fwiw - if I was spending the kind of dough it seems to take to acquire a PR A1..I'd be looking pretty hard at an upgrade if it had "all the right stuff" + the right feel/heft in hand with that 'certain' aesthetic.

That said, I'd just assume start out w/a Parker Reproduction if I intended to have a custom pattern engraved, over a vh worthy of upgrade.

Nice that we have choices :)

I did a n upgrade/custom Parker using a VH 20 as a platform. Gunner's gun is as nice as they co me in my opinion but I confess to being prejudice:whistle: I will never recoup the investment in dollars but will never spend the memories either. When I'm gone the gun will be passed to another friend of both Parkers and German Shorthairs.

But, if you do that to a Parker, didn't you just reduce the population of Original Parkers?

I thought that was a bad thing :whistle:

Rich - you have about the nicest owner inspired Parker, in Gunner's gun, that I've seen..and I've only seen pictures of it. It's a beautiful gun.

Scott first thanks for the compliment, if you come to either the Southern or Hausmans let me know and I'll make sure to bring it and you can take it out for a round.

It's still an original Parker no different IMHO to taking a VH and making it a higher grade gun just a different path.

Scot, don't fret about "Gunner's Gun" reducing the population of original Parkers. It used to belong to my wife, who tried to get me to take it, but she found an eager buyer in Rich. The sweet gun is in a better place and in better condition today. However, the gun is full of history, originally sold by a country store about six miles from my house, then owned by a local family until it came to Linda at a local estate auction.

And that's just the sort of thing that would push me toward a vh, or a p, or whatever, instead of a Reproduction. (if there was sentiment/provenance or even, just a particular feel of a particular pc)

To expand on my earlier comment which may not have been abundantly clear..I would never NOT use an original. Just as a practical matter..a Repro, in some cases, just makes more sense. Even that viewpoint carry's a caveat..it depends on the individual gun, of course.

With respect to Gunner's Gun - like Mr. Anderson, I must profess that I might be a bit biased :whistle: (toward pointy critters)