Price check: 20 ga VHE

[Jay Gardner]

Looking at a 20 ga VHE with the following specs (all confirmed with a Research Letter):

32" barrels (full/full)
Chambers: 2-7/8"
Straight stock (DAC=1-5/8, DAH=2-1/4)
#1 Frame
Silvers pad
Weight: 6-lbs, 12-ozs.

Gun is in excellent condition, although I believe it has been refinished (by someone who does good work). Colors look a little dark to me.

Fair price?

Thanks,

JDG

[Ed Blake]

What is the for sale price?

[Jay Gardner]

Owner wants me to make an offer.

[Ed Blake]

Puglisi had a similar gun earlier in the summer, but it was an extractor gun. Price was $3,995. It had honest wear, but had a nasty looking dent in the right barrel. It had an O frame. I have wondered if someone here got that gun. I agree with Jent on the high end, Might be worth more. Sounds like a great gun.

[Dave Miles]

A good Parker 20 gauge SXS with 32 inch barrels is probably a $3000 to $3500 shotgun in my opinion. The same gun with 28 inch barrels would be a $1800 to $2400 gun.
Good Shooting To You, Jent



I'd love to find a good condition, 20 gauge VHE, with a straight stock, 28" barrels, for $1800 to $2400.

[Greg Baehman]

I'd love to find a good condition, 20 gauge VHE, with a straight stock, 28" barrels, for $1800 to $2400.
I agree.

The only way you'll find a good conditioned 20-ga. VHE with a straight stock, 28" barrels, for $1800 to $2400 is if the owner has it mis-priced or doesn't know what he's got. These are $4000+ guns and a 32" gun may be a little more...I could be wrong though--but I don't think so.

[Richard Flanders]

Agreed; you're not wrong Greg. $2400 for that gun in 28" would be low, depending somewhat on the refinish quality of course. I thought I did ok getting an all original 28" VH20 for $3400 a few years back... BEFORE prices went ballistic. If mine had a straight stock and ejectors, I'd still be laughing. The only reason I got it for what I did is that it has 3"DAH so no one wanted it. I had to clean up and reblue a patch of lightly corroded finish on one barrel breech(the seller never mentioned that little issue of course); other than that it's in excellent condition - maybe 75% or so... maybe a bit higher. It's very clean.

[Jay Gardner]

This is an interesting prediciment. Presented with an opportunity to buy a 20 ga V with straight stock and 28" barrels for $2,800 I would jump in a heartbeat. In addition to the diserable configuration, there is probably nothing that could not be hunted with that gun and if I could have only one SxS it would probably be that gun (talking real world here, not English guns). However, the gun in question is a #1 frame 20 that is pushing 7 lbs when loaded - not a terribly practicle or verstatile gun and I think a lot of the value is probably based on it being collectable. However, it's been re-finished andthere goes the collectability.

Based on the contents of the letter, I believe this gun was built specifically for the pigeon rings and/or duck marshes of California. Regardless, it's a pretty specialized gun probably best suited today for clays, phez, and ducks over decoys. Perhaps I am trying to justify a lower offer but that's why I ask.

Any additional thoughts?

JDG

[Dean Romig]

Two years ago that would have been a $6500 gun...
today - $4500 - $5000.
No, it's not an upland gun, but quite unusual and collectible yet.

[Austin W Hogan]

Charlie Price wrote a series of articles titled "Whatsitworth" for Parker Pages when he began the magazine format. He likened collecting to a search for a white crow; collectors search for guns that should not be there. These include long and short barrels, mis matched gauge and frame , etc. Enough 32 inch twenties have surfaced to remove their white crow status.
Forbes, WSJ and CNBC.com have run articles on collecting as an investment in this time of low interest rate. They have concluded that where sold is a major factor in sale price.

Best, Austin

[Francis Morin]

This is an interesting prediciment. Presented with an opportunity to buy a 20 ga V with straight stock and 28" barrels for $2,800 I would jump in a heartbeat. In addition to the diserable configuration, there is probably nothing that could not be hunted with that gun and if I could have only one SxS it would probably be that gun (talking real world here, not English guns). However, the gun in question is a #1 frame 20 that is pushing 7 lbs when loaded - not a terribly practicle or verstatile gun and I think a lot of the value is probably based on it being collectable. However, it's been re-finished andthere goes the collectability.

Based on the contents of the letter, I believe this gun was built specifically for the pigeon rings and/or duck marshes of California. Regardless, it's a pretty specialized gun probably best suited today for clays, phez, and ducks over decoys. Perhaps I am trying to justify a lower offer but that's why I ask.

Any additional thoughts?

JDG-- It would be a great pass shooting dove gun- 32" barrels most likely balance better on a size 1 frame- But in my late granddad's day- box birds were always a 12 gauge game- due to the amount of sinero on the line- a 12 will always outperform a 20, just as a 20 will outperform a .410--Has the Parker market gotten softer this year, compared to 2008, when the 'sky was the limit? Boy Howdy- I look at the ads and prices Jay Schacter (sic) is asking for his high-end guns on GI and other sites and you wouldn't know it. Reconditioned Parkers by Del Grego and Turnbull, with attendant letters to prove it- are they worth the asking prices today? Just wondering is all-:eek::eek:

[Dean Romig]

Francis, an "asking price" is exactly that... an asking price. It's a starting place most of the time, but sometimes it's a firm price.

Every Parker I've seen Jay put on the net for sale has been a nice gun - granted, some of them are refinished guns, but nicely done.

Dean

[Francis Morin]

[quote=Dean Romig;48872]Francis, an "asking price" is exactly that... an asking price. It's a starting place most of the time, but sometimes it's a firm price.He does get some beautiful doubles. Jay is a member of our Fruitridge Farms Pheasant Club, and will often bring some fine guns to a Tower shoot, and the post-luncheon pick-up hunt-- He is always willing to let you shoot any of them you wish to try out, and I will give him credit for including all the salient details of a shotgun he is selling in his ads- all info I would want to know firsthand, now if I could only find a spare $50K to 'invest"- ah, there's the rub!!:cool:

[Francis Morin]

When you mentioned the fine ladies of the Baptist Church-- I spent a fair amount of my Stateside time in the USMC (1960-1970) below the Mason-Dixon line- learned to love Southern foods, liquors (except moonshine, aka- Kentucky windage adjustment fluid)-- Just found Rebel Yell whiskey locally- $15.00 per fifth and well worth it-

The Antioch Baptist Church in Deep Hollow was losing their Pastor to retirement, so the Deacons sent to the Seminary School for new recruits- They would visit of a week-end, preach a Sunday sermon, lead the Hymn singin', and offer a blessing at the sit-down picnic potluck on the Church lawn- First candidate, name of Elmer Lantry, visits- at the picnic he tells the Head Deacon- "I really like your Church- what do you figure my chances are to get the calling here?" "Well, Son" replied the HD- "You gave us all a real fire and brimstone sermon, and you sung Rock of Ages with the best of 'em-- but I'm afraid you got yourself in a peck of trouble at the picnic here" -- "How did i do that?-- was there something wrong with the blessin' I gave?" "Oh no, nothing like that- but when my wife asked if you'd care for some more corn, you passed her your glass and not your plate"-- :bigbye::bigbye:

[George Lander]

"Mighty Mighty Pleasin', your Pappy's Corn Squeezing" Francis: Back when I was building houses at $10.00/sq. ft. All of my carpenters, my hardwood flooring guy and some of my brick masons, were all from Swansea, South Carolina, and all made liquor on the side. My wife's cousin was an ATF Agent and they all knew each other intimately.

Best Regards, George

[Bill Murphy]

Francis, I just bought a 750 of Rebel Yell for $8.95 on sale. Are your liquor stores government run?

[Francis Morin]

Francis, I just bought a 750 of Rebel Yell for $8.95 on sale. Are your liquor stores government run? The State of Michigan sets the prices and taxes on both whiskey and whisky. Bushmills, $23.95 fifth including State tax, Wild Turkey 80 proof $20.95 with State tax, Wild Turkey 101 Proof $23.95 with State Tax- and then the 6% sales tax, which also applies to beer and wine. Retail stores are allowed to discount beer and wine and wine coolers only, they have to sell whiskey etc. at the regulated price or lose their license.

I saw my first bottle of Rebel Yell 20 years ago- a neighbor and his missus hailed from Opelika Alabama, I snowplowed his driveway, took in the mail and papers while they went "down home" over Xmas-New years Holidays, and he gave me a fifth of Rebel Yell. I was very surprised to find a fifth at a small party store- great sippin' whiskey 80 proof, mellow and smooth on the rocks-

In our County you cannot by any alcohol before noon on Sundays- after noon from take out (package liquor stores) only beer and wine, no hard liquor on Sundays- BUT you can go to any licensed restaurant and order a 7&7 or a whiskey sour or whatever- after noon-- Now if i can only find some J.T.S. Brown like Paul Newman drank in "The Hustler"!!

[Rich Anderson]

If this gun is located in Grand Rapids MI then I have seen it and the asking price then was around $9K if memory serves...which is a big if:) I considered it briefly but it's such a specialized gun that I put it out of my mind and I didn't think the price was right.

Thanks to one of our members I found a nice solid VH 20 w/28 inch bbls at a very fair price. They are out there good guns at honest prices it's finding them thats the hard part..sometimes.

[Bill Murphy]

I don't think the gun Jent mentions is in Michigan.

[Larry Stauch]

Rare but refinished should be worth about $3,500 for the 32" VHV on a #1 frame.