How old was you when you bought your first Parkers ?
 

Well I sent the check in the mail the other day for my first Parker , I am 27 and have looked at and admired these guns since I was probably about 14 . I never thought I would ever own one but sometimes in life things just align for you .

I know most the fellows here are my seniors and I love reading about their stories with their Parkers , but I was wondering when did y'all get your first Parker ? did you grow up shooting doubles or did you get interested in them later ? Here locally I know of no one who owns or hunts with a sxs . How I came to learn about Parker was by chance when I was 14 my neighbor who is the coach for the local 4H shotgun team , was talking to my Dad about he was either reading or watching ( I cant recall which) a thing about in England how they hunted with 10 and 8 gauges . I had never heard of such large shotguns before so I started reading up on 8 gauges . And the name that came up the most was Parker Brothers and thats how I discovered them .

That's amazing. I only have a 28 reproduction and I'm 55 now. Time has flown. I remember being a teen reading all about them and Fox and how I wanted one so badly. I remember lusting after Browning Superposed. I remember passing up many of those (and A5's) thinking "But they're so much money.." Now look at prices of some of these. Congrats and good job. I wonder sometimes, not having a ton of knowledge, where folks get their values on their guns. I keep seeing gun listed and re listed over and over without a single bid but they insist it's worth the money. Now with kids going to college I'm not likely buying a bunch of $10,000 guns. Buy 'em while you can afford them!!!

My first Parker was a 12 ga Trojan in good condition but I couldn't het the broadside of the barn with it that fall I interned with the DNR and a Conservation Officer wanted to buy it and offered me $400 which back in 74 was a lot of money especially to a kid in college! I grabbed the cash and went back to shooting my Model 37 Ithica. My next Parker was ten years later a DHE 12 and it was downhill from there..................:rotf::rotf:

The spring of 2014 at 63 years my Parker Mentor, who is a Life Member here Mr. David Dwyer, had a VH 12ga. shipped from California for another gentleman. Upon arrival this gentleman abruptly did not want the gun. I then scraped together the funds needed and purchased the VH. It is a 1901 era 12ga. 30 inch Vulcan steel. Eight months later my Mentor said that I needed a hammer gun. Another Parker from California came my way. It is a Grade 1 12ga. 32" Laminated Steel. I haven't shot a modern shotgun since.

I started with a 12 gauge Trojan when I was about 13. It belonged to my buddy's deceased grandfather and we discovered it in his cellar in it's original canvas case with the leather trim and handles. I really took a shine to that gun and my buddy's Dad let me keep it at my house for a few years. My next and first Parker - one that I really bought - is a beautiful 1899 DH 12/30 Titanic that I still have. I bought that one in about 1998, when I was 50, after I read Ed Muderlak's book "Parker Shotgun, the Old Reliable" and I fell in love all over again - and like Eric said - it's all been downhill since then.

And when I was about 54 I bought an 0-frame GHE 16 gauge with Damascus barrels - the first Parker I took a grouse with - What a proud moment that was!

.

My first old double was the C G Bonehill 10 ga , I picked it up for about $600 theres a identical one to it thats been on GB for years priced at $2500 . I have found that usually you will find better deals on the for sale forum here compared to what you will see on the gun sites . I never thought I would end up with this particular Parker , it seemed like a long shot of ever owning such a sxs .

This will also be my first hammerless sxs .

I have two good friends thats in their 50s and 60s , I told them I never will probably spend this much again . They said 27 years old is too young to be saying you wont ever do something again :rotf:

I plan on never selling this Parker because its not even about the money but that even if I could spend that on another one I couldnt find one like this .

I could see buying some more Parkers in the future to keep mine company haha . My favorite are probably the PH grades with twist barrels .




Something I found interesting when I was digging for information on the Parker I bought is the original owner was 27 when he got it , now 117 years later I bought it at the same age he was .

So Milton what did you buy may I ask ? I bought my first at 45 years old now 55 years old it was a CH 12 and have a few more now !

I hunted ducks with my Uncle Bill at 16 in the late 60's, he was a double gun guy but AH Fox was his preference. Uncle Bill owned a gun shop and a boat dealership. Establishing my career and family completely absorbed my time and money in my 20's, 30's and 40's. I hunted with a Winchester 101 20ga and a Winchester 23 12ga. My job took me to Philadelphia for 6 years and spending dollars on guns was not in the budget but I did collect a few vintage decoys. By the time I hit 50 I had the discretionary income the result of two business transactions that allowed me to retire and enjoy life. So I'm 70 and have been retired for 20 years and have a bunch of Parkers, Foxes and Elsies, hunt ducks like a maniac, and travel the world hunting. I was about 60 when I purchased my first Parker a CHE Bernard for $2200. at a local auction, sold it to a PGCA member. Life has been good but not without it's gut punches.

Well I was going to wait to tell when I go to pick it up , but its a #6 frame 10 gauge . Its hard to contain my excitement about it .