Parker-Hale

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Parker-Hale
Industry Arms industry
Founded Birmingham, England (1910)
FounderAlfred Gray Parker (1842–1915)
Defunct1992
FateSold to Modular Industries Ltd.
Headquarters
Birmingham
,
England
Area served
 Australia, Canada, England
Key people
Alfred Gray Parker
Arthur Hale
John le Breton
Products Rifles
Clothing and accessories
Number of employees
80

Parker-Hale Ltd. was a British firearms, air rifle and firearms accessory manufacturer, located in the Gun Quarter of Birmingham, England. It was founded by Alfred Gray Parker and Arthur Hale.

Contents

History

Alfred Gray Parker founded a rifle manufacturing company in 1890. In 1910, he invited his nephew, Alfred Thomas Corbyn Hale, to become a partner in the limited liability company, with the shares being taken up by members of both the Parker and Hale families. A first catalogue was issued of arms and shooting accessories and, though limited in its range, clearly showed the company's growing trend for the development of accessories. [1]

By 1914 the company's small manufacturing plant was well established and the Ministry of Munitions ordered training equipment from Parker-Hale. The "Parkerifling" process, coupled with the Hiscock-Parker magazine, enabled service rifles to be converted to .22 Long Rifle (.22 LR) for use as training rifles, and demand was such that the Parker-Hale factory was soon working to full capacity. [2]

In 1924, Hale's son, Arthur, joined the business, and in 1926 a family record was set up when Hale and his two eldest sons took part in the "King's Prize" at Bisley. This event was eclipsed two years later when Arthur Hale succeeded in winning the coveted prize itself. He was appointed Director of the Company in 1928.

With the outbreak of the Second World War, the available resources of the gun trade had been mobilised to recondition a reserve of Pattern 1914 Enfield rifles, and in 1940 the Parker-Hale Arms Company was founded. Additional premises were acquired "for the duration" of the war and, under the management of Arthur Hale, a large reconditioning programme was rapidly carried through. A wide range of additional war contract work followed, principally with the manufacture of .30-06 Springfield and .303 British drill cartridges in large quantities. [1]

After the close of hostilities, with a fall in production contracts and no permanent premises, the company had little choice but to invest in a small factory unit, erected under the Government's emergency programme to re-house bombed-out manufacturers. Meanwhile, the Parker-Hale Arms Company was transferred to the Birmingham Proof House, where it continued with the reconditioning of .22 LR weapons for junior training organisations. The company ceased to exist upon completion of the contracts.

The immediate post-war years can best be described as a period of frustrated opportunity, since overseas markets were opened but materials of all sorts were in short supply. Nevertheless, by 1948 business abroad far exceeded the home trade.

Business at Parker-Hale remained relatively stable throughout the 1960s and into the 1980s, with sales of target and sporting rifles, handguns, shotguns and ammunition sitting comfortably alongside the company's comprehensive range of rifle scopes, knives, gun care accessories and cleaning kits. Between the 1980s and 1990s, Parker-Hale manufactured the Series 500, 700, and 800 shotguns and the 600 series with the Ignacio Ugartechea factory in Eibar, Spain, they also produce exclusive rifle models. [3] [4]

Lacking the investment necessary to enable the company to compete effectively in newly emerging markets, Parker-Hale was eventually sold to the Midlands engineering group, Modular Industries Ltd. In 1992 it was purchased by Navy Arms and spun off as Gibbs Rifle Company, Inc. [1]

Partial list of Parker-Hale firearms

Source: [5]

Submachine guns:

Shotguns:

Rifles:

Sporting:
Standard No.1Calibre: .303 British, Barrel length: 25ins, Magazine capacity: 10, Weight: 10lbs
Supreme No.1Calibre: .303 British, Barrel length: 22ins, Magazine capacity: 5, Weight: 7.5lbs
Custom No.1Calibre: .303 British, Barrel length: 22ins, Magazine capacity: 5, Weight: 7lbs
Standard No.4Calibre: .303 British, Barrel length: 25.5ins, Magazine capacity: 10, Weight: 8lbs
Supreme No.4Calibre: .303 British, Barrel length: 22ins, Magazine capacity: 5, Weight: 8lbs
Deluxe No.4Calibre: .303 British, Barrel length: 22ins, Magazine capacity: 5, Weight: 8lbs
Custom No.4Calibre: .303 British, Barrel length: 22ins, Magazine capacity: 5, Weight: 8lbs
M81 Classic (Mauser Action)Calibre: various, Barrel length: 24ins, Magazine capacity: 4, Weight: 7.75lbs
1000 Standard (Mauser Action)Calibre: various, Barrel length: 22ins, Magazine capacity: 4, Weight: 7.25lbs
1100 Deluxe (Mauser Action)First Model Calibre: various, Barrel length: 24ins, Magazine capacity: 4, Weight: 7lbs
1100 Deluxe (Mauser Action)Second Model Calibre: various, Barrel length: 24ins, Magazine capacity: 4, Weight: 7lbs
1100 (Mauser Action)African Magnum Calibre: .375 H&H Magnum, .404, .458 Win Mag, Barrel length: 24ins, Magazine capacity: 4
1200 Super (Mauser Action)Super Calibre: various, Barrel length: 24ins, Magazine capacity: 4, Weight:7.5lbs
1200M (Mauser Action)Super Magnum Calibre: various, Magazine capacity: 3, Weight:7.5lbs
1200C (Mauser Action)Super Clip Calibre: various, Magazine capacity: 4, Weight:7.75lbs
1200CM (Mauser Action)Super Clip Magnum Calibre: various, Magazine capacity: 3, Weight:7.75lbs
1200V (Mauser Action)Varmint Calibre: various, Barrel length: 24ins, Magazine capacity: 4, Weight:9lbs
2100 (Mauser Action)Midland Calibre: various, Barrel length: 22ins, Magazine capacity: 4, Weight: 7lbs
Target:
T4 (Enfield Action)Calibre: 7.62x51, Barrel length: 26ins, Weight: 10.25lbs
Excel (Mauser Action)Calibre: 7.62x51, Barrel length: 26ins, Magazine capacity: 10, Weight: 10.25lbs
TX1200 / 1200TX (Mauser Action)Mk 1 / Mk II - Calibre: 7.62x51, Barrel length: 26ins, Magazine capacity: 5, Weight: 10.5lbs
M84 (Mauser Action)Canberra / Bisley - Calibre: 7.62x51, Barrel length: 27.5ins, Single shot, Weight: 11lbs
Elite (Mauser Action)Calibre: 7.62x51, Barrel length: Civilian target rifle version of L81A2
Sniper:
M82 Calibre: 7.62x51, Barrel length: 28ins, Magazine capacity: 4
L81A1 / M83 Calibre: 7.62x51
L81A2 Calibre: 7.62x51
C3 Calibre: 7.62x51
C3A1 Calibre: 7.62x51, Barrel length: 23.5ins, Weight 15.87lbs
M85 Calibre: 7.62x51, Barrel length: 24.5ins, Magazine capacity: 10, Weight 12.57lbs
M86Calibre: 7.62x51, Barrel length: 27.5ins, Magazine capacity: 5
M87Calibre: 7.62x51, .243 Win, 6.5x55, 30-06 Springfield, .300 Win Mag, Barrel length: 26ins, Magazine capacity: 5

Partial list of Parker-Hale air rifles

References

  1. 1 2 3 Peterson, Phillip (18 October 2013). Standard Catalog of Military Firearms: The Collector's Price and Reference Guide. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. pp. 239–241. ISBN   978-1-4402-3692-1.
  2. ↑ The Army Quarterly. William Clowes & Sons, Limited. 1955. pp. 6–8.
  3. ↑ Wieland, Terry (16 December 2008). Vintage British Shotguns: A Shooting Sportsman Guide. Down East Books. p. 256. ISBN   978-0-89272-843-5.
  4. ↑ Walter, John (25 March 2006). Rifles of the World. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. pp. 362–363. ISBN   0-89689-241-7.
  5. ↑ Parker-Hale Catalogues
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