Seen Many of These?

[Bruce Day]

Something not at every armory gunshow:

[charlie cleveland]

they shoulda made enough of these little 410 s were every body coulda had one...one nice little gun...ive got my first parker 410 to hold in my hand of any kind... charlie

[Frank Allegra]

Beautiful little gun. I love all the eye candy that this site brings to my eyes.

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Bruce, A very rare 410, only 4-5made, was fortunate to own one a while back, was originaly owned by Forest Marshal and even had a letter with it. good to see another!

[Dean Romig]

4 - 5 made? I thought there were fewer, like maybe as many as 3.

[Tom Kidd]

Good Morning Bruce, Brings back some great memories of one of the last Baltimore shows up in the hotel, where I had a PHE 410 that sure looked like the one you have pictured. I had it on the arm from an elderly fellow out near Lancaster, Pa. for $375 and I was always at the table with Paul Carson and Bob Purska in those early Baltimore days, so I took it down for Paul, and he said "lay it on the table" for $595. As I remember, it sold Saturday morning for $550 and I had hit a home run with a kool $175 profit. (Thinking back; tongues were really wagging, as everyone appreciated the small bore's rarity and the HIGH price paid, Ha!) Remember, my dual quad, small block '56 Delivery with OD got over 20 mpg and gas was 5 gallons for a buck at the Merit Station in P-Burg, NJ., and the motel out to the west of Baltimore was ~$6.00 a night, so that was a great day for a recently returned GI. Ahhhhhh, the good old days.

Around that same time period, I also had a AAHE 28ga on the arm for $2000 and Paul gave me a 100 bucks for my troubles of finding and picking it up in NY and bringing it down to W. Va. He sold it to a friend somewhere in Va. on the phone while I was visiting with him that weekend and he gave me an additional 50 bucks. Early Baltimore memories include the time when Paul had a choice A-1S, an Optimus, and a FE Fox, all killer condition 12's on his Baltimore table, and the sign said $1500 your choice. The A-1S and the FE ended up in upstate NY ($1500 was out of my league so I missed the FE) and I don't know where the Optimus disappeared to. I still know where the FE resides. Around the same time, an orig. 26" 20ga. Krupp FE Fox showed up at the Greensburg show for $1250 and I couldn't fund it either. Sorry if I have jacked this thread but I could go on all day about the early days when my passions were for my sweetheart, still married after 48 years, fast racecars, grouse hunting, and Ansley's finest. Hmmmmm, still the same passions! Life is Good and May Everyone Have An Outstanding Day. Tom

[Bruce Day]

Tom, thanks for the memories. This P and many other fine guns I have pictured belongs to Charlie Herzog, who declines to post here. I know you know him and he will read this. I have some nice guns, far fewer than Charlie's. I also remember when Parker's were inexpensive, after all , you could buy a new Superposed for $450, so why would a person ever spend more than that on an old fashioned Parker? Yes, and gas was less than $1/gal and cars had more room and got only slightly less gas mileage than cars of today....as a kid we had a Mercedes that got 25mpg at highway speeds.....the same as the ones today, so how far have we come? I still have one from when I was a young man. Charlie still has his late 60's Grand Prix hardtop with big engine.

Tom, thanks for the reminises. While this is a Parker site, you have always had some of the finest Foxes, and I like to think we have the finest American double gun site, so please post away. I'd like to see some of Ansley's best.

Its always been a dream of mine to have more than a Parker/L C Smith Challenge. I'd like to have an American doubles challenge weekend where we have all the great names and teams shooting them against each other....oh well, what could be!

[David Holes]

Thats a great idea Bruce, maybe we could have it in your neck of the woods? Dave

[Bruce Day]

The closest we came was when Jack Puglisi was sponsoring the Duluth shoot, and Mike Koranda and I set up a make challenge as part of that. It was a lot of fun and the Fox guys edged out Team Parker, followed by Elsie's boys, Browning boys , etc. Yes, I'd like it located in the central US, or at least east to Ohio, etc, but we would need a venue and committment.

Then there is the Flatwater in Syracuse NE......the most fun you can have with your socks on.

[Brian Dudley]

Ed M. (author of Parker Guns, the old Reliable) said that the PH .410 could have been the rarest parker of all. At the time of writing, there was only 1 known and it was thought to be the only made. Evidently the records show a few more than that. But it still is by all means, one of the rarest out there.

[Bruce Day]

I would rely on TPS and the Serialization Book. There is even a faked 410 P.

[Tom Kidd]

Hello Again, A call from a friend last night prompted me to dig this up for your viewing pleasure. Although not a Parker piece, it came about when Mr. Carson won the Ohio State Shoot and declined the L.C. Smith Speciality Single Barrel Trap gun that was offered to him as he was a Parker nut through and through. He always told the story of how the L.C. Smith Co. then custom made this gold and enamel bolo for him instead. Upon his passing he directed that it go to Bob Purska, then on to me. It was 'lost' when Bob passed away but was later found hidden where he last lived and it was personally delivered to me by Mr. Carson's son-in-law. Wow, talk about devine intervention. You Parker old timers will remember Paul was never seen without it at a show and I watched a lot of gun nuts try and purchase it from him in vain over the years. All Great Stuff! Always remember Life is Good, Treat it with Respect.

[charlie cleveland]

i like parkers but i think i woulda have to took that single barrel smith...mighty fine storey and a good lookin piece it is.... thanks for showing.... charlie

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Talking about rare Fox guns, I just saw a dandy the other day. A friend just purchased a Fox HE that was owned by Marse Henry of Nash Buckingham fame. Now that's a gun!


Destry

[Bruce Day]

The P 410 on a southwest Kansas pheasant.

[Mike Shepherd]

Now that is a dream Bruce! Over your dog?

I watched my shooting student Chuck H. take several Kansas Roosters one day over his English Pointer with his Ithaca .410. I also watched said pointer clear out all the pheasant in a quarter section of dry lake bed weeds in four minutes flat.

[Bruce Day]

CH shot the rooster, its his gun. He carried the 410 for two days waiting for a good shot and finally got a 15-20 foot crossing shot where he could hit the bird in the head. Have to pick your shots carefully with a 410.

Congratulations on your bird dog win. Its a heck of a note when the dog gets a higher stud fee than its owner.

[Scott Gentry]

Hello Again, A call from a friend last night prompted me to dig this up for your viewing pleasure. Although not a Parker piece, it came about when Mr. Carson won the Ohio State Shoot and declined the L.C. Smith Speciality Single Barrel Trap gun that was offered to him as he was a Parker nut through and through. He always told the story of how the L.C. Smith Co. then custom made this gold and enamel bolo for him instead. Upon his passing he directed that it go to Bob Purska, then on to me. It was 'lost' when Bob passed away but was later found hidden where he last lived and it was personally delivered to me by Mr. Carson's son-in-law. Wow, talk about devine intervention. You Parker old timers will remember Paul was never seen without it at a show and I watched a lot of gun nuts try and purchase it from him in vain over the years. All Great Stuff! Always remember Life is Good, Treat it with Respect.

Very close to this design, beautiful

[Jerry McCarty]

I saw two .410's sitting next to each other in a rack at my gunsmiths shop on Wednesday of this week. I was discussing some barrel work needed on one of my A.H. Fox guns and got around to checking out the other guns awaiting service and there on the end of the rack were a VH and what I believe to be a PH. Both looked to be in original condition with the VH showing the most hunting wear. The other (PH?) was in excellent condition and sporting loads of color on the action and very good bluing on the barrels... I believe the guns were acquired foe a collector and were on for a strip & lube but did not ask... I can probably find out more about the guns as the person who dropped them at the shop is known to me. Very cool to stumble across this pair...

Jerry