Makes me cry!!

[Craig Larter]

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/897252845
Still a cool and rare gun.

[Brian Dudley]

KE grade? The seller needs some education for sure. No surprise given the lengthly discussions had on other guns sold by them in the past.

An interesting gun for sure. A straight grip B grade top action with long fluid steel barrels and no rib extension. Weren't people wondering what constituted a live bird gun...?

It would be nice to see this one saved.

[Dean Romig]

Definitely worth an investment.





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[Harold Lee Pickens]

Brian, You just saved me from going to the grade descriptions looking to see what a KE grade was. How does the serial # book describe the gun?

[Frank Cronin]

Question for the gunstock craftsman..... Can the original wood be saved with the wire wrapped tightly like this?

[Brian Dudley]

Are you asking if the wire is an effective repair? Or if the stock as it is can be salvaged after the wire is removed?

I have seen this form of tie wire and solder used in the past to hold broken stock together. And this one is complete and it is likely doing a good job in holding it together. That along with the metal strap that is installed on the top side under the wire.
As for the stock being saved, that would remain to be seen after the wire is removed. It may not be pretty.
Anyone considering repair of the gun should figure on complete replacement of the stock to be the best way to go.

[edgarspencer]

Wow. The stuff I learn, that just ain't true, from this guy, is boggling my mind.

[Stan Hillis]

This is one of those guns that makes me think "If only they could talk". What a fine old warrior! It reminds me of a valiant soldier that fights on, though gravely wounded.

If it were mine it would never have any further repair done to that stock wrist. There is much to be said for returning guns to their former "glory", but this one's glory is still there, IMO. I would like to know how old that repair is, and where it was done. Information lost to time.

[Brett Hoop]

Grand! Wire cast, miss match iron and all, yet so ripe with undeniable character.

[Brian Dudley]

Grand! Wire cast, miss match iron and all, yet so ripe with undeniable character.

The forend is not mismatched. That photo is upside down. And it just so happens that all of the digits read both ways.

[Dean Romig]

The ONLY Grade 5 Top Action hammer gun ever made (that we know of) with 32" Titanic Steel barrels.

The wood has likely been burned (to some degree) beneath the areas where the wire was soldered to the top reinforcing strap and the trigger guard.





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[Brett Hoop]

The forend is not mismatched. That photo is upside down. And it just so happens that all of the digits read both ways.

Brian
Of course you are correct. One of those times I like being wrong.

Any guess as to if the butt plate is factory? I don't see what I would expect to see for screws. Like Craig said Very Cool!

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Dean, Mark Conrad had one and so did I mine 30" Marks was 32"

[Randy G Roberts]

The ONLY Grade 5 Top Action hammer gun ever made (that we know of) with 32" Titanic Steel barrels.

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Dean there was at least 1 other that we know of, #92850 which was actually offered for sale on the forum some 3 years or so ago as I recall.

[Bill Murphy]

This gun is not the gun that Mark owned. Mark's was R.A.Welsh's gun. This gun, apparently, is not Welsh's gun.

[edgarspencer]

Was Mark Conrad's gun, offered here http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=22242 Also lacking the rib extension. Hiss pictures do not show a view of the top of the receiver.
The engraving on this diamond in the rough is spectacular.

[Dean Romig]

I find it very hard to believe that butt plate is original to the gun.

I see that Mark had one for sale in 2017 so if this subject gun really has 32" barrels then it must be 1 of 2, this one being heretofore unknown.





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[Craig Larter]

I agree with Dean the steel butt plate is a replacement it is poorly fitted. This gun talks to me for some reason, but I need to keep my finger off the bid button. I swore off big project guns and need to hold that promise.

[Dean Romig]

After the purchase of the gun I see $6-7k to properly resurrect it.





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[Reggie Bishop]

I sure hope a PGCA member buys and brings it back to life. Otherwise someone will hacksaw the barrels and be a cowboy.

[Dean Romig]

Oh Gary..... :whistle:





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[Mills Morrison]

Would be a fun but expensive project. Really makes my C grade look good and it has issues

[Mike Poindexter]

That deep relief engraving on the receiver bottom between the triggerplate and the hinge , and the corresponding rosette on each side plate, are unique to my limited experience. And beautiful. This alone makes the gun worthy of owning. I too would leave the wrapped grip alone and see how the rest of the gun could be cleaned up without "restoring" anything. I see at least one PGCA member in the bidding cue, so good luck out there. I have no plans myself to bid. No dinero.

[Stan Hillis]

I am amazed at how nice the top rib is, after all the gun has been through. There may be some flaws in it but I couldn't see them in the provided pics.

That mid-bead was an add-on, correct?

[Mike Koneski]

If it was me buying it, I'd shoot it as is, no restock unless it was absolutely necessary. That wire wrapped grip is like using skateboard tape on a race gun grip. "No slip, grip and rip!" I'd add a slip on butt pad for good LOP and get rid of that useless mid-bead, but that's it. That is a very cool gun. Love the engraving and especially the fish-tail top lever.

[Craig Larter]

Already up to $7,600. And 10 days to go
Now $9025

[Howard Loewensteiner]

opinions on how much it would cost to restore this rare gun to make it right.looks like the stock is cracked at the wrist and it needs a skeleton butt plate.We do not know the barrel wall thickness or if it had been honed.

[Dean Romig]

$9125 sight unseen (no physical inspection) at 9:15 on 4/18/2021





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[Howard Loewensteiner]

Seems like a gamble and its not done yet. The trigger guard from what I see has been poorly welded. So you can figure that too.barrels have pitting on outside. Could use a reblue at the least.

[Brett Hoop]

I’ll say one thing that I am certain. This agent has brought out now 4-5 Parkers that have generated a lot of discussion. As a student of all things Parker these are the sort of guns that make us think on multiple levels of what they are now, what they left Meriden as, and what possibilities are yet to be determined. In ways that is the appeal of a high percentage of Parker guns no matter the grade or rarity. I am not surprised at the dollars bid thus far.

[Dean Romig]

To bring it back to its former glory would be admirable and quite an undertaking but for posterity’s sake it should be done. Certainly recouping the investment in the gun and the restoration would be a gamble... but oh, the satisfaction!





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[Howard Loewensteiner]

I agree with you Dean. The buyer has to make a decision to restore or leave it the way it is.I called the seller to see if he new bore diameter and min wall thickness but they did not know. Being in the gun business without the proper tools is like an auto mechanic without a wrench. just my opinion

[Brian Dudley]

No surprise there that they didn't know.

[Mills Morrison]

7 days left and close to 10 grand

:shock::shock::shock:

[Mike Koneski]

The way the bidding is going and any cost of restoration could take this Parker over the $20K threshold. It would make for an interesting article for Parker Pages if a member buys and restores her.

[Mills Morrison]

Several such guns have made it into Parker Pages and it always makes for a good story. Hopefully, this one will make it into an article

[Mike Koneski]

You remember that HE Fox that was on an auction site a year or two ago? It was covered with than coating of bright red rust. It cleaned up beautifully and worked out to be a steal for the new owner.

[Mills Morrison]

You remember that HE Fox that was on an auction site a year or two ago? It was covered with than coating of bright red rust. It cleaned up beautifully and worked out to be a steal for the new owner.

That guy was lucky

[John Davis]

It’s a gun worthy of a complete restoration, dollars be damned. There was a time when I would probably have taken this project on. Alas, my gun interests are focused elsewhere these days. So I dodged that bullet.

[Craig Larter]

I have a passion for these old guns but you can buy a really nice original high condition high grade Parker for 20K. I would love to see the gun brought back with a proper restoration, but I'm happy it won't be me!!

[John Davis]

I have a passion for these old guns but you can buy a really nice original high condition high grade Parker for 20K. I would love to see the gun brought back with a proper restoration, but I'm happy it won't be me!!

You could buy a really, really, really nice high grade Parker SBT (my present infatuation) for around that.

[Daryl Corona]

Well it's certainly above my pay grade but if I was to buy that gun I think I would shoot it as is as long as the stock is sound enough. To me that gun has character and certainly would be a conversation piece.

[Mike Koneski]

For $20K I could buy a select fire sub-gun!!

[Dean Romig]

You remember that HE Fox that was on an auction site a year or two ago? It was covered with than coating of bright red rust. It cleaned up beautifully and worked out to be a steal for the new owner.


I went to that gunshop in southern NH to look at it. I asked the owner if I could examine it and he couldn't figure why I drove over an hour to look at "that piece of rusted crap." He tole me that he told the woman who brought it in he would be surprised if he could get $300 for it. I assured him it would fetch well over $7,000 and he guffawed at that absurd figure, that he'd been around guns all his life and knew better than to even think it would sell for even close to that much. I took a bunch of 'before' pics. It had stood in a fieldstone cellar of a house on the coast in Swampscott, MA for almost fifty years. That humid salt air spread a rust powder all over it.

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

There are a lot of high grade hammerless Parkers around and many in great condition, but this is only the third B grade hammer gun with steel barrels that I know of. It is a rare gun, good luck to the bidders! Gary

[Terry Smith]

There were 7 Grade 5 fluid steel barreled, top lever, hammer guns made.
Five of them had 32" barrels. Two had 30" barrels.

[Terry Smith]

I made a mistake in my previous post.
There are 8 identified Grade 5 steel barreled hammer guns.
Six with 32" barrels and two with 30".

[Dean Romig]

But only 5 made with Titanic Steel barrels and the subject gun is the only known TI5 T/A hammer gun with 32" barrels.





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[edgarspencer]

I made a mistake in my previous post.
There are 8 identified Grade 5 steel barreled hammer guns.
Six with 32" barrels and two with 30".

But only 5 made with Titanic Steel barrels and the subject gun is the only known TI5 T/A hammer gun with 32" barrels.

I don't know if it's six, or five, but we know it's more than one because we Just revisited Mark Conrad's FS thread.

[Dean Romig]

My figure of 5 with Titanic Steel barrels came from the tables at the end of Grade 5 guns n the Grades section of Vol. 1 of TPS.

We know and have evidence of the fact that because of missing books these figures are not absolute... so there may be more of just about anything...





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[Bill Murphy]

Heading for the SB. Can Terry let us know where his figures come from?

[Terry Smith]

Lots of various sources, but all serial numbers have been verified by the PGCA Research Chairman.

[Dean Romig]

I don't know if we're all on the same page here.

The subject gun is a Top Action Titanic Steel barreled gun with a barrel length of 32 inches, apparently one of only two known to have been made in that particular configuration and is one of only possibly 6 Grade 5 Top Action Titanic Steel barreled known to have been made.





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[Bill Murphy]

I think that Dean has the same question that I do. Terry is a more than good friend and I trust his research, if I know what it is.

[Terry Smith]

I have verified that there are at least 8 Grade 5 Titanic Steel barreled exposed hammer guns.
Six of them have verified 32" barrels, according to the Parker records.

[Dean Romig]

I have verified that there are at least 8 Grade 5 Titanic Steel barreled exposed hammer guns.
Six of them have verified 32" barrels, according to the Parker records.


Terry, will you be revealing your source for this data in an upcoming Parker Pages article?





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[Jeff Wemmer]

I went to that gunshop in southern NH to look at it. I asked the owner if I could examine it and he couldn't figure why I drove over an hour to look at "that piece of rusted crap." He tole me that he told the woman who brought it in he would be surprised if he could get $300 for it. I assured him it would fetch well over $7,000 and he guffawed at that absurd figure, that he'd been around guns all his life and knew better than to even think it would sell for even close to that much. I took a bunch of 'before' pics. It had stood in a fieldstone cellar of a house on the coast in Swampscott, MA for almost fifty years. That humid salt air spread a rust powder all over it.

Dean,

Any report on the condition of the barrels? Ribs tight, decent bores, walls hollowed-out to "beer can" thick, oops, thinness?

Needs 7-8K worth of resto work (to include a new stock) to make it shootable - Would be a fun vintage clays gun which is why I'm chasing it.

Thanks for any additional info!

JW

[Jeff Wemmer]

And, it's a helluva lot cheaper (and cooler) than a similar configuration in a Purdey!

[Dean Romig]

Jeff, regarding the Fox I examined, it was in near new condition before being exposed to decades of salt air. But it was quite superficial and cleaned off easily without compromising any of the original finish. It still retained over 90% original case color and barrel blue. Perfectly functional in every respect.





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[Jeff Wemmer]

Dean,

I misunderstood...Thought you were referring to the Parker "B" hammer on GB. Guess I'd better spend more time reading than typing...

Does anybody have a barrel condition report on the "Parker"?

[Bill Murphy]

I don't know how the seller can give a barrel condition report if he doesn't own a bore micrometer or wall thickness gauge. He is a pistol dealer with supposedly no shotgun experience. I wish I were closer so I could help him out with the proper tools.

[Jeff Wemmer]

Me too Bill...Has stalled my enthusiasm for this gun.

Far be it for me to shay away from a "project" gun, but this one has moved from risk to folly unless some viable barrel data materializes and quick.

Otherwise I hope that whomever gets it doesn't get burned!

[Bill Murphy]

Woops. This gun has slipped up to $9825 with just two hours to go.

[Bill Murphy]

We'll be waiting for news from the successful bidder. Congratulations.

[Craig Larter]

Sold for $12691. Boy was my estimate off.

[John Davis]

The heart wants what the heart wants. If the successful bidder decides to restore this grand old girl to her former glory, I hope we get the opportunity to view her.

[Dean Romig]

Not to restore this potentially beautiful gun would be shirking one's responsibility IMO.





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[Victor Wasylyna]

It appears Jeff Wemmer (posts above) was the successful bidder. I hope Mr. Wemmer joins the PGCA and keeps us posted on the restoration. This is one heck of a hammergun. I’d love to see it in restored condition.

-Victor

[bruce a lyons]

Sold Jeff Wemmer a WC Scott some time ago. He likes his hammer guns.

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

I thought it would go for a little more, A friend was bidding on it so I did not bid, Either way you look at it the gun is pretty rare and I hope the winner gets her back into her fancy dress, congrats to him, Gary

[Bill Murphy]

Jeff Wemmer, I sent you a PM but I'm not sure you can get a PM. Let me know.

[Jeff Wemmer]

Not to restore this potentially beautiful gun would be shirking one's responsibility IMO.





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100% in agreement, 100%! The trick is to tastefully restore it, not attempt to make it look new. The only caveat to the previous comment is that a replacement stock will be in the offing.

When completed the gun will look like a well cared for, yet well used vintage gun. However under the hood it will get the full mechanical overhaul to ensure another 121 years of reliable service.

Of course all this is contingent on whether or not I just bought a wall hanger!:knowbetter:


We'll see in a few days!

Fingers X'd...

[Mills Morrison]

Good luck! I specialize in projects and you never know if it will be salvageable and for how much.

[Jeff Wemmer]

Good luck! I specialize in projects and you never know if it will be salvageable and for how much.


Amen brother, Aaaaa-men!