Del Grego Refinished Guns

[charlie cleveland]

i do not have one of their guns in my collection but ive looked at lots of them on the site here from what ive seen i would not mind having one in my little collection of parkers...charlie

[BRDHNTR]

About 8 years or more ago I had DG restore my grandfathers 16 ga VH. New wood, re-case etc. A total restoration. After receiving it back from DG and shooting it, I noticed some gray substance oozing out between the frame and buttstock. Also, base plate screws weren't timed and hadn't been replaced as the original one's were buggered up. Also base plate was not flush seated in the frame. Sent the gun back to DG. Gun came back with base plate flush, new timed screws but the heads of the screws had a copper luster to them. Called DG and was told to rub them with an eraser. Go figure. Checkering is good on buttstock but border is not period correct for this 1924 Parker. Gray matter still oozes a bit. Colors on base plate have worn off with very little use. I use Brad Bachelder now and very satisfied.

[Mills]

My favorite Parker is an older Del Grego refurb and it was well done. It is obviously Del Grego and obviously not factory original, but it doesn't bother me

[Kevin McCormack]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

What are the comments on Del Grego refinished guns in minty condition? I am not asking about values, I am just asking about whether you like them and whether you would like to have one in your collection.

First, let me say that I have read through this entire thread and I would like to personally thank each poster for spelling the Del Grego's name CORRECTLY!!! One thing that drives me crazy is seeing it spelled, 'del Greco', ;Delgrekko', 'El Grego', 'El Greco' (wasn't he a painter?).

As to the question of 99% plus Del Grego restored condition, Larry Sr. restored (including restocking) my very first Parker, the legendary #190737. The colors were wrong for the period (cyanide in 1921?), the beavertail likewise, etc., cut barrels and so on. If I had a chance to buy it back today I would, as it was my very first.

[Dean Romig]

The Del Grego - Runge high-grade upgrades, especially the .410s and 28 gauge guns are highly collectible and represent what would have been done in the last years of Remington's production of such guns.... because they were done by two of the last original Remington craftsmen... they can almost be called "original" Parkers for that very reason. To the eye, they are every bit as wonderful as the guns they were made to represent. I know of a Del Grego/Runge .410 BHE upgrade that will be coming to the auction market soon and it will garner some serious bidding!






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[Mills]

I agree Dean. There was a Del Grego - Runge GH 28 gauge upgrade on here a few months ago that falls under "ones that got away"

That would make a great Parker Pages article. I would do it if I had access to the info.

[Dean Romig]

I think that would make a great technical article. Best idea would be to team up with Bill Murphy and Kevin McCormack and maybe others to make it a comprehensive colloquium on the subject... but I would prefer to limit it to "B" and above grades.





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[Pa SxS]

" Best idea would be to team up with Bill Murphy and Kevin McCormack and maybe others to make it a comprehensive colloquium on the subject"

Dean did you graduate from Have Ard?

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Chuck Bishop

Dean did you graduate from Have Ard?

Duh... Nope






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[Fishtail]

I'm not looking to start an argument...but any 'upgrade' IMO is affixed with two stigmas. (stigmae?)

1) You had to 'consume' an original gun of some other grade to make it. In a few cases, like the beautiful C that Brian Dudley made, that's no issue. But when you are consuming any .410 of any grade, that's not so cool.

2) We're faced with the same old issue that it's a gun that has been 'touched', and heavily so, by non-Parker hands. If a person is not on the time clock at Parker when it was done, it's not Parker work.

That's my .02....

Here's a question that interests me - are there any documented examples of Parker having 'upgraded' a gun? I'm gonna narrow this to the specific instance of taking a gun which had been already sold and used and sending it back out as a higher grade, at the request of a customer. My guess is no but I'd like to hear any examples.