SN research - 28 gauge bh with ejectors (BHE)

[willardshepherd]

Can anyone lend some expert advice? SN 239665 - that places it somewhere around 1935-1936. I'm a little confused because I understand the sale to Remington but it looks like Parker still manufactured for a few more years. Acme steel. I need to confirm the barrel length. I've also read about manufacturer upgrades and .410 model on 28 bodies. Any assistance is appreciated. I can post pics if requested. Think i have a gem here but looking to this wonderful audience for guidance.

Thank you,


(I added a couple pics; and yes i know tile is not the ideal background. It was handled with the utmost care.)
Bill

[Brian Dudley]

your gun, 239665 left the Parker factory as a DHE 12g. with Single Trigger, 30" Barrels and a capped pistol grip.
Looks to me like your gun has in fact been upgraded.

Some additional photos of the gun and information will help shed some light on what was done to the gun. Post photos of the barrel flats so we can see markings as well as frame size. Also the water table.

It must have been a very small framed 12g. originally to be built into a 28g. And the barrels do not LOOK sleeved from the one photo.

It does not have the screaming looks of an upgrade. The only thing that looks off is that the BTFE is quite a bit shorter than it should be.

[Bill Murphy]

Yup, more pictures and a confirmation on the serial number. I know what your serial number is, but you should post it.

[Steve Huffman]

Willard,
Are you sure of that serial number ?

[Patrick Lien]

Can anyone lend some expert advice? SN 239665 - that places it somewhere around 1935-1936. I'm a little confused because I understand the sale to Remington but it looks like Parker still manufactured for a few more years. Acme steel. I need to confirm the barrel length. I've also read about manufacturer upgrades and .410 model on 28 bodies. Any assistance is appreciated. I can post pics if requested. Think i have a gem here but looking to this wonderful audience for guidance.

Thank you,


(I added a couple pics; and yes i know tile is not the ideal background. It was handled with the utmost care.)
Bill

Bill,
The serial # on the barrels in your picture is 239065. This serial # is for a BHE 28 gauge with 28" barrels and a single trigger. I don' t know if the beavertail forend wood is legit but the rest look correct. NICE GUN!!

Patrick.

[Bill Murphy]

Yup, a very nice gun. The forend carving is identical to my AHE Trap, so I expect that the beavertail forend on this gun is original. A PGCA letter may prove all features to be original.

[Dave Suponski]

The forend may look small in relation to the long barrels. Great gun.

[Dean Romig]

Yes Mr. Shepherd, you do indeed have a "gem" there. More appropriately though, you have a very valuable Parker shotgun.

We would like very much to see a lot more pictures of that wonderful Parker.

Thanks for posting here and giving us a real treat!!

[willardshepherd]

thank you for all your responses. Yes, i did post the incorrect sn. Correct number is 239065, 28" barrel acme, 00 frame, all original (never restored or turned) besides recoil pad (of the era) and small plaque (from my great grandmother to great grandfather). Barrel never modified or cut. Bluing still apparent, overall condition very good. I'm posting several pics - please any feedback is welcome. I'd be interested in learning if this could truly be (1) of (13) Parker 28 gauge BHE. Also, opinions on value; i understand the bluebook but hows the market and level of interest on a gun such as this? Again, thank you all for your comments. I'm going to move forward on certification letter.

[edgarspencer]

Yes Mr. Shepherd, you do indeed have a "gem" there. More appropriately though, you have a very valuable Parker shotgun.!!

Dean Romig, Master of understatement.

"Apart from that, Mrs. Lincoln, How was the play?"

Just a few days ago, Mario walks in with his beater 12ga., now, Mr. Shepherd drops by with his Grandfather's pea shooter. What's next? :banghead:

[Dean Romig]

Mr. Shepherd,

Your family heirloom has all the hallmarks of an original small-bore, high grade Parker shotgun. Make no mistake... it is original. For guns like yours there is always a great deal of interest and the market will always be very strong. It is a very valuable gun and like all 'works of art' it should be insured against theft and loss at a high auction estimate.
Being a family heirloom, my guess is that you have no intent to sell it but if that thought ever crosses your mind you should consign it to a highly respected auction house to realize its full $$ potential.

[greg conomos]

It's a sweet little gun, for sure, but I think it was Mr. Murphy who once posted something along the lines of "there are B grades and then there are B grades....."

[David Dwyer]

I completely agree with Dean, which I usually do. That is a fantastic Parker and very valuable. I would not dare guess at the value without actually inspecting the gun but north of $75,000. I am not a big fan of selling a gun like that at an auction but many are. I have seen too many great guns sell at auction for much less that they are worth. I would offer it up for private sale if it was mine. I like to control where a gun that special goes as well as get a fair price. If you were to bring that gun to this years Spring SXS at Sanford you would be able to present it to the top Parker collectors ever gathered thanks to the Parker Foundation.
David

[John Davis]

The only way I'd ever part with that gun was if one of my daughters needed an operation and I couldn't afford it otherwise. The wife, on the other hand, would be out of luck.

[Brian Dudley]

Thank you for clarifying the serial number. I could not clearly make out the number from the barrels in the photo. I did have a hard time believing it was an upgrade.

What is the LOP on that buttstock? It looks long. But that might be due to how small the frame is.
What a great gun!
Werent people looking for good examples of Runge engraving?

[Dean Romig]

I agree with Bill Murphy that the forend is completely original. Like Bill, I had an AHE .410 forend checkered almost exactly like yours including those stylized flourishes and embellishments. However.... we should see an options code of 13 on this gun instead of the 5 shown in the ID & Ser book. A PGCA Research Letter on your gun should tell all.

[Dean Romig]

Werent people looking for good examples of Runge engraving?

Right Brian - that may very well have been engraved by Robert Runge. It has all the earmarks that we associate with his work.

[Bill Murphy]

I agree with Mr. C Grade on the assessment of value. If you would post pictures of the front of the forend and the bottom of the barrels between the forend lug and the breech, we could give you a bit more information. Join the PGCA and your letter will be cheaper and you will have access to more information as well as the real names of the posters on the website. You have a wonderful gun. Can we also have a good picture of the inscription of your Grandparents?

[Jeff Bonadurer]

Willard,

A stunning Parker for sure. Congrats ! In the last photo, it makes the tape measure look so big ! :) Thanks for sharing.


Kind regards,

Jeff

[willardshepherd]

very simple engraved plate - gift from my great grandmother (HLS) to her husband (WLS), dated 1936. Also including picture of forend loop - seems to be reinforced. Was hoping to locate engraver signature to confirm Runge's work. Any suggestions where i might look; no luck thus far - looking for RPR or other telltale signs.

32544

32545

[Dean Romig]

Mr. Shepherd, I don't think you'll find Runge's mark on your gun. I don't believe we've seen such a 'signature' on any guns other than those he upgraded while working on them with DelGrego.

[Bill Murphy]

Robert Runge was known to have signed Remington shotguns. We may see his signature on some very late Parkers also.

[willardshepherd]

Thank you for the replies. Another correction - thread title should read BH with ejector / not extractor. This is a true BHE

[John Dunkle]

Thank you for the replies. Another correction - thread title should read BH with ejector / not extractor. ...Consider it done..

Stunning...

John

[Steve Huffman]

Would the bottom of this frame be marked Parker if not when did Remington start that ? I cant see if it is in any of the pictures and to lazzzzzzzzzzy to look it up !

Thanks

[Dean Romig]

There is no Parker Bros engraved on the sides of the frame and I can't make out if the bottom of the frame is engraved Parker. If both are absent the gun falls in the "transition" period of Parker manufacture under Remington ownership. 239065 was made in 1936 - well after Parker Bros. 1934 sale of the Parker Gun Works to Remington Arms Co.

[David Noble]

Mr. Shepherd, if you can post a better close-up of the bottom plate engraving perhaps we can spot an engravers initials.