How Many?

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

I have often wondered how many Parker shotguns have come to light, by this I mean all known guns of all types made by Charles Parker shot guns only! I know this is crazy but do you guys think maybe half? Opinions please, Gary

[Dean Romig]

Somebody should have been recording the serial numbers as these guns came to light.

I know I haven't. It would be interesting to know for certain but I don't think we ever will.

[David Dwyer]

It would be interesting to know how many different guns letters have been written for.
David

[Chuck Bishop]

David,

There are 4380 letters in our archive. There are some that had multiple letters on the same gun due to change of ownership. There were probably letters done prior to the the letters being saved in the archive.

[will evans]

That's a pretty tiny percentage. I've wondered how many old guns were melted after being turned in during the war drive. People gave their old pots, pans, tools, and anything else made of metal they were no longer using. Any gun with a broken stock would have been a good candidate for reclamation by the metal yards.

[Dean Romig]

Or those dangerous Damascus or Twist barrels. :eek:

[wayne goerres]

They still make good canteens. Ha. (I wood use a smiley face but I haven't figured out how they work).

[charlie cleveland]

are we talking about the really early guns made for charles parker by another company..charlie

[Mike Franzen]

Maybe not knowing is better. One of the best things about these old guns are the surprises that seem to always turn up. Like that sidelock Bruce posted or some of the guns Gary has found or Charlie's 8 gauge that shouldn't have been here. One things for sure, every year the number of Parker's gets smaller.

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

I was talking with Daryl Middlebrook last evening at dinner about this, he seems to think a lot less than half, Will is right about the war drive, heck Parkers span two world wars. I am probably wrong with half, maybe only ten percent? only 4,000 some odd letters and then some duplicates, I imagine they are still some setting in grandpa,s closet, just waiting to be found! I have a feeling that there is a 16 gauge AA hammer gun hiding somewhere. I guess like Dean says we will never know, but it sure makes for good day dreams! Gary

[Dean Romig]

The thing about research letters isn't really a good indicator of how many Parkers have "come to light". I have requested letters on only about 25% of the Parkers I own. Some people don't have a letter on their only Parker or in the case of multiples of Parkers owned, don't have a letter on any of them.

[chris dawe]

"I have a feeling that there is a 16 gauge AA hammer gun hiding somewhere"

I know where there might be sort of a AA 16 gauge hammer gun,it's not really hiding ...just waiting ,and waiting , and waiting to come together

[Dean Romig]

I'll believe it when I see it.... :corn:

[Philip Peart]

I think the numbers of surviving Parkers might be surprising if we could actually get a true count. I live on Vancouver Island in B.C. and between myself, my gunsmith and a select few other locals we have approx 150 Parkers here on the southern end of VI. Most of those are still shooters! The Old Reliable is a survivor. I know i would let all my pots and pans go LONG before my Parker :)

[edgarspencer]

I think at one point or another, during the operating years, Parker shipped a gun to just about every state and territory. Many one owner Parkers are doubtless still out there. Even though Gramps died, and Dad didn't shoot, plenty of grandchildren hang onto, but rarely remember to look at, their family heirloom.
Now in the stewardship of our esteemed editor, I was the 2nd to own a little 16 gauge lifter. It lived, for over 125 years, about 40 miles down the road from Meriden.
I often find myself daydreaming about them as I drive by old houses, out in the boonies. I wonder how many have been standing in a dark corner and I drive right by, a few hundred feet away.

[Josh Loewensteiner]

I believe that more than half of all Parker shotguns have survived the test of time, and of that number, half have yet to be discovered by the collecting community.

[Bill Zachow]

I personally believe that way more than half of the Parkers produced, still exist. They are not scarce. Almost every gun shop within an hours drive of my home has at least one. Using letters as a gauge for quantity will not provide any meaningfull statistic because so few people are members of the PGCA and know that letters exist. When I was more active in collecting 8 gauges, I kept track of every one I came across. I easily located over 40 (10 percent of total production) in a period before the internet.

Parkers were always considered a high quality gun and, in general, were well taken care of. The people who purchased them knew they cost a lot more than other guns and tended to take rather good care of them. Unless they were lost in a house fire or into the lake on a duck hunt, they would last and last. Considering that there are numerous high quality gunsmiths in the US with loads of new parts (check out Larry DelGrego's bins of hammers, triggers, sears, ejector springs, etc .) and the capability of CNC machining, it is hard to believe that any of these guns will be trashed for lack of parts.

By the way, the approximate 40 8 gauges did not include either one of Charlie's.

[chris dawe]

I'll believe it when I see it.... :corn:

You said a mouthful there Dean.

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

I stop at a lot of Pawn shops and gun shops here in the south and the answer I get with a laugh is "we do not ever see Parker guns"I believe They are not as plentiful in the South as they are in New England, maybe more in coastal areas, Gary

[Dean Romig]

A significant number of Parkers went to Missouri, California, the Upper Midwest and other areas as evidenced by the records in the Order Books.

[Bobby Goins]

I stop at a lot of Pawn shops and gun shops here in the south and the answer I get with a laugh is "we do not ever see Parker guns"I believe They are not as plentiful in the South as they are in New England, maybe more in coastal areas, Gary

I will echo that Gary.
I have only handled 4 or 5 Parker guns here in North Carolina.
One in a gun shop many years ago and the others at a gun show.
Highly anticipating attending the Southern SxS!!!

[Bruce Day]

How well I know. We seldom ever find a Parker out here way beyond New England and the civilized world. When we do, it often takes some bailing wire , nails and glue to make it usuable again.

Eat your hearts out fellows. You are not getting this beauty!

[John Allen]

I think you guys might be surprised at how many have survived.Parkers have always been prized possessions.As such,a lot more of them got passed down than you think.Your grandfather might have donated an old single barrel to the war effort,but not his Parker.Having been in the business for some time,I have seen several thousand Parkers.I am sure that at least 70% of the guns produced are still out there in some form or other.I know of 2 private collectors who have 1000 guns between them.

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Wow, And I thought I had Parkeritis bad !, Gary

[wayne goerres]

You have dashed a lot of hopes Bruce. I am sure there are a lot of members anxiously awaiting Your post in the for sale column.

[greg conomos]

Here in Texas, asking 'do you have any Parkers?' will almost always cause a look of panic to cross the clerk's face as he tries to quickly act like he knows what a Parker is. Then, a quick "Nope" and he assumes the attitude that you must be an idiot for not walking in the door looking for some sort of black gun.

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Well, I guess finding a Parker is sort of like Grouse hunting, you sure have to know where to look, Had a call one day years ago, guy said he had a Parker he wanted to sell and ask if I would be interested, turned out to be the Pratt Gun,I guess a blind hog finds an acorn once in a while, Gary

[Dean Romig]

And jump while the iron's hot! He who hesitates usually comes up empty-handed... I know, first hand.

Being able to trust good friends and trusting your own instincts too, but experience is everything in this game - yours and your friend's.
I have a lot of friends to thank.

Thank you all!

[David Dwyer]

Gary
So true! As you know I have been searching for a 20 ga lifter for a long time. A good friend called last week and he had meet a man in Vegas who had one.
It should be here next week and with a second steel barrel and walnut case. A blind hog finds an acorn every once in awhile -in my case a lifter 16 and a lifter 20 in one :):):)week!!

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

congrats on that find, photo,s please! gary

[Chuck Bishop]

Anyone know where I can find a VH 12 ga? I've been told they made a few of them. I'll keep searching:p