PH 20 fluid steel

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Was offered a PH 20 , fluid steel 28", about ImM/F, O frame, ser# 196740. Gun is in good shape.14 lop,
2 5/8 dah. The receiver is all silver with not a trace of cc,
Don't know if it was polished, it looks flat. Great bores.
Any idea as to value?

[Harold Lee Pickens]

More pics

[Harold Lee Pickens]

More

[Dean Romig]

Looks like a very honest gun.... maybe around $5k, give or take?





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[edgarspencer]

With similar condition/configuration VH guns bringing low to mid $3000, I wouldn't expect it should be worth more than $750-$1000 more,
A member bought a very much nicer 20" PHE at Baltimore last year for $4200.

[Brian Dudley]

Looks like it may have been media blasted.

[Dean Romig]

On closer inspection I'm going to agree with Brian and knock my evaluation down by $1250





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[Brett Hoop]

Harold

I can’t really tell from the photos, but do the barrels look to have original blue to you? Also the rear of the forend iron looks much darker than the frame, and I would expect to see that area show similar wear as I see on the latch.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Thanks all for your opinions. This thread ties in nicely with Craigs on current gun values. The old gent had a Blue Book which listed it at $4500-5500,so he thought $5000 asking price. I am not at all interested in it at that price. Could buy a nice DH for that price.
I am also concerned that maybe it has been media blasted as Brian opinioned--that's what I thought also Brian. All my my old Parkers are bright silver with wear, not the flat "French gray" that this appears to be. He got the gun from a well to do furniture family in exchange for painting their house when he was in his 30's--he is now 86. Says he has never done anything with it, rarely shot it.
It is a 20 ga Parker, and thus somewhat desirable, but still just another "shooter". It is as " tight as a tick" in lock up, very much on face. Would be a great 20 ga pheasant gun with those chokes.

I had originally thought it a 2500 dollar gun, maybe worth more but not too much more to me. May make him an offer, I can see his house from mine.

[Dean Romig]

Thanks all for your opinions.
I had originally thought it a 2500 dollar gun, maybe worth more but not too much more to me. May make him an offer, I can see his house from mine.


In my mind's eye I can see his face from here when you make your offer....:shock:





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[Harold Lee Pickens]

Brett, I thought the barrels were original blue, but thought that the forend iron and trigger guard would have shown more wear for a gun that was devoid of case color. My guess would be this gun was made in 1920-22 era, don't have a serial number book

[Russ Jackson]

Hello Harold , just my opinion but I believe the reason the receiver looks flat or sand blasted ,I think at some point the receiver may have had some light surface rust or corrosion on it and some one used Naval Jelly to remove it ! The reason I say this ,I had bought a 12 Gauge DH Grade gun years ago with light rusting ,no pitting and used this same product and that is the exact out come I got from using it ! I used a lit buffing with Flitz Polish to take the edge off of it but I never buffed it as I was worried it would put a shine on it and I surely didn't want that ! Nice find in 20 Gauge !

[Harold Lee Pickens]

maybe so Russ, good to hear from you--hey, Washington County gun show this weekend, you going??

[Russ Jackson]

Hello Harold , Didn't know about it but maybe ! Depends what else might be going on ,how about you ?

[William Davis]

Personally I would judge a Parker like that on how it fits me than anything else. Finish grade or configuration as shown not worth extra. If it was top condition never touched another matter.

2 5/8 drop would be a plus for me.

William

[Brian Dudley]

None of the metal finishes on the gun are original. They all appear to have been media/vapor blasted and then the barrels and forend metal blued. Likely Hot blued by the look of the barrel lug. And the frame left raw. Much like the finishes used by large manufacturers on economy guns.
Looks like whoever did it knew how to finish and 870, but not a parker.

[Daryl Corona]

As you said Harold it is a 20ga. Parker. Seeing how it is available to you for inspection I'd go and check out the barrels, the wood looks to be in good condition and interestingly the screws look to be unturned. I'd start at $3500 and go up to $4000. Then again, it is a 20ga. Parker and you know how I love those smallbores.

[Bill Murphy]

Compare the receiver finish with a gun you know to be untouched, under strong magnification. Tell us if you think that P grade receiver was sunk in an acid bath of some sort. It looks that way in the mediocre pictures you supplied.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Yes, I know the pictures were not the best, but he flagged me down while I was out running, and all I had was my cell phone. Bill, when he carried the gun in, I was immeadiately struck with the odd, flat appearance of the frame. I do believe that as you, and others opined that something was used on it, or it was media blasted--sure doesn't look like the silvered frames of my well used Parkers. I will go look at it again, but will probably just walk away from it.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Got Chuck's letter yesterday(thanks). The PH 20 came home with me a couple weeks ago. The measurements I took after getting it home match the letter. A heavy little O frame 20 at 6 lbs 11 oz, it should be a nice shooter with its 2 3/8 DAH. Wish it were a little more open choked. The right barrel not as tightly choked as the left, more like an improved mod and full--certainly not going to change anything, maybe load up some spreaders. I t should be a good 20 ga pheasant gun and sporting clays gun. I have 2 other open choked lightweight VH 20's.
The barrels ring nicely. Someone suggested that perhaps a bluing remover was used to remove the cc, certainly something was doe to it.
Price ?, well I certainly didn't get hurt, Itold him what I was willing to pay, (less than what I had suggested here) and he said sure. I think he wanted me to have it.
Havent had it out to shoot yet, but maybe remedy that this weekend.

[Mills Morrison]

Good snag there. My new method with tight chokes on upland game is to let them get just a little farther before firing.

[Dean Romig]

I only wish that was possible in the grown-up brushy tangles I hunt. Sometimes 15 yards is a long shot for me.






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[Mills Morrison]

You get the luxury of open shots with quail hunting, although I was able to do it on woodcock. Can't comment on grouse

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Would be a good 20 ga duck gun, thinking wood ducks. Mills, what do you shoot in a 20ga for ducks? I have never been duck hunting in my life, but now that I am semi-retired( 2 days/wk), may need to try it out next year--season ends here in Ohio this week.

[Gary Laudermilch]

It must be nice to have the luxury of allowing them to get further out. In the crap I find birds (grouse & woodcock) 25 yds is a looong shot with most under 20. And on most there is about 2-3 seconds to locate the bird, get the gun up and shoot. There is no waiting for anything. There are, of course some exceptions but are rare.

[Mills Morrison]

Would be a good 20 ga duck gun, thinking wood ducks. Mills, what do you shoot in a 20ga for ducks? I have never been duck hunting in my life, but now that I am semi-retired( 2 days/wk), may need to try it out next year--season ends here in Ohio this week.

I have some old Bismuth that works wonders. My 20 gauge Sterlingworth (full and full or Imod) is my preferred wood duck gun

Bismuth, TM and Nice Shot all work well, as a general rule.

[Brett Hoop]

Harold

Maybe shoot a few pattern boards with your go to open choked guns, and a few with the recruit. Results could be surprising. May as well check it out with some spreaders.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Brett, I think we need to go down to Roy's and shoot a couple rounds of sporting clays, one with the pH 20 in the other with the new 20 hammer gun

[Brett Hoop]

Harold

You can count on it! I always look forward to the spring side by side shoot at Hunting Hills. Part of that’s the company and the feed, it sure isn’t my Xs. I maybe need a practice round or two beforehand.