CHE

[Christopher Engel]

Gentlemen:

I'm new here, but come from a family of Parker owners. I have a 20 ga CHE with single select trigger on a 0 size frame, which unfortunately apparently had the barrels chopped to 23" some time more than 50 years ago (when my late father purchased it). The barrel length actually "feels" right for that small frame, strangely enough. I was just curious about your opinion of its possible value. Thank you.

Parker 005.jpgParker 008.jpg

[Dean Romig]

Hi Christopher and Welcome to the PGCA Forum.

It is probably a nice Parker but with the poor quality of the photos an estimate of condition really cannot be made. Try sending a LOT of better quality pictures.

[Christopher Engel]

I know. My kids broke the good digital camera, leaving me the old one which is pretty bad. I'll see what I can do. Other than a "dent" (very old) into the checkering of about 1/8"X1/8" or so, a bit of a brown patina bloom on the receiver, and some unfortunate spots of bluing loss on the barrel from surface rust, the gun appears pretty pristine to my untrained eye. I have done nothing to it since finding it in the back of the closet except take paper towels and Rusty Duck to it. Heartily, but I've used no "abrasives" like steel wool. The gun has been fired less than a box worth in the last half-century. (I recall shooting it as a kid, and it kicks like a mule. My father wasn't even all that fond of it as a shooting piece. I think he purchased it "just because".)

[Dean Romig]

Whatever "Rusty Duck" is - I wouldn't use anything at all on that gun until its condition can be determined.

[Christopher Engel]

Rusty Duck is a basic spray gun oil, like Rem oil or WD40. Rust remover.

[Bruce Day]

Nice good condition original CHE 20ga's have been bringing upwards of $20,000 when they are available. We've posted a number of photos of some recently. The chopped barrel is a significant minus. A correct replacement barrel would be very difficult to find.

[Christopher Engel]

Same garbage camera, but it's nice and sunny today so better lighting.

[ATTACH][ATTACH][ATTACH][ATTACH]Parker 016.jpg[/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH][/ATTACH]

I know the 20 ga CHE is quite uncommon, and in a few days of tooling around the gun sites I've seen none with a single trigger.

[Christopher Engel]

OK. The garbage camera is doing me no good. My apologies, gentlemen. I'll try to hunt down a real camera.

[Christopher Engel]

Yes, I know the gun has significant value. Just by my eye, any defects due to age or poor storage can be corrected by a pro dropping his expertise into it. The wood itself is not particularly highly figured. It's nice wood, but that's about it. My 16 ga V-grade, though, you'd have to pry from my dead fingertips. Man, can that thing shoot. ;-)

[Dean Romig]

Tell us the serial number please. There are a scant few original 20" twenty gauge guns on record.