What a Surprise!

[Dean Romig]

Some fifteen or so years ago I bought this 0-frame 16 gauge GH from a friend at my Skeet club. I liked it for obvious reasons but of special interest to me was the engraving which seemed a bit more detailed and finely executed than most other G’s I’ve seen since. It has 26” Damascus barrels with IC/MOD chokes and some pretty nice wood - about the quality of wood we expect to see on a grade-2 of that era (1893).
More than 10 years ago I bought an orphan set of 28” Damascus barrels in 20 gauge. I’ll be sending it all off to Dave Fjelline to fit the 20 gauge barrels to it… they are very close but need some fine fitting and reshaping the forend lug for a nice tight fit.
Just on a whim I sent for a research letter on it a few days ago. I usually don’t order a letter on such a pedestrian Parker but I’m sure glad I did this time!!


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[Dylan Rhodes]

Dean,

Perhaps I haven't had enough coffee yet this morning, but what was the surprise? I am assuming the letter said something you were not expecting?

[Bill Murphy]

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

[Jim DiSpagno]

Ok Dean, enough suspense, and????

[Brian Dudley]

The fact that it was a worlds fair gun.

[Steve Cambria]

Very cool, Dean-O!!

A mind-blowing event, even by today's standards!

104610
104611
104612

[Dean Romig]

Thanks Steve :bigbye:


And this is where it was shipped in 1895 after its return from the Columbian Exposition.


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[Craig Larter]

I think show guns are so interesting especally when you read news articles covering the events they were displayed at. A 16ga damascus GH is a uncommon gun and the fact that it's a show gun just adds to it's appeal. Yea never know. Congratulaions very cool.

[Mills Morrison]

There is no such thing as a pedestrian Parker

[Stan Hillis]

Maybe not, but I've seen a few that were rolling very, very slowly.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Dean , wonderful provenance. I have 77340, also a GH 16 O frame, and the engraving is no ways near as sharp and crisp as your GH. Mine was 28", but was cut to 27 before I bought it due to a dented muzzle. Still a great little gun to hunt with, I use it a lot on pheasants.

[Stephen Hodges]

Plus what is cool about this gun is that it probably never left New England after being sold at the conclusion of the worlds fair.

[Bill Murphy]

Great provenance, Dean. Excuse my ZZZZs, but there were no pictures and no history before I posted my ZZZZs. I have a Columbian Exposition Parker and so do a bunch of us. A PGCA letter will tell them.

[John Campbell]

As I've often held, the history and provenance behind some of these guns is as valuable as the guns themselves. To some of us, even more so. A great treasure you have there, Dean!

[Mills Morrison]

My VH 12 was in the Boston Show.