Depression Era Trojan

[Angel Cruz Ortiz]

I got it off gunbroker, it slipped under the radar. The price was the best part.

[MrBojangles]

Originally Posted by Angel Cruz

I got it off gunbroker, it slipped under the radar. The price was the best part.

Don’t leave me hanging. What did you get it for, especially considering bargains on Gunbroker are very few and far between.

[winplumber]

There is another listed on GI today that looks very nice, nice gun you have.

[Angel Cruz Ortiz]

Ian, if I post the price it would mess up the Trojan market. Let’s just say it was the starting bid and I was the only one.

[Alfred Greeson]

Nice move on keeping the price quiet, Trojans can be a bargain when you consider the Parker quality they represent, in my opinion.

[stumpstalker]

Angel:

Of the four Parker guns my father owned, a Trojan 12; VH 12; DHE 12, and VH 16, it was the Trojan 12 that he liked and shot best.

I have the gun today, a #2-frame, with 30-inch barrels; manufactured maybe a year before yours, with serial number 230608.

As for condition, it is on the opposite end of the spectrum from yours, having spent many years before my father acquired it knocking around in the cab of a local farmer’s pickup. He sold it to my father when his son-in-law came back from being stationed Europe in the 1950s bearing a Germanic O/U for his father-in-law.

Sometime later, the farmer intimated that he would like to have his old gun, the Trojan, back, making it clear that he did not like the new gun.
My father was sympathetic, but nevertheless said, “Sorry”.

[ArtS]

Originally Posted by Angel Cruz

Ian, if I post the price it would mess up the Trojan market. Let’s just say it was the starting bid and I was the only one.

I'm not sure the Trojan market could be depressed much more.
I bought a Trojan on GB in the last month. I didn't have a 20 gauge Parker so decided to try to get a Trojan cheap (had no Trojans either, so 2 for 1).

I bought one from LS&B that looked really nice. I won after 20 bids were placed . Finish and wood were great. Only negatives were a period recoil pad and, for some reason, someone had blued the action. Bores and mechanics were perfect. I believe I paid reasonable amount at $1180, considering the negatives.

I looked through the completed auctions for November and December and found that 10 of the 28 Trojans listed were sold. Of those sold, there were 6 12 ga, 2 16 ga, and 2 20 ga. The 12's went for $305-755, the 16's from $1054-1250 and the 20's from $1030-1180.

These guns didn't go unnoticed to any extent.Many were nice useable guns in good condition. One gun had one bid, one gun had 2 bids and one had 3. They were rough. The rest had between 9 and 28 bids.

For some reason the Trojans just get no respect. They bring less than the price of a cheap Eastern European double. The VH which was also made in large numbers and a was a base level "real" Parker seems to be ravenously sought after at, IMHO, inflated prices. You see a lot of people wanting to get a useable solid Parker at a price they can afford to use. I can't imagine they don't all buy Trojans in today's market.

[Alfred Greeson]

Good research, just confirms my thoughts that the Trojan is a good buy. You see them used and abused but still tight on face with shiny clean barrels and unreal to be able to find a 20 gauge Parker for that kind of money. Like I mentioned before, one of my twenties has put no telling how much meat on the table and still tight as new.

[BRDHNTR]

Of all the Parkers I own and shoot, my 20 ga Trojan that Brad Bachelder restored for me is my favorite. I'd buy another small ga Trojan

[Alfred Greeson]

Someone mentioned why the Parker 12 isn't more popular or costly. Like many makers, everyone had 12 gauge guns so they are very common and you could go in any local store and find 12 gauge shells but sometimes 20 and rarely 16 shells. Many people could afford a 12 gauge but did not have funds or need for other gauge guns when an old 12 would do anything a farmer, shopkeeper or hunter wanted, often taking deer or bear with buckshot out of a 12. But, they are still as good as always, just much more common.