Grade 2 valuation?

[Wild Skies]

An aquaintance owns this 12-ga. Parker Bros. Grade 2 hammergun with 30" damascus barrels that is looking for an approximate value of what it's worth. I told him I'd ask the experts.

All S/N's match. The barrels are in great shape, no dents or pitting, good bores. Some color remains on the frame. Notice the small chunk of metal missing on the backside of the toplever (how did that ever happen?) and engraving missing on the side of the left hammer. The stock checkering is in good condition, but the forend checkering is quite worn. The butt stock is a couple of shades darker than the forend, measures 1 1/2" x 2 3/8" x 14 3/8" to a DHBP, there is no initial shield. In your opinion is this this a refinished or replacement stock? (I wasn't able to pull the trigger guard.)

What's your educated guess of what it's worth? NOTE: If you feel uncomfortable posting a guesstimate on a public forum a PM would work just as well!

TIA,
Greg

[charlie cleveland]

it looks like a nice gun i would guess its value at 1800 to 2200...charlie

[Wild Skies]

Thank you Charlie.

How about the stock, do you or anyone else have an opinion on whether it is original refinished or a replacement?

[Autumn Daze]

Greg,IMHO that stock is a fairly nicely done replacement. The nose of the comb is not correct for that gun for one thing.

[Pa SxS]

I agree that the butt stock is a replacement but very nicely done, can't tell with the forend but if it has a mullard border, it's probably original. Value wise, I'd put it at $1500, just because of the replacement stock and what looks like a replacement hammer of Parker origin.

[Bill Murphy]

Maybe someone ground the hammer so the gun would open with the right hammer cocked. I would have bent it, but the "chunk" works just as well.

[Wild Skies]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

Maybe someone ground the hammer so the gun would open with the right hammer cocked. I would have bent it, but the "chunk" works just as well.

Good in theory Bill, but this is a fishtail toplever. This particular gun can be opened and closed with the right hammer cocked without the toplever touching the hammer.

[Mills]

The good news about the replaced stock is that you don't have to worry about the oil-soaked, cracked or worse stocks you usually find on these old hammer guns.

[B. Dudley]

Buttstock surely looks like a replacement. Checkering pattern is not correct either on the wrist. And it looks like it lacks borders. But hard to tell. And the hammers are mismatched. The right one looks correct, left one is a bit odd for a Parker.
It looks like the gun has attractive engraving, which is not always seen on grade 2 guns. And it appears to have a good amount of color remaining.

[Wild Skies]

Originally Posted by Brian Dudley

. . . And the hammers are mismatched. The right one looks correct, left one is a bit odd for a Parker.

Other than the left hammer lacking the engraving, what is "odd for a Parker" about it? It appears to be a mirror image of the right hammer save for the engraving.