a Parker Hale 22.250 and I'm trying to find out about it. It must be about my age but has clearly had an easier life as it's in far better shape than I am. From what I've found on the web it looks like a 1200 but it has a solid recoil pad and it doesn't have the fastener, screw/bolt head that most of the ones I've seen have on their woodwork below the action/chamber.

I believe that if you remove the stock there are markings on the barrel which will give its age but I don't really want to do this, is there a list of serial numbers anywhere which will help identify it? The serial number is P-30604

Also, although with the bolt forward it locks up nice and tight but when the bolt is brought to the rear there seems to be a fair bit of movement, ie while holding it the rear seems to be fairly free to move up and down, side to side. Is this normal? The last time a fired a bolt action rifle it was as a 15 year old cadet firing a Lee Enfield .303 and that was many years ago.

Many thanks,

Jim

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Your Parker-Hale 1200 looks like about a late-1970s/early-1980s model due to the recoil pad and the satin finish (earlier Parker-Hale rifles had black plastic buttplates and high gloss finishes). There is no Parker-Hale serial number registry as far as I know. Your rifle was assembled in England with a Yugoslavian action. The bolt movement when the action is open is typical of a Mauser 98 action.

This is a very similar rifle to the later Mark X Mausers (same action and barrels, different stocks).
 
You seem to have a Model 1200 Super, from the late 1960's or early 70's, which utilized a version of the Mauser 98k action.

(Two different opinions - That's what makes a horse race. ;) )

I have a Euro-only Safari version in .30-06, which a serviceman brought back in a dufflebag around 1960, that's pretty accurate with all bullet weights from 150-180 grains. (That doesn't make me a P-H expert, though)


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When I returned home from doing my time with Uncle Sam (1968 to 1970) I bought my first high power rifle.

It was a Parker and Hale in 3006 caliber and looked just like the rifle you have pictured.
I bought this rifle from J C Penny of all places, them was the good old days.

I do recall the bolt having a good deal of movement when it was all the way to the rear.
However when a round was chambered it was good and tight.

As a matter of fact this was one of the most accurate rifles right out of the box that I ever owned.
Three shots at 100 yards using Reminton 150 gr factory loads could be covered with a dime and you could not see a hole.

Being a young fool I traded the rifle off, I sure wished I would have kept it.

By the way welcome to the Firing Line, Jim.

Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com
 
Parker Hale started out using WW2 surplus (captured) Mauser rifles for their actions. Barrels and stocks were scrapped. Parker Hale built rifles in England and West Virginia. Best description of Parker Hale rifles: factory custom built rifles.

Jack
 
I don't know about the model but I would highly suggest that you remove the stock and check for rust and put some oil on the metal. As long as it locks up tight with the bolt closed, you are fine.
 
I bought two of those guns from a distributor in Germany in the late 1960s. One was 30-06 the other was .308 Norma Magnum. The 30-06 was accurate for the first two shots, (fine for hunting) but would string vertically for a foot on repeat shots with heated barrell. I pillar bedded, glassed, etc etc to no avail. I figure it must be some anomaly in the barrell density on one side (top or bottom).

The .308 Norma Magnum is a tack driver. Group at 100 yrds from a hand hold from a bench, (no bags) is about a half an inch. Unbelievable.

For those who don't know the .308 Norma Mag, it is almost identical ballisticaly to the Winchester 300 magnum. It was developed by Norma before the Winchester round. Rifles for the Norma round are not found often as it never did become popular, but is an excellent round.
 
"but when the bolt is brought to the rear there seems to be a fair bit of movement, ie while holding it the rear seems to be fairly free to move up and down, side to side"

Yes it is normal. Parker H went out of business, the name moved east, then changed names to Midland, then Gibbs, then the 'what was left' was shipped to Navy arms.

I have 4 receivers, complete with 03A3 Bolts. The receiver ring is made like a small ring Mauser/03 Springfield, the barrel seats on the front of the receiver, not on the bolt face.

F. Guffey
 
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