Paul Jaeger - Parker Custom GH

[Dan Yaeger]

I have a unusual Parker - Paul Jaeger Custom 12 Ga.
It's a GH Circa 1919. Paul Jaeger - Jenkintown PA on barrels.
Barrels are 28" - Underside marked Siemans Martin Steel with correct serial numbers. Serial #185053 on All parts. I am trying to value this for a customer.
edit by John D. - see below ;)

[John Dunkle]

Hi Dan.!

Welcome to the PGCA Forum - glad to see you made it.! As well..

I edited "slightly" your post above, as only PGCA Members can sell, offer to sell or solicit "maybe I'll sell it someday" on the Forum.. ;)

Again - welcome aboard!

:cheers:

As to your question as well.. Pictures would be excellent in trying to determine "value" for your customer.. So - if you have any difficulties posting some - just let me know, OK? (you do have my e-mail address already)...

My Best,

John D.

[Brian Dudley]

Photos of the gun will help greatly. Would be interested in seeing photos of the markings on the barrels that you mention.

[Dan Yaeger]

Photos of the gun will help greatly. Would be interested in seeing photos of the markings on the barrels that you mention.

Hello - How do I load pictures ? I will gladly do so. Thanks ! Dan....

[John Dallas]

Look in The "FAQ" at the top of the page. This should help you get going:
http://parkerguns.org/forums/faq.php?faq=vb3_reading_posting#faq_vb3_attachment s

[Brian Dudley]

Very easy. Just like attaching photos to an email. Check out the FAQ

[Russ Jackson]

Can't wait to get a look !:corn:

[Dan Yaeger]

Here are the pics ! Dan...

[wayne goerres]

Your gun has belgium proof marks on it. What ever work was done on it was probable done over seas.

[Brian Dudley]

Those are aftermarket barrels. With Belgian Proofs.

[ed good]

very interesting...have seen similar guns with barrels by armaf.

[Dan Yaeger]

Those are aftermarket barrels. With Belgian Proofs.

The barrels were replace by Paul Jaeger. They sent the gun to Belgium.
The barrels were replaced and proofed by the Masquelier company.
Does this gun have collector interest ?
Dan.....

[Brian Dudley]

There is really no collector interest or value in this gun due to replacement barrels. It wouldbe considered a shooter.
It is an attractive gun however in good, sound condition.

[Dan Yaeger]

The gun is a Parker
Was re-barreled by Paul Jaeger. Master gunsmith.
Very unique ? One of a kind.
No collector interest ? No value ?
Thanks for the reply !

[Bruce Day]

Mr. Yaeger, Brian Dudley gave you a very good answer. Let me give a hypothetical. Suppose it was a Winchester Hi Wall sent off to Belgium to have a Belgium barrel installed. Would the Winchester collectors be interested in that? Or a Colt SAA sent off to Italy for a Uberti barrel? Or a Mod 12 with a Hastings barrel?

Its not unique, its not one of a kind. It is a lower grade and common Parker sent off to Belgium to be rebarreled. Over 22,000 GH's were made . We see a lot of Belgium re-barreled Parkers. There was a business in that for those who believed their Damascus barrels to be dangerous or who blew up their original barrels. I don't know who Paul Jaeger was or is. Its not clear what work Paul Jaeger did, he either sent the gun off to Belgium or he might have fit the Belgium barrels to the gun. The proof marks indicate to me that the Belgiums did the work. The barrel ribs are incorrect. The barrel/breech jointing is not as precise as original Parker G's. He may have been a master gunsmith, a term we hear a lot and take with a grain of salt. He may have been known in the area where he worked. I'm sure a regular here knew him well and was a friend. The gun may be of interest to him.

There is some value to the gun. Put it on a gun auction site without reserve for a couple weeks or a month, and the market will set the value. This gun will not be according to Blue Book values because those are based on original condition or at least unaltered/unmodified guns. The gun is what it is. To give you an idea of what it would have been worth , we see nice condition original GH or GHE 12's with Damascus or fluid steel selling for $3500 to $5000.

As Brian told you, this might make somebody a useful shooting gun.

Good luck and thank you for your interest in Parker collecting.

[Dan Yaeger]

Thanks for the reply!

Paul Jaeger was a well known gunsmith.
Check out his story at the German Gun Collectors Association website.
It may not be of much interest to a Parker Collector, But Paul Jaeger collectors might have some interest. I have been in contact with Dietrich Apel from the GGCA. He thought is was interesting enough to include it in his writings about Paul Jaeger.
Thanks again ! Dan

[Robert Delk]

Paul Jaeger was Dietrich Apel's uncle.

[Dan Yaeger]

Yup ! Dietrich has forgot more about guns than most will ever know.

[ed good]

dan: you have a fine gun there. a combination of the American and Belgian gun makers art. the skill to make barrels from scratch to fit another makers gun is perhaps a lost art. the name of paul jaeger on any gun is an enhancement. maybe others here do not appreciate that, but I certainly do.

[David Harnitchek]

I just found a GHE 12 Gauge for sale at Cabelas in Hamburg, PA with replacement barrels made in Belgium. No photos on their website yet. They've got it priced at $1699.99.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Gun-Library/Hamburg-Gun-Library|/pc/103792680/c/105937380/Parker-Bros-Grade-2-GHE-12-Ga-Game-Gun/1876100.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fhamb urg-gun-library%2F_%2FN-1103652%2FNo-120%3FWTz_st%3DGuidedNav%26WTz_stype%3DGNP%26recor dsPerPage%3D40

[Bruce Day]

That is likely a reasonable market value for a G with Belgium replacement barrels, however, our gun dealer member Ed appears to be interested at an enhanced price. Ed is allied with a gunsmith and has enhanced many guns for re-sale.

Good luck with a sale.

[Brian Dudley]

And that sounds like a top retail price for such a gun.

[William Davis]

If you would like example from a buyer

I bought a nicely restored # 1 frame Damascus GH from a individual at the Southern. Letters as unaltered except for refinished barrel & stock. $ 1850. Will shoot it am not a collector. Dealer no doubt would have asked more.

Would not have been interested in any re-barreled or cleaned out barrel gun as a shooter, unless I knew the gun and shop very well. I am very cautious when it comes to guns that have been worked on. Letter from a known Parker Gunsmith fine, general Shotgun shop, not for me.

Somebody else may have a different opinion.

Bill

[Brian Dudley]

I personally believe that a gun with a good high quality sleeve job is worth more to most buyers than one with an aftermarket barrel. At least with a sleeve job, the original ribs are used and rib extension fit is good as well. And a quality job is very hard to detect.

But as we all know, even a sleeved gun is not worth anywhere near what an original gun is.

[William Davis]

Brian I saw a sleeved long barrel hammer gun with good stock dimensions, done by a well known shop a few weeks ago, I would have loved to own it as a shooter, not for sale however. Considering how hard it is to find a nice hammer gun with long barrels and a stock you could shoot nothing would have held me back from buying, & paying more than a comparable collector grade Hammer Parker.

That’s just me.

Bill

[Brian Dudley]

Mr. Davis,

I agree with you 100% in that this gun, like you hammer gun you mention is in the category of being worth what the buyer is willing to spend. It is 100% determined by the market and the potential buyer. Not by any collector or book/condition standard.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Better contact Ed on this one, sounds like he's a buyer at a big figure. There was a similar GH with aftermarket tubes at our local Cabelas a couple years ago for $1200 and it sat a long time.


Destry

[Bill Murphy]

The fit and finish, identified barrel steel, and maker provenance puts this gun a few steps above an Armaf rebarrel. From examining many photographs of guns with mysterious shadows, I suspect that the doll's head fit may be better than it appears in the picture of this GH.

[Robert Delk]

I heard of a high grade Parker with a rebarrel,or maybe it was an extra set, done by one of the high end English firms many years ago. Anyone have any info on that gun?

[Bill Murphy]

Robert, such guns are numerous but not often seen on the collector market.

[Robert Delk]

Yeah, I imagine anyone with the money to spend on a high end set of new barrels isn't someone likely to need or want to sell the gun.

[dwight pugh]

i have a CH with two sets of replacement barrels from Italy. made in 1964
had a set of 20ga Brileys made for one & have 2 gauge CH. i like them a lot..
still looking for the original Damascus ones.