&250 Grade st Amoskeag Auction

[Jim DiSpagno]

The $250 Gade lifter at Amoskeag looked, at first glance to be intriguing to say the least. After a lengthy conversation with their most reputable gun man, I was very disheartened. First off, the posted serial number was wrong. Listed as 4556, it was 4558 making it a 12 gauge not a 10. Secondly, the butt stock was recheckered and more finely than the fore end. Then the WORST PART. the barrels were completely honed to an unusable thickness, right barrel measured barely 10 thousands and the left barrel barely 15 thousands and still remnants of pitting and dent removal. The gun was built on a 2 frame with 32" barrels and barely made 8 pounds. What a damn crying shame. I
I thought it necessary to pass on this info to anyone here who would not have the opportunity to see this gun in hand or call and ask relevant questions as the barrels are useless for shooting purposes. Either briley tubes or sleeping to make a very expensive shooter or leave it alone and have a super expensive wall hanger. Boy am I disappointed. Thanks for listening. Jim

[Dean Romig]

Either briley tubes or sleeping to make a very expensive shooter or leave it alone and have a super expensive wall hanger. Boy am I disappointed. Thanks for listening. Jim


Of course, not every collector buys such a gun as a shooter...

And not every buyer of such a gun acquires It as a wall-hanger. Some of us buy such a gun as a wonderful addition to a collection of the American gunmaker's art, and displays it as such. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful example of an early Parker Bros. high grade lifter, no matter how you slice it.





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[Jim DiSpagno]

Not that I'm taking anything away from the intrinsic beauty and high quality of a piece of American shooting history but pointing out the devaluation of such a piece buy careless workmanship. A price point has been deflated by honing fine Damascus barrel so thin rendering them unshootable. Real shame.

[todd allen]

Beautiful gun!
If someone needed to shoot that gun, I would think Briley's could install barrel liners.
(It's easy for me to spend other people's money)

[Rich Anderson]

(It's easy for me to spend other people's money)

I'm pretty good at that as well:) Teague chokes while not inexpensive would be an option IF it could be bought cheap enough. If the price point was right it could be made into a useable gun with additional investment. It's a shame whats been done to this but go out and find another one.

[edgarspencer]

I didn't see it mentioned in the listing; does anyone know the frame size?

[Jim DiSpagno]

1 1/8" between firing pins center to center. Size not stamped on lug. 2 frame according to PB charts in TPS and serialization books

[Bill Murphy]

Teague chokes solve the problem of thin barrels feet before the chokes? WTF?

[Dean Romig]

He probably meant Teague tube inserts.... which I don't believe Teague is doing anymore.






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[Rich Anderson]

I have always thought Teague chokes ran the length of the barrel.
Dean I was thinking along the lines of an insert much like a Briley tube. I think Teague was recently sold to Wesley Richards.

[Dean Romig]

But they're not called "chokes" they are barrel insert tubes that are bonded to the inside of the barrels after the barrels have been precision machined to accept them.






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[Rich Anderson]

I miss spoke. I know they are a permanent tube fitted to the inside of the existing barrel. Really it's a great savior for thin unsafe barrels.

[Rick Losey]

i thought he stopped doing barrel lining

[John Truitt]

Teague stopped this a few years back.
I don't know of any one else offering the technique as a permanent fixed in place option.

[todd allen]

I would think Briley's would be able to do the job.

[edgarspencer]

Robin has some experience in this department

[Dean Romig]

I think Robin's experience was in having some barrels sleeved, not lined.





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[edgarspencer]

I must have misunderstood him while looking at his gun last summer.

[edgarspencer]

From the listing on the gun. Sure sounds like lining to me.

1 FRAME 100% RECONDITIONED FANTASTIC ENGRAVING #173XXX THE BARREL HAVE BEEN INTERNALLY SLEEVED WITH THE ORIGINAL BARRELS BECAUSE OF A DENT IN THE BARRELS THAT COULDNT BE REPAIRED BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS TO SHOOT IT IS NOW SAFE AND THE DENT ISNT VISIBLE 30" 025 AND 025 2 3/4 SINGLE TRIGGER EJECTORS SPLINTER FOREARM PISTOL GRIP 7LBS 11 OZ X 2 1/8 X 1 1/2 X 14 1/4

[Dean Romig]

Where did that listing come from?

[todd allen]

Different gun.
Here's the description on the gun in question;
serial #4556, 10 ga., 32" damascus barrels with fair bores showing some raised dents in right tube toward muzzle. This shotgun was manufactured in early 1875 and according to a May 1, 1874 dated Parker price list, this was indeed the highest grade gun offered. On a May 1, 1877 dated Parker price list a $300 grade gun was offered. The gun is beautifully engraved with lovely relief scroll on the rear of locks and on hammers with the forward section of locks showing a finely executed geometric pattern. The center of the locks show wonderful game scenes with two setters on left in a field with flushing bird while the right side shows a pointer looking over a rock at a woodcock which is holding in some tall grass. The belly of the action shows patent dates and scroll with a standing buck in panel scene at forward most section and bordered in relief scroll. The triggerguard bow shows a lovely scene of a duck hunter in marshy scene with ducks in flight overhead and gun dog at his side with a freshly retrieved duck in mouth. The fences are beautifully sculpted in a stylized arcaded design. The barrels show excellent damascus pattern their entire lengths and have a pleasing appearance but are likely unshootable. The action and locks bear a pleasing smooth and even gray patina with all engraving remaining crisp. The European walnut buttstock and key fastened forend shows very nice figure and is fitted with its original steel skeleton buttplate which is a gray patina with worn engraving. The stock has a rounded pistolgrip with fancy checkering and well-defined dropper points. The stocks rate excellent having been beautifully and very lightly refinished with proper hand rubbed oil and with the checkering being sharp and crisp. This is an extremely handsome and early high grade Parker. This shotgun was made when the 1873 Winchester was newly released, Marlin had yet to develop a repeating rifle and Baker and Lefever had yet to open their shops. This Parker represents the very finest and highest grade American shotgun available at the time it was built. A great opportunity for the Parker collector to acquire a fine example of the A1 Special of its day. (18105-3) {ANTIQUE}

[Dave Suponski]

Most likely from Steve Barnett

[Dean Romig]

No, that's the description from Amoskeag. It is a 12 ga. Ser. No. 4558. I went to examine it for a friend.

I think different guns are being confused with each other.





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[edgarspencer]

Where did that listing come from?

Robin Left it with Steve Barnett while at Hausmanns, and it's on Steve's website.
It is an absolutely beautiful gun, and I'm a little surprised no one has snapped it up.

https://stevebarnettfineguns.com/parker-1-shotguns-for-sale/parker-ahe-16-gauge

[edgarspencer]

Different gun.

I'm aware of that Todd.
The point of my bringing up Robins gun was to lend credence to a lining method (Steve refers to the liners as 'sleeves') which would save the existing barrels. This is possibly the same as what Teague did, but, as it was done by Brad Bacheldor, the 'Teague' terminology was not used.
I don't quite understand why monoblocking is referred to sleeving, when 'lining' is installing a sleeve, and not new barrel tubes. But, what do I know.

[Dean Romig]

I don't quite understand why monoblocking is referred to sleeving, when 'lining' is installing a sleeve, and not new barrel tubes. But, what do I know.

Me too Edgar, but that's what was done to Robin's AHE 16... about invisibly "monoblocked."






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[edgarspencer]

Then it's the longest monblock ever, as they're the original barrels, muzzle to breach.

[Dean Romig]

Ok Edgar.





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