Non engraved CHE 12 gauge

[Phillip Carr]

Thought I would post some pictures of a CHE I bought about 2 years ago. It was ordered June 1912 with Acme 28 inch ejector barrels.nice wood, and No Engraving.
The only thing engraved is Parker Bros on the sides.
Left barrel (.010) was ordered more open then right ( .040).
No mention of any gold inlays, or grip cap. ( letter states Capped pistol grip) I assume that this was done after gun was received.
The gold initials A. V. H. On the trigger plate are the initials of the buyer A. V. Hall.
A V Hall was the grandfather of the lady I purchased the gun from. He owned The Sherwood Hall company of Grand Rapids Michigan.

[Dean Romig]

We need to try that gun out on grouse & woodcock!.... are you bringing it to Vermont?





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[Phillip Carr]

More pictures

[Phillip Carr]

Unfortunately not. But it’s going out to shoot some doves and pigeons a few times over the next two weeks. DH 28 sent to Legh last week. Looking forward to some cooler weather to hunt in.

[Bob Hayes]

Nice action photo Phil
We open on Sept 28th and can't wait although I don't get to hunt much.

[Bill Murphy]

Phil you sure get the good ones. My unengraved CH is still unembellished and field used. My unengraved AAH is the same way, still unembellished and with a bit of use.

[Dean Romig]

Bill, does Steve still have that unengraved BH... the one with the ‘unusual’ stock and forend?





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[Bill Murphy]

Yes he still has it. I have bothered him enough that I think I am first in line if he ever sells or trades it. Young as I may be, I get the idea that Steve will outlive me.

[Garry L Gordon]

So, is there some common reason for these higher grades to have been ordered without engraving?

[Dean Romig]

So, is there some common reason for these higher grades to have been ordered without engraving?


I'll guess that every eccentric who ordered a high-grade Parker barren of engraving did so for his own particular reason(s).... or maybe they simply had an affinity for 'nice wood.'





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[Randy G Roberts]

So, is there some common reason for these higher grades to have been ordered without engraving?

Possibly for custom engraving ?

[Dean Romig]

Possibly for custom engraving ?


But it was never done and the guns were extensively used....






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[Garry L Gordon]

I find the choice of no engraving very curious. Looking at the price of the gun from the letter, I would assume there was some discounting for no engraving. I can't imagine there would be enough incentive on the price to make that much difference. I guess the buyer would get an upgrade in wood with the C grade, and potentially different barrel steel, but I would think one would still come out better monetarily by ordering a D grade and upgrading the wood.

Curious. I can understand not wanting a skeleton steel butt plate, or ejectors, or even a safety, but paying for engraving and not getting it is very puzzling.

[Brian Dudley]

A few other examples that I have seen on unengraved guns, Parker would issue a credit for
no engraving.
I can imagine that the buyer of such a gun was after some perceived benefit of the barrel steel type of that given grade. But wanted to save a few bucks on the engraving. I dont know.

[Dave Noreen]

The finer fit and polish of the internal parts?

[Rich Anderson]

I would think a VH/VHE with upgraded wood would be the way to go if no engraving was the goal. Purdey made a gun without engraving called the funeral model. The appeal to me in the higher grades is the nicer wood but it's the artwork of the engraver that sets the gun off.

[Phillip Carr]

It’s an interesting gun for sure. Even the after market gold inlays are really subdued except the initials.
I think with the new gold inlays with beautiful blackened barrels, nice wood and the fresh case colors the gun would have been attractive and would have had a nice appeal to the owner.
The daughter that sold the gun said her grandfather was a fanatical bird hunter.
I know currently we look at a graded gun and have come to expect increased quality engraving as the grade goes up.
When the gun was order it may have been a case of perceived value in ordering a C Grade. Yet, A V Hall may have seen the engraving as no value to what he was wanting to use the gun for.
I know from my Business Jet career, not to judge a person by the cloths they wear or how they look.
Some of the nicest and wealthiest owners where dressed in jeans and T shirt.
I believe many of these guys did not want to come across as stuffy when working with us.
Just another thought behind possibly why.
I need to do more research when I have a chance on Mr Hall.

[Bill Murphy]

Neither of the letters for my unengraved guns specified a reason why the request was made. One was made for a company grade Army officer stationed in the frontier, and the other was made for a multimillionaire businessman.

[Chris Robenalt]

Phil, I just came across this post and open it without realizing it was yours. I was looking at the pictures when I came across the one of the gold inlays. I said to myself, I know this gun! I was trying to remember where I've seen it. I just now saw your name! Lol
This is the one you brought up to shoot last year when Chris was with us?

[edgarspencer]

When I was young, I used to hang out in the evenings at a foreign car shop owned by a friend. I did simple jobs to help cover my tab for parts that fed my racing.
There was a very wealthy gentleman who would bring in his classic Rover P6, very regularly and always stayed to walk around the shop to look under the bonnet of cars which were well above my pay grade. He was quite obviously interested in the 'guts' of the cars, and not so much the glitz. I remarked to my friend that I didn't understand why he drove the Rover instead of something more upscale. He told me I might understand if I could see his garage.

On one occasion, I drove him home when he left his car for service. He took me around to the rear of their 'home' to the garage (5 bays) to see his TWO AC Bristols, His wife's Bentley, and TWO Arnolt-Bristol Race cars.
If he was a shooter, I can only imagine what his gun room looked like, but know he would have shot a plain CHE Parker.

[Phillip Carr]

I have a trip up north in AZ tomorrow and will take the CHE with me to shoot some pigeons and Eurasians.
Where I am shooting I get a lot of in coming shots verses crossing birds. With the right barrel being choked a little tighter it may work well.
With 28” barrels and on a 1 1/2 frame it comes up very nice. Also looking forward to hunting quail with this Parker in October.