Babe Ruth's Parker? - Page 3

CSL · 12-22-2009, 11:18 PM

Anyone can tell a good gun story, but backing it up is an entirely different "ball-game" - Pun intended... Over the past few years I've read many claims of guns and photos of said guns attributed to the "Sultan of Swat", but to date all photos I've examined have fallen far short of the center field fence... Holding a double barrel shotgun in a "raccoon skin coat" is by No means 100% confirmation of anything. I want to see a well defined Parker hinge pin, a dolls head, forend hardware, or "G" grade engraving in a photo before I accept the fact that "maybe" it "might" be George H. Ruth's Parker... A couple years ago someone was selling an L.C. Smith Specialty grade said to have belonged to Babe Ruth backed-up by a photo they claimed showed Ruth holding the same long barreled Smith after a hunt, however the story quickly lost credibility when the photo was closely examined by those in the know.

When someone claims they are selling a gun of significant historical provenance along with a photo of a famous person holding the same gun, I would strongly encourage buyers to examine every possible detail of the photo, and if not sure, ask for help before you write the check based on a hopeful guess and a sellers well rehearsed promise... I'm still waiting to see a Russian staff officer, or any Russian in a photo with the Czar's Parker...

Best, CSL
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Dean Romig · 12-22-2009, 10:06 PM

Bruce, is the D hammer 20 bore the same one with the silver half-moon on the grip knob?

. . . No, that was a sixteen, wasn't it?

Kevin McCormack · 12-22-2009, 10:28 PM

Like a lot of other "Famously Owned Parkers", it was but an interesting aside to its original owner. They didn't coddle and preserve it for future collecting value for guys like us, who dwell on either its art form or mechanical sophistication and durability. For many former original owners, they took as good a care of it as they did their Model 12 Winchesters, Remington Model 32s, and/or their A.H. Fox model BEs. E.G., "A a gun is a gun is a gun." Little did they know we would be waiting in the wings to deify their former ownerships, nor much care where they went or who wound up with them. We are very lucky to have salvaged what we've found over the years. Consider the original (but "rode hard and put away wet") condition of the great Max Fleischmann A-1 Special 20 ga. 2-bbl. set before "restoration." Had to be one of the greatest and hardest hunted Parkers of all time. To this day I remain thankful that I saw it in all its glory prior to being put in "new gun condition."

Brush Buster · 12-22-2009, 10:56 PM

Probably a foolish question ,but don't you suppose this day and age we live in ,there could very well be a " DNA " test that could be done on the wooden parts to see if there is any of the Babes DNA on the gun ?Just thinking out of the box here ?

Dean Romig · 12-22-2009, 11:11 PM

I once bought a sixteen gauge top-action 0-frame hammer gun from him. It was not as he described it and I told him so. We discussed all of this in a short phone conversation, we arrived at an agreeable price and I didn't send the gun back to him.

12-25-2009, 05:29 PM

[QUOTE=Dean Romig;9631]I once bought a sixteen gauge top-action 0-frame hammer gun from him. It was not as he described it and I told him so. We discussed all of this in a short phone conversation, we arrived at an agreeable price and I didn't send the gun back to him. Huum, Deano- maybe he doesn't answer snail mail, as back then I didn't have my daughter's Dell-gizmo as I do now. But just for funzies, as I agree with Bro. Sheldon here, I wouldn't pay $50 let alone $500 for that documented GH, unless I knew it came with a LOM case and had a 1924 Honus Wagner card stashed inside in collector's condition-- I e-mailed him from the GA site and asked some questions- serial number on the inside back of the guard bow matching the rest of the gun, etc- also provenance- we'll see what (if anything) he replies-Glad you were able to deal with him and came out ok- I prefer to buy from private parties and not dealers whenever I can and have the cash..

Forrest Smith · 12-23-2009, 12:04 AM

http://www.sportingcollectibles.net/fs-blk-wht.htm

Scroll down toward the bottom of the pictures, and alas there is the Babe with a Parker (with some noise about the stock in the same area as that advertised). There are quite a few photos out there of the sultan of the swat with a Parker of some kind.

I don't have a dog in this fight-but would not a PGCA Letter reveal a reference to an order with a trigger gaurd notation?

Ed Blake · 12-24-2009, 04:30 PM

Heck with the Bambino's Parker, I'm waiting for Plaxico Burriss' Glock.

Brian Dillard · 12-24-2009, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Blake

Heck with the Bambino's Parker, I'm waiting for Plaxico Burriss' Glock.

I almost wet myself...Ed, that's funny!

Chris T. · 12-24-2009, 07:02 PM

I spoke to this guy last year about a DH that was supposed to be in about 90% condition. He wouldn't send me any pictures, he told me I wouldn't be disappointed and if I didn't like to sent it back. I figured if he couldn't be bothered with the pictures I would never get my money back. The deal seemed too good to be true, so... I let it go and hoped it wasn't.