Two SBTs in a local auction

[Mike Koneski]

I was perusing our local gun shop/auction house catalog to see if they had anything interesting this month. They have two Parker SBT guns, both 32". The first has a lot of stock damage and is going (so far, 13 days left) for $550. The second is in much better condition but looks like the stock was cut and a Monte Carlo was added. 13 days on that auction too and it is bid up to $1400. I was curious, but not that curious. They have them listed (wrongly) as Fc grade. They look like Sc.

[Bill Murphy]

Mike, in all my years of accumulating extra wood for Parkers, I have never seen a good original single trap stock for sale. Forends, yes, stocks, no. These are shooters, not collectors. Don't pay too much.

[Mike Koneski]

Bill, someday I'll pick up an SC and have some single shot fun. I looked at these and the $550 gunstock has seen better days. The rest of the gun looks good though. As you said, "shooters". That is really what I'm interested in anyway. I'm not looking for 100% original guns. I did just pick up two Parker under-lifters, a 12 and a 10g. The 10 needed a little work but I have it just about ready to break clays. The 12g needed much more work and the bbls are pitted. I'll probably send the 12g off to Briley and have them fit 20g full length tubes to it. At least that keeps the old, classic workhorse in the field.

BTW, picked up both for a very good price. Sometime it's better to be lucky than good.

[Bill Murphy]

Good luck if you bid on the singles.

[Phil Yearout]

Mike, I'm sure either will go for more than I want to spend, but if you pass on the one that's at $550 I might be interested for the barrel.

[Frank Srebro]

I don't know much about Parker SBT's, probably just enough to get in trouble. So on Saturday I saw a SC at the Allentown Forks gun show, 30" barrel with rib matting not quite to the end, cc worn, perfect screw slots. The bore mike was in the truck but my brass choke gauge showed heavy Imp Mod, just barely Full. Top of the comb had a very nicely added filler piece to raise the dimensions. Gun was tight as a tick and felt good. The dealer wanted 1395 pretty firm but waving some cash might have dropped that a bit. After going around the tables I went to look at the SC again and saw a gent walking out with it. So did I miss something good at maybe 1250 - 1300?

PS I checked the I-Mod step on the brass choke gauge with a mike just now and it's .702" diameter. Of course I don't know what the SC bore measured.

frank

[Bill Murphy]

Good deal if the 30" barrel was original, but the cut stock is a no go for collectors.

[Frank Srebro]

Hmmmm, I owned a SB at one time and just checked my spreadsheet; it had a .735" bore and choke at .695" = 40 points of constriction. Assuming the SC at the show had the same bore, that would make its choke about 33 points. I highly doubt an original 32-inch trap barrel cut by 2" would have that much choke, thus I'm thinking the 30-inch barrel was original. Yeah Bill, of course the stock would detract greatly as a collector gun but with its overall condition and at something like $1300. it would have made a nice fancy shooter. Live and learn ......

[Bill Murphy]

Did you record the serial number, Frank? What does the serialization book say about the 30" barrel? Is the number available for PGCA research?

[Frank Srebro]

Bill et al., I didn't get the s/n on my first go through and the gent was walking out the door as I came back for another look. Sorry about that; maybe the new owner is a PGCA member and he'll write about his find.

[Scott Smith]

Frank, I saw that gun when the doors first opened. Spliced comb into a monte Carlo, finished with vintage Hawkins pad. Expertly done in my opinion. I did not write the serial number down, but in the 233,xxx range if I remember correctly. I walked out with the buyer and his friend later in the day. I know him from talking with him on prior occasions. I do have the friend’s name and number. The new buyer couldn’t wait to get to the trap range.

[Brian Dudley]

Well, $1,600 for each of them.

I was participating in bidding on proxibid for the one with the cracked stock. I was just edged out by someone that was physically at the auction. Was not aware that proxibid was only a service for taking “left bids” on live auctions.

[Bill Murphy]

Brian, that's news to me, also.

[Brian Dudley]

Yeah, i had never used Proxibid before. I got all registered and was watching these SBTs. And they were giving a countdown to when the auction “began”. Basically all the bids before hand were just fighting for who got the cast the highest left bid during the live auction. I went as hogh as i was willing to pay and sure enough i got beat out by $100 by someone who was on site.

[Mike Koneski]

Yeah, that usually happens. I've won some bids on reloading supplies and accessories, tools, etc, but never won a gun bid. Better off being on site or calling in. Did anyone from PGCA win either of those SBTs?