Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters What was a Midland Parker Hale?

~15 years ago Numeric was selling Midland Parker Hale 300 Win mag, 23.75" CM take off barrels
1.096" major diameter 12TPI V threads, 0.605" tenon
The open sights had been removed.
2# 8 oz, $44.50 + $3.24 shipping = $47.74 delivered.

I got a number of them. When I Iooked in the bore they were way better than a factory Winchester or Remington. These were more like a Shelin select match or a Hart barrel.

The bores had been lapped.

But I never found out, what is a Midland Parker Hale?
Why did they have such good barrels?
Why did someone take off the barrels?

Midland was a smaller English rifle company out if Birmingham, UK. It was bought by the PH rifle co. in the 1950s and was their budget rifle.

Sometime in the early 1990s, PH was purchased by Val Forgett. Not sure if they are even producing rifles.

Midland rifles were popular in Canada, alomg with the more expensive PH line.

The Midland (Parker Hale Company) were built on actions based on the 03 Springfield. Guns were made here in the USA in West Virginia until the company as a whole went out of business about 1997 or 98.

Midland was originally a Birmingham UK gunmaker of medium priced guns. I've owned two of their shotguns, good guns for Birminghams.

Numrich sold off all the parts left over. The barrels are gone now.

I remember Midland for the 2100 model which was available in the 70s - 80s. It was about the cheapest new centrefire you could buy here. They were a bit of a hybrid - story was that PH had lucked onto a large lot of NOS Springfield bolts, and designed a receiver based more or less on a Mauser 98 to go with them. Fitted up in a fairly plain stock and with barrels in various calibres and they had something to compete with the cheapest end of the market, with the Parker-Hale branded rifles slotting in above them. I remember looking over a couple as a teenager, and not being even slightly tempted.

Before Forgett bought PH, Midland rifles were made in England.

Rifle photos here:
https://simpsonltd.com/midland-gun-co-2600/

Action photos here:
https://www.gunownersofcanada.ca/sh...c&p=481828&viewfull=1#post481828

Bruce

Yep, cast action, slightly modified Springfield bolt

That location was near here. Believe the sign said “Navy Arms”. They moved a bunch of their operation here from gun-hating NJ. Went in a time or two, not that I had any money. Had some nice BP stuff and a bunch of their “sporterized” SMLEs.

I too went in there a few times, Pappy. They did have some few treasures didn't they. One thing I bought there was an in-the-white Parker-Hale Mauser barrel, in.30 caliber, no chamber. I had it fitted to a 98 Mauser action and chambered in .30-06. Absolutely the most accurate '06 I ever owned, probably why I still have it.

They had intentions of marketing their own actions which were quite similar to a Howa. These were a cast receiver and bolt. I had one at one time. I also bought 10 barrels for, as I recall, 12 bucks apiece. They were very nice barrels; about a #2 contour. The 2100 rifle were, indeed, a Mauser like receiver which accommodated a Springfield bolt. These were kind of a clunky rifle with only their good barrel to recommend them. It was impossible for me to like them but they were a serviceable rifle in most respects. GD

I had a couple of Midlands in 308. I intended to use one as the basis for a target rifle build, but changed by mind. The last one I bought was in Chatham, NB, when I was stationed there in the mid 1980s. I believe I paid $200 for it, new. I got a moose with it less than I month after I bought it. They were fine for their intended purpose - hunting.

I am not sure, but the first one might have come from Century Arms in Montreal or Le Barons I used to buy a lot of surplus stuff from Century when I was in the service.