HELP PARKER SXS 12GA DHE

[BOB EHNISZ]

IM GETTING A DHE SXS 1898 WITH 34'' BARRELS WAS RESTORED BY SIMMONS AND HAS HIS VENTED RIB GUN IS PERFECT DOES RESTO HURT VALUE,IS SIMMONS A REPUTABLE RESTORER WHAT IS A FAIR VALUE YOU CAN EMAIL ME behnisz@sbcglobal.net

[Bruce Day]

The more a Parker departs from exactly the way Parker made it, the lower its value. And most Parker collectors are picky and have an eye for minute detail.

[BOB EHNISZ]

is simmons a good restorer,any idea on value

[Dave Fuller]

I've not heard of Simmons. The name does not come up here with any regularity. The value of your gun depends on what you started with and what kind of job Mr (Ms) Simmons does. There is no way to even put brackets around value without seeing the finished product (photos at the very least). Some poor condition guns have been brought back to life and their values enhanced by well done restoration efforts, but just as frequently, perfectly good guns are reduced in value by poorly done attempts at restoration. Best of luck on your project Bob.

[Harry Collins]

Didn't Simmons make tube sets for skeet guns? I think I remember trying to get a set of inserts for a Damascus barreled Parker from them, but they had gone out of business. I waited some years for Briley to start making tubes before I could get it done.

Harry

[Bruce Day]

Simmons Gun Specialties in Olathe Kansas was known for putting ventilated ribs on Mod 12 Winchesters and for installing gunstocks on same made by Fajen or Bishops of Warsaw, Mo, some of which had thumbholes, high curved combs and were of myrtle, curly maple and quite memorable. They are/were not known by the collector community as Parker shotgun restoration specialists. Simmons closed about 10 years ago. A Simmons ventilated rib on a Parker shotgun will be apparent to Parker collectors, as will a Simmons/Fajen/Bishop replacement stock and or beavertail forend, which Simmons put on by the hundreds. While the value to a purist collector will be low, that does not degrade the functionality of the gun and it may appeal to those who are more interested in shooting than having a representative collector quality gun. Market comparables to such a gun will be available Turkish, Spanish, Browning BSS and other such useful guns.

[Dave Suponski]

Bruce ..Simmonds closed ten years ago? Geez I hope not. A close friend has a 20 gauge Model 12 out there as we speak.

[Bruce Day]

Looks like you are correct. They did close their big office and had a sale of machinery and parts, including about 50 Parker rib tops that had been taken off and vent ribs installed.

[Larry Frey]

Bob,
The reply below was from Austin Hogan and I believe was meant to be posted here.



Simmons was well known for the quality of its work, and many championships, both skeet and trap were won with guns with Simmons ribs.
Collectors are a fickle lot and one should never equate collector interest with collector value. Collector interest can vanish very quickly as asking price increases.
There does not seem to be current collector interest in Parkers with ribs installed after delivery to the initial customer, by Simmons or other reputable firms. There is good collector interest in 34 inch barreled guns. Examining the production records indicates very few 34 inch barrels were sold with ventilated ribs.
Does or will the 34 inch barrel length trump the after market rib installer? We will only know when we count the number of bidders ( or buyers ) standing when one is offered.

Best, Austin

[Francis Morin]

They have no erasers- so the users aren't allowed any errors--

Thanks for the re-correction Col. Day. A segue into "Other Doubles" will verify Simmons existence. You are right on target, Sir- with the details of their work and ribs for Winchester Model 12's. The late Ernie Simmons may also have lead John Olin into altering the M21 for the .410 bore, and that lead to the later 'flat sided" Custom M21 series.

A few years ago I sold a set of 28" Nitro steel barrels- extractor- choked M&F to a gentleman in Iowa. His father had a Ideal Grade 12 with single trigger and ejectors, hunting rabbits in the Winter the right tube burst from a plug of snow- about 20" forward from the breech.

He had contacted either Briley or Kirk Merrington- they could "mono-bloc" new tubes from the breech stubs from the damaged barrels, new ribs- aprox $1900 cost range.

I suggested Simmons as they are close to his Iowa home-sent the set of barrels directly to their gunsmith for evaluation. Long story short- I sold him usable barrels for $450- another aprox. $350 later he had a usable ejector 12 Smith back in his possession. According to him they did a first rate job-:bigbye: