2011 Lookback

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Well, with 2011 waning, and the new year approaching, tell us about that special Parker you bought in 2011. Be it Trojan or A1- special! As for me it would be the nice 11ga lifter I was fortunate to come upon at the Southern last year, grade 3, 30" damascus. Love that gun!

[Jeff Kuss]

Now Gary, How do we top that?
Jeff

[Mark Ouellette]

I offer my empty pockets as evidence that this has been a very good year to buy those Parkers that haven't seen daylight in a couple of generations... :) But there were no 11 gauges for me, only long barreled Parker 10's and 12's along with a pair of their foxey cousins.

[Bill Murphy]

Hmmm. This year. I'll have to think about that. Now this week I bought a screaming #3 frame lifter, 1880, no screw ever turned, including the buttplate. I can't believe how these things go 131 years without abuse or neglect.

[Kenny Graft]

I bought a sweet little Dh O-frame 26" F/F from Greens guns. It sat on my pre gun safe rack for about two weeks. This was in early april....I was walking my brand new Gordon setter puppy out back and herd a turkey gobble!, and it was turkey season! We walked back up to the house and I swaped pup for the Parker and a camo hat, two B&P 2 5/8 no.5 loads and a turkey call and headed out back. I had never fired this little 1903 parker as yet. ......couple calls...couple clucks and I could see his head only 30 feet to my left in some real thick stuff...his body hidden by a 18" tree. I slowly snaked the muzzle between the limbs and twigs I was hidding behind....put the beed on that red head and POW....I stood upfast to see a turkey hot footing it....must have been the gobler. The bird I shot was flopping and when I turned my head to look I could see two black boddies just a floppin. Turns out a 2nd jake must have stuck his head out at a very wrong moment......(-: WOW>>two bird with my very first shot, from a short shelled 16ga. 1oz load and a Parker built 108 years ago!!!! sweet deal that morning...Thanks all SXS ohio...

[David Dwyer]

Gary
I added one of my all time favorite Parkers to the family this year, a D grade 20 ga steel barreled top lever hammergun. It came from a good friend that makes it even sweeter. It will be hard for me to top that in 12, but some nice guns are coming out of the woodwork
Happy New Year
David

[chris dawe]

I just added a PH 16 with twist barrel's ,I don't have her in hand yet as I told the guy not to mail her till after the holiday's....
I can't wait !!!

[Bruce Day]

My only new gun in several years, courtesy of a fine member, and I would not have done it had another fine member not urged me to.

My only hammer gun. 1885 C Bernard top action hammer 12ga. Spent many years at the Charles Parker Salesroom in New York City, and went back and forth several times to Meriden, one of them presumably to have the rib matted when matting came out in 1886.

[scott kittredge]

i think for me, is my new lifter 10 ga.this is the 1st hammer gun i have owned, and i kill a goose and a mallard with it on my 1st hunt . now for a 12 ga. hammer :corn: scott

[Richard Flanders]

Bruce: My guess is that your arm didn't require more than 30seconds in a sling to recover from the twisting necessary to convince you to buy that beauty. Truly stunning. I can only dream of ever owning such a fine gun.

[Dean Romig]

Bruce, is the dog on the floorplate pointing along a plank fence or a graveyard or a cliff face... or what? A very nice Grade 4 hammer gun!!

[Bruce Day]

Bruce, is the dog on the floorplate pointing along a plank fence or a graveyard or a cliff face... or what? A very nice Grade 4 hammer gun!!


I believe it is a plank fence. I believe the bird is a prairie grouse. See if you agree.

[David Dwyer]

Bruce
You lucky devel! I have coveted that gun for many years but would not pay the vig. It could not have gone to a better home.
David

[Tom Brown]

My hat is off to you, wish I had one like that, good show!

[Russ Jackson]

Decisions ,Decisions Decisions ???? Which is the favorite 2011 gun ,Well I purchased two this year a DHE 28 Ga. W/ 30" Barrels and " The Little Gun " from ,Chuck at Greenes , the 28 is super but is a little long in the LOP for me and the 410 seems to be a perfect fit ,as a matter of fact I read this post early this morning before I left for a Fine Day of Pheasant hunting and couldn't make up my mind ,but after all is said and done ,I have to say the 410 is the nicest gun I believe I have ever purchased ! Myself and two friends did a preserve style hunt today ,we hunted birds previously stocked ,with no planted Birds ,using our own Dogs ,we managed nine Pheasant and three Chuckers ! I carried the 410 and managed four Pheasant ,with only one miss for the day ,and my Buddies ,one carried a 410 and the other a 12 Ga. ,mine was the only Parker in the bunch ,sad to say !

[Dean Romig]

I agree with you Bruce, a plank fence or stockade of some sort.

Thanks for the close-up.

[charlie cleveland]

i too say its a fence..as for the bird i dont know only seen pictures you guys have posted... charlie

[Michael K. Burnley]

Beautiful Parker Bruce, and it does look like a fence. I would like to have one that nice looking one of these days. I got my first Parker in March of this year, a 12ga. VH, 2 frame, 30 full and full. I now have 3. I picked up a rough looking 12 VH at a local auction, but it shoots good. Then I got a nice 20ga. Trojan, supposedly reconditioned by Delgrego. That one looks so nice I haven't even shot it yet. I also picked up a couple of others that are not Parkers. I like guns enough that my wife started a new policy. ONE GUN IN, ONE GUN OUT. My wife goes to shoots with me all the time so she knows the difference between guns. Mike

[Bruce Day]

Bruce
You lucky devel! I have coveted that gun for many years but would not pay the vig. It could not have gone to a better home.
David

David, maybe I could have made a personal recommendation to people at the Bank of Bloomsdale, MO. They probably could have issued a revolving line of credit.

Michael, although I have accumulated a few decent guns over the years, I think a person interested in Parkers can start with a nice collection at very low cost. If I were looking to spend very little money and get the most bang for it, I'd buy a 12ga GH damascus and a 16 or 20 ga Trojan, both maybe in need of a little fluffing up. There are a lot out there, you can find ones that have not been ruined and they are very functional and well made.

[FRANK HALSEY]

This year I got a GHE vented 32" trap, Trojan that was mint in 12 ga., a SB single barrel trap, two SC single barrel traps and 28 ga. barrels from Tony for my VH 20 ga. I am looking forward to see everyone at the southern s x s event again soon. Thanks, Frank

[chris dawe]

My only new gun in several years, courtesy of a fine member, and I would not have done it had another fine member not urged me to.

My only hammer gun. 1885 C Bernard top action hammer 12ga. Spent many years at the Charles Parker Salesroom in New York City, and went back and forth several times to Meriden, one of them presumably to have the rib matted when matting came out in 1886.

Forgive my ignorance....the bent top lever, is it factory correct ?

[calvin humburg]

Why don't you fellows add pictures. Seeing is better. Got a Trojan 16. 12625

12626

12627

[Bruce Day]

Chris, yes the hooked or fishtail top lever is common in the hammer and early hammerless guns. Many have been shown in this forum, the Parker Pages and The Parker Story.
If you are interested in Parkers, I urge you to join the PGCA and to obtain TPS. The PGCA is only $40/year, less than the price of a tank of gas for most people.

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Please post photo's, I can't cause i am not at home, I have a confession to make I also bought another gun at the Southern, hope my wife don't read this! Also bought it from a long time member who had owned it for over 25 years, a 14ga that is shown in several Parker books, 30" Damascus in wonderful shape with some case left, ser# 1147 and of course it's a hammer gun!

[Dean Romig]

There is a very good article in an issue of Double Gun Journal from the late 1990's by Charlie Price addressing the "fishtail" or "hooked" top lever. It is a very enlightening article by one of the authors of The Parker Story. I'll post the issue tonight after I look through my stack.

[Russ Jackson]

Calvin,That is a fine looking Trojan 16 Ga. ,I like the early Trojans like yours with the Rib Extensions the best ! My first Parker was an early 16 Ga. Trojan with the Rib Extension ,choked so tight I had to shoot Spreaders out of her to hit anything ! A great gun !!! I added a picture with a pair of Roosters from one of my first hunts with it ! Russ

[Chuck Bishop]

This 1876 12ga underlifter was advertised in the Parkers for Sale section, didn't get any takers and was then listed on one of the online auction sites, again with no takers. The seller was local so we met and now it's mine.

Stub twist swamped rib 30" barrels and a straight grip stock with perfect dimensions for me.

The gun needed much TLC. The receiver and barrels were caked in dried up oil and grease, the barrels were off face and only slightly pitted, the trigger pulls in excess of 8lbs, the head of the stock was almost black, and worst of all someone decided to try their hand at checkering.

After much cleaning, the receiver and barrels are clean, the stock was soaked in acetone for many days and most of the darkness is gone. A .004 shim put the barrels back on face and Dewey Vicknair adjusted the trigger pulls to 4lbs each. The hardest part was trying to sand out the deep lines from the checkering. Had I sanded down all the way, the shape would have been altered on both the forend and buttstock. There are a few lines still visable but are filled flat with finish. I think I'll wait a few months for the finish to fully cure, then take some of the shine off.

It's fun putting these old guns back in decent shape.

[Mike Shepherd]

Well I have already posted about this gun back in April so this is kind of like warmed up leftovers. But it has been awhile. I picked a nice litte 5lb 13 oz Parker AHE 20 gauge made in the mid-twenties. 26" barrels, stock extension with original SSBP. Has recent London proofs. Shooter condition.

[Russ Jackson]

Mike ,A beautiful gun ,congrats on a great find ,I especially like the engraved Quail ,my CHE 20 has a pair of Quail on the bottom of the receiver, just thought you may like to see them ! Russ

[Dean Romig]

Rus, you're killin' me... but you know that.

Calvin, that is one beautiful Trojan!!

The DGJ issue with Charlie's article on the "fishtail" top lever is the Winter 1993 issue on page 143.

[Mike Shepherd]

Very nice Russ. My picture of the quail isn't as good as yours but they are very similar. I really like that engraving.

Best,

Mike

[Dean Romig]

Very nice Russ. My picture of the quail isn't as good as yours but they are very similar. I really like that engraving.

Best,

Mike

That engraving is courtesy of Robert Runge.

[calvin humburg]

Russ, You still got that Trojan. Very nice one also, mine is IC and Full. So the fellow I got it from said. Need to pattern it. I don't have to use the left side much except the other day wow it was bad should of had 4 ended up with 2 and the dog found one with a broken wing going back to the truck must of winged him in the tall stuff. That is the day Sam said Hey dumb ass why you zappin me for i'm on point, luckly it was only on 2. I had given up on that tall weed patch when I went back to check on him there must of 6 roosters and some hens in there. Yes follow your dog his nose is better than my brain!!!

[Russ Jackson]

Good Morning Calvin ,Your'e dead right on trusting your Dog if he's proven himself in the past ,Two Buddies and myself were out on Monday ,Old chip locked up tighter than a drum right along the woods edge and a very short grass field . I took a good look of the area and went into the sparse little clumps of briar to flush ,nothing out of the first ,or the next etc.etc etc., Once Chip sets point ,he generally won't move until given the " Release Command " I did and he wouldn't budge ,I said Release again and touched him on top of his head ,he still wouldn't move ???? I told my Buds ,he generally doesn't lie and started a good search of the area ,I happened to look into the woods and there sure enough backed up against a small oak about 20 yards away was the old pheasant ,sitting tight and trying to pretend it wasn't there well I would like to tell you we got him ,but not the case ,I told my Buddy Rich ,stand out in the open ,I will circle the tree ,he will probably flush dead at you let him go by and take him going away !!!! Everything worked great ,except for my Buddy :rotf: ,Of course we didn't rib him !! As for the Trojan ,I don't own the gun any more ,I hadn't carried it for some time and decided to let her go ,the good news ,one of our Fellow Mebers has it tucked away in his safe ! Russ

[calvin humburg]

Ol Chip sounds great what flavor is he? I have a NH I need to turn into something but I just can't do quite yet. best ch

[Robert Rambler]

Saw that hammer gun of Chucks in action Thursday morning. It put a real hurtin of a bunch of clay birds! :)

[Jack Cronkhite]

I told my Buddy Rich ,stand out in the open ,I will circle the tree ,he will probably flush dead at you let him go by and take him going away !!!! Everything worked great ,except for my Buddy :rotf: ,Of course we didn't rib him !!

A missed rooster is part of the game.

Giving a buddy such a great opportunity, complete with instructions for success, demonstrates true friendship and sportsmanship.

Being able to rib same buddy for years to come - simply priceless:)