Interesting GunBroker Auction

[Ed Blake]

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=182309648

1904 VH with 30" barrels, straight stock, DT, and no safety. I've been watching this auction for two weeks. It has no reserve and no minimum bid. Started at $0.00. It languished at $630 for over a week. Now it's up to $1,650 with 15 minutes to go. It has attracted a lot of attention and goes to show that a good gun will score interest if the buyer does not complicate matters with high reserves, etc. He may not get what he told his wife he could get for it, but he sells his gun.

[David Borrowman]

As I'm still new to the vintage gun game, what is the purpose of covering part of the S/N. Would you not want potential buyers with "the book" to be able to look up and see that the gun is original????

[Richard Flanders]

Is it my imagination or do the bbls looks perhaps bobbed? The matting at the rib end looks funny and the oblique view looks like there's a tad too much separation to the muzzles. Someone has carved the stock comb down some too I think. Pretty unusual gun though and a decent price at that. Too bad about the floorplate screws.

[Pat Dugan]

They hide the serial numbers, Because they think someone will claim the gun is stolen and it belongs to them. Most honest sellers would never do this.

PDD

[Dean Romig]

Ser No. is 124494. The barrels may have been "trimmed" a tad but not cut. I've seen a number of Parkers with original barrel length where the matting goes to the end of the rib or even off the end with the line etched 1/8" back like that one.

[Kenny Graft]

Seems to be O.K. gun, at that price...scarce live bird gun. Wood looks extra plain as parkers go. It may well clean up pretty nice. Im serprized parker ever made guns with no safty....Its natural gun flow to trip safty on the way up...I would not want to be hunting with a guy who is shooting one of them!, unless he carry it broke open like a hammer gun is carried with hammers cocked....

[Rich Anderson]

Somebody liked it as it's been sold.

[Ed Blake]

I had several e-mail exchanges with the seller. He did not seem to be a shotgun guy, but he did know what he had. He did say the comb had been lowered, which can be seen from the photos. Obviously, without a safety it was not meant for hunting, but for trap or live birds where a safety can be more of a hinderence, esp. if there's money on the line. Although Bo Whoop 1 and 2 had no safeties and NB hunted a little bit without apparent incident. I tell my boys that the most effective safety is the one between your ears. That VH would be a great shooter and the sale was a true auction.

[David Holes]

Hi everyone, new to forum. Joined assn several months ago. I will be the new home for the vh. Its funny how we all see different things. I think the pad and stock alteration bothered me the most. If the gun is as good as it looks and that original, I believe it will clean up very nicely. How many high stocked parkers do ya see with original wood and its over 105 years old. the best way to evaluate is with gun in hand, so I will know more in a few weeks.

[Dean Romig]

Congratulations David. I'm sure you will enjoy that nice Parker.

[Austin W Hogan]

It would be my opinion that a seriously owned and used live bird gun with no alterations to stock or pad would be among the scarcest of the rare. Take a look at some of those Iron Men of Gundom; rags wrapped around the wrist, rasp marks on the comb.
I have a safety less VHE live bird with the same engraving covering the safety slot patch. It has had its monte carlo removed and replaced, the toe adjusted and at least two pitch adjustments still show. I shot it for several years in my club trap league, and filed a little on it myself.
Best, Austin

[Bill Murphy]

The gun seems fine for the price you paid if the barrels are OK. Get a PGCA letter. The provenance will determine how much you put into the restoration. You may come up with an original owner who was a famous shooter. Let us know about the letter.

[David Holes]

recieved letter today, started as a pistol grip, and proceeded as follows. According to order book 94, the gun was returned on Dec. 18, 1915 by J.H. Stevenson in wisner Ne.to restock with straight guard1 1/2 by 2" take off safty (free) and clean out barrels. now the question is who is J. H. Stevenson