Parker 20 ga questions

[Bob Anderson]

I have just recently obtained a Parker shotgun that I have some questions about. To begin with the serial # is 241686
The grade is a VH stamped on the water table, but it has ejectors. Should E be stamped after the VH for an ejector gun, or could they have been added later? The mat rib between the barrels is not stamped anywhere. All of the guns I have seen have the barrel type and maufactuer on them. The gun has also been restocked by Fajen many years ago. How much does this detract from it's value if any? I know pictures are essential so I have encluded some. If you need to see something else specif just ask.
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[Dave Suponski]

Bob, You have got yourself a wonderful gun there. Remington Parker near the end of production. The VH marking on the watertable is typical of Remington era guns. Also the unmarked rib is correct for the Remington produced Parkers. By the way the red bead is correct also.The only detraction from original I see is the Fajen butt plate.

[Bob Anderson]

Do you think the wood is correct?

[Justin Julian]

Bob, Was the gun actually restocked by Fajen, or is that just a Fajen replacement butt plate on the original Parker stock? The wood to metal fit looks like Parker factory to me; no Fajen stock that I've ever seen fit so well. I might replace the pad with a classic looking Silver's style pad, and that's about all that I'd do. Fantastic looking case colors and screw slots. A valuable Parker 20 gauge indeed. I doubt a similar one could be purchased on the open market for less than $4,000 based on my internet auction observations.

[George Lander]

Bob: To answer your other question, Parker guns with ejectors were typically stamped "VH" on the watertable and "V" if they were extractor. You have a very nice Remington Parker and $4,000 sounds about right.

Best Regards, George

[Bob Anderson]

That I am not sure about. I agree the wood to metal finish is perfect. The one thing I have reservations about is the forearm does not have the metal end cap that I have seen on other Parkers.
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[Justin Julian]

Yup, the forend does look different and the lack of a steel forend tip in a Parker (that is not a beavertail) is unusual. Perhaps that was a late era Remington variation? I don't know, but someone on this forum will.

[Dave Suponski]

Looks to me that the gun was restocked. The wrist checkering patter looks to be in the D grade style but without the drop points on the cheeks. The forend checkering pattern looks to be V grade. Parker guns had the forend tip until the end of production except for Trojan grade guns. Still in all a very nice gun.

[Brian Dudley]

Yeah. I am not too up to speed on Remington Era checkering quite yet. But my vote is a restock. The checkering is fully pointed up which would be incorrect for a V grade. Also the bead border is not Parker as well. I am also unsure if the pattern would have wrapped around the bottom of the wrist like that. And the lack of metal forend tip is a dead givaway.

Also, shuldn't the case colors be cyanide type being a remington gun?

[Justin Julian]

Brian,
Looking at the bright purples, especially on the underside of the forend iron, I do not think that's bone charcoal case coloring. My vote is that it is original Remington era case colors. So as a stocker, how hard would you think it to be to reshape the forend slightly to make it look more Parker original, and add a steel insert tip? If it were my gun, that's what I'd probably want to do, in addition to adding a classic looking Silver's recoil pad.

[Brian Dudley]

Doing that type of work to that forend would not be too difficult. It does look as if the forend might be a bit shorter than it should be. But the perspective in that picture is a bit deceptive. It looks like it might have more of the shape and length of a Trojan forend. The short length might make it a little difficult to get the right shape to the wood leading down to an added metal forend tip.

[edgarspencer]

I'm hard pressed to believe that's a Fajen stock. If it is, it's the best fit I have ever seen. If you're planning on keeping the gun, who cares; it's a nice stock. If it were my gun, I would have a Dog's head butt plate put on, which is more in keeping with a VHE 20ga.
I do have a fore end tip around here somewhere, but it's from a higher grade gun, and probably B or A.

[Justin Julian]

A DHBP would look great, but since its already wearing a recoil pad that looks to be about an inch thick, I'm assuming that a DHBP would leave it with too short of a length of pull. I agree, if that's a Fajen buttstock, its the best one I've ever seen.

[Bob Anderson]

Thank you all for the great input. I have been asked to sell this and several other guns by a deceased friend's wife. Therefore I will not be making any modifications to any of the guns. They were all used for quail hunting in middle Ga & South Texas. There was only this one Parker and it appears he had the gun fitted to him. Some of the other guns also appear to have had stock work done. Mostly to lengthen the pull as he was a tall man.

[Bruce Day]

Late Rem Parker ( this is one of the last Parkers) forends were broader and flatter than earlier Parker forends and to the end of production, original Parker forends for graded guns had tips.

Fajen Gunstocks of Warsaw, Missouri made Parker stocks that were machine inletted and for extra cost, could be checkered by them. The stocks could be ordered in various grades of black walnut from local trees. Guns could be sent to the Fajen custom shop for hand fitting. Donnie Gemmes was the last production manager for Fajen and other fine stockists worked there. The issue was time and money. We very often see D grade guns here without drop points, too thick wrist and butt and with steeply angled thumb grooves, a dead telltale for Fajen standard replacement stocks.

For those who care about Parker authenticity, a replacement stock that is not true to Parker form will significantly degrade value. We have consistantly seen that value in Parkers is directly related to authenticity.