To P or not to P- The last one.

[Daryl Corona]

Came across this little 20 the other day. In all my years I have'nt seen one PHE20 and in the space of 7 days I run across 2. I was'nt at home so I called my researcher D. Suponski to see if he was near his TPS or serialization book. He was. I gave him the s/n and he immediately became unglued. According to TPS, Vol.1, p.268, Parker PHE s/n 235972 was the last P grade made and I'm about to cut a deal for it. Well here it is, I hope the pictures due it justice. It was still in the break down canvas case complete with cleaning rod. It had been stored in this case for over 25yrs. in a garage, along with a sweet mod.12 in 16ga., circa 1920. The gun is really an interesting piece and the story of how I found it and it's history I'll be working on for a future PP's article. I'd love to know where 202298 is. I'll have the gun at the Southern.

[Russ Jackson]

WOW :shock:! Daryl ,You are a fortunate Man indeed , What a Beautiful Gun ,Congratulations on a Great find ! Russ

[Daryl Corona]

I scanned the PGCA letter and it is attached to the original post but you have to click on it to show. Don't know what I did wrong. This next set of pics. includes my VHE20 which is 4 digits lower (235968) than the P and both guns have no Parker name on the sides of the frame but are marked on the rib properly. Also had to throw in the m12 for Dave.

[Dave Noreen]

Daryl,

Great find!! Gonna be running out of room in your gun safe. Better move tha B-Grade PAC gun!!

Dave

[scott kittredge]

very nice, good for you daryl :bowdown: will we see it in PA? scott

[Mark Ouellette]

Holy P-Grade Lab Man!!!

That is one heck of a nice gun! With engraving like that who needs a D Grade?

Mark

[Craig Larter]

Daryl: Great find and handsome looking gun. Can't wait to hear the rest of the story. Thanks for posting the pictures and sharing. Craig

[Dave Suponski]

Great story. Congrats Daryl! TPS states that 192515 is the first serial number for a P grade with fluid steel barrels but also notes that missing stock books could list lower number guns with steel barrels. Anyway the second set of barrels off of 202298 that became your gun was a fairly early set. Pretty cool....from one of the earliest to the last one. Never say never...

[Brian Dudley]

Is that a Remington Made P grade? I notice the lack of Parker Bros. engaved on the side.

[Daryl Corona]

Thanks to all for the comments. The gun is true to the PGCA letter and you have to see the receiver to appreciate the case color that is left. I only wish it gave some shipping/order info.
Dave- Yeah, the safe is overloaded but this little, bitty gun don't take up much room. I had to cut the 32"barrels of the PAC gun down to 24" to make room for the new addition.
Scott- I'll be there.
Brian- Yes, both guns pictured are what I call transition guns having been made in 1931, but no shipping or order info. was available. Being 4 digits apart I assume they were probably on the same
workbench at some time in 1931. The search goes on.
Mark- Yes it is a pretty P grade but oh those D's are sweet.

[Justin Julian]

What a treasure! Any idea whether the collapsed ventilated pad is original? If not, any plans to replace it with something more historically accurate like a red solid Silver's?

[ed good]

very nice...

[Daryl Corona]

Justin,
Thanks.
Pretty sure pad (Jostam "No Flinch") is factory. I'll wait until the Southern to get some
opinions on choice of pad before I do a replacement.

[Dean Romig]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy! Congratulations Daryl.

P.S. I wouldn't touch that pad.... but, of course, it's your gun.

(I don't think a new pad on Burt Spiller's VHE 20 could possibly improve that gun and Morris doesn't think so either.)

[Daryl Corona]

That's the way I'm leaning Dean. Thanks for the comment.

[Bill Murphy]

My gosh, leave the pad alone. It could easily be factory. Check your information for year of manufacture. It doesn't look like a 1931 gun to me. Daryl, I'll see you at Sanford.

[Justin Julian]

Yup, if that pad is factory original, keep it on the gun.
Does anyone know of a way to rejuvinate a dried out ventilated pad to restore its shape and flexibility?

[Dean Romig]

In fact, your P has a leather faced pad just like Spiller's and is in the same serail number range too if I'm not mistaken - I'll check my records tonight.

I'm thinking a letter might show it to be a '32 or '33 YOP gun.

[Chuck Bishop]

Daryl,

Why don't you just put a new pad on it and keep the old one locked up in your safe. You'll have the comfort of shooting with a new soft pad and if you want it back to the way you bought it, it only takes a few minutes to swap it out!

If we have time this Saturday, bring a pad along and I'll fit it for you. It's supposed to rain again this Saturday although I don't think as much as last year.

[Daryl Corona]

Bill,Dean,
Factory letter is included in my first post as a pdf file. Click on it and it should open. Letter states 1931 mfg as is my VHE which is 4 digits lower. I'm inclined to leave pad alone. I looks much worse in the photos than in person. As I am not as much of a collector as I am a shooter this gun will not be shot that much, maybe 1-2 times/year. If someone could tell me what I did wrong with trying to post the PGCA letter I'll try and re-post it tonight.

[Craig Larter]

Daryl: You need to convert the letter file to a .JEG file instead of a .PDF file, here ya go. Craig

[Dave Noreen]

Daryl,

How is the little PHE chambered? My little 26-inch Vulcan Steel barrel, VH-Grade, 0-frame, 20-gauge, serial number 235178, which letters as being shipped November 11, 1930, has the 2 3/8 inch chambers intended for the old 2 1/2 inch 20-gauge shells.

Dave

[Daryl Corona]

Dave,
She has 2 1/2" chambers. My VHE 4 digits earlier has 2 3/4" chambers. I have a 32" DH damascus that was ordered in 1892 with 2 3/4" chambers and 3 1/2lb. trigger pulls and lettered as such. I guess they would do whatever the customer wanted. What a novel idea. You think it would work today?

[Dean Romig]

Burt Spiller's 20 ga. VHE with single trigger is numbered 236252 and was completed on April 15, 1934. The period following the crash of 1929 saw a huge reduction in the numbers of Parker shotguns produced annually. In 1931 only 293 Parkers were produced followed by 112 in 1932, 83 in 1933 and then 289 in 1934. It was a rough time at the Parker Bros. Gun Works and these times lead to the sale of the Parker Gun Works early in 1934 to Remington Arms. These were the "transition years", especially '33 and '34 where we witness the lack of "Parker" anything on the frame and the rib, grip cap and buttplate were the only places we see anything referencing Parker Bros.