SA SBT at auction tomorrow

[Chuck Bishop]

There is a SA SBT coming up for auction at Morphy's in Denver Pa tomorrow. I want to give a heads up on this gun. You can pull up pictures on their web site. We have the stock book on this gun and it shows it as a SC SBT with a capped pistol grip. I looked at the gun today and here is what I see. The receiver does look like a SA and it is stamped 6 on the water table. The barrels are 32" Acme steel but it has brass double beads instead of ivory. I've never seen anything other than ivory on SBT's. The stock is a straight grip, the stock book say's it's a CPG. The buttstock checkering looks like Parker checkering for that grade and it has the mullard border. The firearms manager says they pulled the tang and the S/N is stamped in the wood. The for-end looks to me like SC checkering but looking at The Parker Story, it looks like SA checkering may be similar. All S/N's match.

I can understand the gun being returned and having a straight grip installed and we just don't have the records of the return but how do you explain the grade 6 engraving on the receiver along with the 6 on the water table?

I just wanted to give a heads up in case anyone is going to bid on this gun. I'm not saying it's right or wrong, just be aware of what your bidding on.

[Dave Suponski]

Chuck, Would the SA SBT guns have Peerless steel barrels?

[Chuck Bishop]

Dave, according to TPS, only SAA and SA-1's had Peerless steel but I guess you can't say never when we talk Parkers. The gun was made in 1929.

[Bill Murphy]

I was surprised to see the SA sell for $10,000 plus 20% buyer's premium for internet buyers. The Daly Regent Diamond sold for $11,000 plus BP. I guess single traps aren't all that out of favor. I have been looking at both guns at the Chantilly VA show for a year or two, made fair offers on the SA, but somehow my offers were refused and the two guns showed up at the auction. I offered more than the consigners will get, but I assume the dealer who had the guns at Chantilly was taking a cut also. Chuck, does the actual stock book show Grade 4, or are we going by the Serialization Book entry? I had no doubts about the gun and hope someone here got it.

[Chuck Bishop]

As per Murphy's request, I'm showing what the stock book records for this gun. It looks like the "C" in "SC" may have been X'd out but that's just a guess. The other thing is that it is listed as a CPG, not a straight grip which gun currently has. The butt stock looks like a Parker stock and the checkering looks correct. The beavertail looks to me like a SC checkering panel however I haven't seen other SA grade guns to see what a correct checkering panel should look like. The engraving on the receiver is very fine scroll but looks like it has worn down through years of use. Also, the Acme steel barrel vent rib has non Parker brass beads.

I'm not making any clams as to the originality of this gun, just pointing out the discrepancies. I'd want to make darn sure it's original before I would pay 12K for it.

I was interested in the back action gun but it had decarbonized steel barrels which were blued. For me, it would just be a wall hanger but not for $1320.

[Dean Romig]

Check, please explain the red S4. Wouldn't that be the same as a SC? Why was that entry written in red? Wasn't that done by the folk transcribing the records for the ID & Ser. book?

[Chuck Bishop]

Yes Dean, the red S4 means a SC gun. I assume it was written in red when the stock books were originally copied or when the Serialization Book was compiled. There are many of these red entries found in the stock books. The entries for grade/barrel steel are quite often so faded out that they are not readable. I've always wondered how they were able to know what to write in red ink when they couldn't read the faded entry. Maybe Mr. Mullins can shed some light on this.

You will also see that it has 2 5/8" chambers and the trigger in the rear position. I've always seen "trigger in rear position", never "trigger in front position." Does anyone have one in the front position???

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Yes I think Bill could possibly shed some light on this mystery that pops up from time to time, Gary