“Letter Roulette”

[Brett Trimble]

I just received a letter for a gun I recently bought.

I was surprised to see that it left the factory with a single trigger as it now has double triggers.

Question; how common is it to get unpleasant (or pleasant) surprises when lettering a gun? :)

Best,
Brett

[Rick Riddell]

I’m 0 for 5! I do enjoy it though , just the basics on Trojan to grade 3. Roll the dice!!

[Dean Romig]

I’ve never received a letter that had a disappointing surprise but I have several letters containing positive surprises.






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[Chuck Bishop]

Brett, I checked your info, it's correct. It's possible the customer changed the configuration and it just wasn't recorded.. What you get in the letter depends on when the gun was made. If the gun was made before 1920 and we have the order book, you will get that info. If we have the stock book info, you will get that too in the letter. If made after 1919, you would only get stock book info assuming the book is not missing. You may get order info from the IBM card but it's very limited. This would be for later Remington guns.

Some of the records are in ink and easily read. Some are in pencil and have faded over time and are unreadable. They didn't realize that someone would be trying to read the books 100+ years later.

[Steve Cambria]

[QUOTE=Brett Trimble;389037]I just received a letter for a gun I recently bought. I was surprised to see that it left the factory with a single trigger as it now has double triggers.

"Two barrels....two triggers."

I'd definitely file that one under, "PLEASANT SURPRISE." :whistle:

[Jim McKee]

Of my 3 current Parker's, 2 have letters showing they are the same now as when both left the factory. The 3rd had no stock book but I very satisfied with it.
Slowly I have learned to check the serialization book to see if a shotgun matches with the way it is now before buying, assuming there is a listing for it.

[Garry L Gordon]

Don't always count on the Serialization Book to give you an account that agrees with the records.

At an auction a few years back, there was a lot that had two Parkers, including a nice looking DH that had 28 inch barrels. The Serialization Book indicted that the gun was a DH, but that it had 36 inch barrels. I'm sure that scared guys away from the gun (and think of the wailing and gnashing of teeth by our long-barrel aficionados!). I really wanted the other gun in the lot, and the shortened barrels didn't bother me, but for the life of me, the barrels looked right (uncut). I got a good deal and bought the lot for the price I thought the other gun should go.

When I got the letter back, lo and behold, the records had the gun as a 28 incher and it matched everything from the letter.

Two lessons learned (at least):

1. Records trump Serialization book
2. Trust you eyes when examining a gun

[Craig Larter]

I love letter surprises. I bought a AH 12ga 30" with a straight grip and a Silvers pad. The letter states it was a show gun at the 1897 MSG show gun that is not in the PS list. In addition the gun was sold to DuBray and returned two years later for an adjustment to the comb height and the addition of a Silvers pad.

[Phil Yearout]

The majority of discrepancies I've found have been in the stock dimensions, mostly DAC and DAH. Whether the letters are wrong or the wood has moved...? Can't say. I did have a 20ga Fox that turned into a 16ga once but the letter was corrected when I pointed it out.

[Brett Trimble]

Mr. Bishop,

I would like to start by saying thank you! The service that you and the Parker Association provide through making production information available is invaluable. It is wonderful to have a source of “truth” if you will about these guns that we all love.

My “roulette” reference was to how a given gun has been altered through the years. The letter is correct… the gun may or may not be not be!

All the best,
Brett Trimble

[Chuck Bishop]

Hi Brett. The only person I allow to call me Mr. Bishop is Mr. Jimmy Hall, everyone else should just call me Chuck:) Thanks for the kind words.
Chuck

[Garry L Gordon]

Chuck is a rock star of Parkerdom. :bowdown: And I wish I had had him along to help me read student handwriting back in the "old days" of teaching. How he deciphers those records is beyond me.

[Steve Cambria]

No worries on the "Mr. Bishop", Brett. He also responds to "His Eminence" and at times demands that a few of us Fox guys kiss his ring!!! Brutal. :banghead:

[Mills Morrison]

I get a letter on every Parker I have that has records. I always learn something even if it is confirming what is there is original or not. Only with a letter can a run of the mill SBT turn into the one Fred Gilbert likely used to break the long run record