Provenance- What do you have in your safe?

[Bill Murphy]

My most heavily provenanced Parker is an eight gauge ordered by and owned and shot by a Nebraska homesteader. The family is a microcosm of early American farm and homesteading life. Obviously, the family used the gun extensively for prairie waterfowling. Later in life, when eight gauges were outlawed, they sent the gun back to Parker Brothers for 10 gauge 3 1/2" 34" Vulcan Steel barrels so the gun would still be useful and legal for waterfowl. I have the family history in my files and it is truly the most interesting piece of Parker history I have ever found. The owners are not only waterfowlers, but also appear in early ATA average books as somewhat active trapshooters. Unfortunately, the original eight gauge barrels are not with the gun.