Interesting BHE 20

[Reggie Bishop]

You don't see many Grade 5 20s for sale.

https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/shotguns/parker-shotguns/parker-bhe-20-gauge-30-quot-barrels.cfm?gun_id=101263129

[Josh Loewensteiner]

Extremely interesting gun. I am very close to a BHE 16ga 0 Frame 28" Damascus ordered by the same person on the same day. Hegeman was well known to Parker Bros. He ordered the very first A1 Special they made in the 125k SN range among other great Parkers. He was the son of the founder of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company so money wasnt an issue.

The 30" Acme barrels are a real puzzle. I would appreciate feedback from the peanut gallery on what happened. They appear factory fit.

[Brian Dudley]

That IS a nice B grade!

[Dean Romig]

Extremely interesting gun. I am very close to a BHE 16ga 0 Frame 28" Damascus ordered by the same person on the same day. Hegeman was well known to Parker Bros. He ordered the very first A1 Special they made in the 125k SN range among other great Parkers. He was the son of the founder of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company so money wasnt an issue.

The 30" Acme barrels are a real puzzle. I would appreciate feedback from the peanut gallery on what happened. They appear factory fit.


As I recall Acme Steel made its appearance in 1905 (134229 was an A5 12/30). This gun is a 1905 (130114) gun and up until Acme barrels appeared if you wanted a fluid steel barreled Grade 4 or 5 you got Titanic Steel barrels, hence the TI5 listed in the Serialization book. Or maybe the gun was made with Titanic barrels and the Acme barrels are an unrecorded factory addition

Further, the legend on the top rib is not roll-stamped, but is engraved (not uncommon on grade 4 or 5 Parkers with unusual barrel steels).

Further, the "replacable wear plate" is original to the barrels and is the pre-1910 flat top style, not the "shouldered" post-1910 design, and is not a re-fitted early style on a post-1910 set of barrels.

I guess it's anyone's guess about the Acme Steel barrels but my guess is that they are original to the gun.




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[Ted Hicks]

[QUOTE=Dean Romig;277880]4 Further, the "replacable wear plate" is original to the barrels and is the pre-1910 flat top style, not the "shouldered" post-1910 design, and is not a re-fitted early style on a post-1910 set of barrels.



Dean - I've been curious about this modification and hope it's okay to ask here. Is the replaceable wear plate that you refer to the piece that the red arrow is pointing to in the photo below? It's a "T-Shaped" piece that is fitted and pinned in place?

What an awesome gun. I bet it's a joy to carry and shoot.

[Dean Romig]

Yes Ted, that’s it.

Invented and patented 10/25/1910 by James P Hayes who was responsible for several improvements to the Parker gun.





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[edgarspencer]

As I recall Acme Steel made its appearance around 1903, if I'm not mistaken. This gun is a ca. 1905 gun and up until Acme barrels appeared if you wanted a fluid steel barreled Grade 4 you got Titanic Steel barrels, hence the TI5 listed in the Serialization book.

Further, the legend on the top rib is not roll-stamped, but is engraved (not uncommon on grade 4 Parkers with unusual barrel steels).

Further, the "replacable wear plate" is original to the barrels and is the pre-1910 flat top style, not the "shouldered" post-1910 design, and is not a re-fitted early style on a post-1910 set of barrels.

I guess it's anyone's guess about the Acme Steel barrels but my guess is that they are original to the gun.

This gun is a Grade 5, not a Grade 4.
I know a guy who sold a Grade 5 20ga, albeit with 28" barrels, to pay for his daughter's Masters Degree.:banghead:

[Garry L Gordon]

What a nicely configured gun. Reggie, you should buy this one! I'd try, but my wife would shoot me with the "last" Parker I purchased. :rotf:

[Dean Romig]

This gun is a Grade 5, not a Grade 4.
I know a guy who sold a Grade 5 20ga, albeit with 28" barrels, to pay for his daughter's Masters Degree.:banghead:

I know of a guy who’s initials are WHF who sold his AHE .410 to finance his kids’ education.





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[Reggie Bishop]

Garry I would love to own that one!

[Craig Larter]

Parker Bros. put some outstanding wood on the high grade guns of this period before WW!. They are a sweet spot, great engraving and outstanding wood on many examples. Really a nice gun. Now if it was a 10 gauge BH damascus that would make me do stupid things to add it to my collection :whistle:

[Dean Romig]

If you hadn't added that last sentence as an edit to your initial post Craig, I was going to do it for you.





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[Michael Moffa]

Now where did I leave that spare kidney?

[Dean Romig]

If it only was a 28...... :whistle:





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[Dave Noreen]

If it only was a 28...... :whistle:





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You had your chance when Josh had the Clark Gable gun for sale.

[Chris Travinski]

Dean,
That gun is owned my Mike Yacino from Mike's Gun Shop in Whitinsville, may be worth a field trip for ya!!

[Ken Hill]

Ok...what am I missing?

The PGCA letter says the gun was made with 30" Titanic steel barrels. And then it was fitted with 28" Acme steel barrels. Maybe the seller measured the barrels wrong or the order book is wrong or ...?

Thanks,
Ken

[Dean Romig]

I’m betting on the Acme barrels being the original barrels or an undocumented additional factory fitted set.

...IMHO

I have a DHE 28 that TPS and the serialization book say originally had Titanic 28” 28 gauge barrels but it letters with 24” 28 gauge Damascus barrels, and that’s what it wears today. Just sayin...



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[Reggie Bishop]

Dean,
That gun is owned my Mike Yacino from Mike's Gun Shop in Whitinsville, may be worth a field trip for ya!!

Actually it is on consignment with Mike.

[Dean Romig]

I did some research and changed my first post on this thread to reflect my research.

The subject gun 130114, was produced 4,115 guns earlier than the first Acme Steel barreled Parker 134229 known to have been produced.





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[Bill Murphy]

I never did see a problem with the originality of Acme barrels in that serial number range. By the way, Dean, tell us more about WHF's .410 AHE. Is that "the only .410 AHE"? I had only heard about a WHF DHE .410, or thought I did.

[Dean Romig]

All I know about WHF's .410 AHE is what JF had told me in an email many years ago, that WHF made the decision to sell it "in order to help finance his kids' education. A good education, he believed, was extremely important." He also sent me some pictures of WHF in a 'sneak boat' he had designed with LL Bean, and a picture or two of an old house or family home here in Andover or Tewksbury next door. I sent him pictures I had taken of the Foster family headstone here in Andover that he had never seen.

I guess it could have been "the only .410 AHE" because that one, 241576 was made in 1939 - and WHF died in 1941.....

but it was sold in '39 by A&F to a "H.H. Barnard".....?



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[Bill Mullins]

One NICE BHE 20! What dreams are made of!! I would venture to say that Parker Brothers would make sure Mr. Hegeman’s Guns got extra attention being a very good customer.
Many years ago (about 12 years pre Parker Story research) at a local gun show I passed on a really nice early BH 28 gauge with Titanic barrels because I thought they should have been Acme Steel. ☹️

[Bill Murphy]

I have a classified ad for a .410 Parker placed by WHF, but it is a DHE. We could confirm the dates of the ad and his kid's college years I guess.

[Dean Romig]

I have a classified ad for a .410 Parker placed by WHF, but it is a DHE. We could confirm the dates of the ad and his kid's college years I guess.

I think WHF’s kids were JF’s parents. He was born in 1886 and died in 1941 at the age of 55.

What I mean to say is that I believe there was a generation between them.





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[Chuck Bishop]

This gun was one of 5 BHE's ordered by Hegeman on 1 order entry. Different gauges, barrel steel, barrel length, and grip type.