Parker # 2 for me..... help please!

[johnmac]

well folks i acquired another one here and the only things i know about it is that i like it and probably paid too much,but here she is,fresh utof the woodwork, i have no clue whatseries or birth year or anything at all so any comments would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance
John

[Dean Romig]

Well that last picture sure is an "Oops"

Other than the brazed on forend lug I can't see that the gun has been messed with in any way. Guessing what it will cost to correct that problem... you probably did pay too much.

[Rick Losey]

"birth" year is 1891

according to the book , that 12 bore P grade should be wearing 32 inch barrels.

[George M. Purtill]

Cool serial number though.

[calvin humburg]

You gave the right amount for it you got it. From the looks of the picture the forarm fit is fine the braze job was a success I wouldn't worry about it. Whos going to pull the forend off of it when they look at it? best ch Oh great fishtail PH!

[calvin humburg]

That was weird. first post was gone until I made a new one???

[johnmac]

Great comments fella, thanks to all!


Two questions, what is the grading on this one?

and the second question is more of a comment, but how can you guys be saying I didn't pay too much when you have no idea what I paid ....ha ha.........

[johnmac]

oh yeah 1 more question. the but stock on my other 1 is completely different, is a bit older, but I was wondering is that an original or some kind of add on?

[Brian Dudley]

I was wondering the same thing... Paying too much is all relative.

Looks like the gun has a lot of honest wear, and apart from the "repaired" forend loop, no serious damage.

The P grade was the base grade before the introduction of the VH grade and Trojan. So it is considered a grade 1. Usually fitted with twist steel barrels (as yours is). Some rare examples may have damascus steel. And a small amount had fluid steel before they discontinued the PH grade.

The P grade became kind of a odd duck as time went on since it fell between the VH and GH grades. more people purchased either the cheaper VH or the more embelished and slightly more expensive GH.

Your top lever is wearing in a bit left of where it should be. This can be seen from the "dish" not lining up. This can be corrected if need be. But if the gun is tight, it is not really a concern.

Regarding your other gun. We could give you some ideas if the buttstock is original/correct or not, but we need to see it. Checking for Serial numbers and grade marks under the guard bow is a good place to start too.

[calvin humburg]

1 grade or PH. The butt pad may be aftermarket but looks fine. If you got the gun and had the money screw em if they say you paid to much for it. How else do you buy a gun, with a check book...

[Bill Murphy]

Nice original PH grade with coveted fishtail lever, and great wood to metal fit indicating that is has probably never been taken apart or messed with. It has been hunting a few times and the resulting wear should not be corrected. The forearm repair should be left as is because it would cost a fortune to correct. It should last a lifetime. If the barrels are still 32" and clean and relatively unpitted inside, this should be a superior shooting gun. The old Jostam pad gives the gun even more character.

[George M. Purtill]

I agree with Bill- that pad is sweet.

[johnmac]

well I ended up and about 1500$ for it.....


the other 1 I had was in relic condition but it was a few steps underneath in invincible! had no stock no 4 and but it was a hammer Gunn and the locks screws most of the engraving was still good... I ended up selling it for 2 K+ another thing is I did not take these pictures I will not have the gun in hand for a few more hours . I was told that the lengths of the barrels for this particular gun is an oddity... now don't quote me on this but I think that he said they were 32 inches, I'm not even sure if that means anything....and again I could be wrong about the length of the barrels, but will measure them myself when in hand.

[Bill Murphy]

The screws are pretty exceptional for a gun with this much wear and use. This gun is something of a time warp, or "picture of the past". A serious collector would leave as is. The #2 frame, very heavy weight barrels (4 pounds, 12 ounces before final striking), and 32" length are all desired by modern vintage gun shooters. 121 years old, wow.

[johnmac]

well it sounds like I did okay for the price that I did pay.. and once again this evening , I will take and post some superior quality photos ... now as long as nothing breaks or goes haywire I might actually get to keep this 1 !

[Dean Romig]

I like the old Jostam pad very much. You don't see many of those with the fluting on the sides anymore... very nice.

[johnmac]

thank you to everyone for the positive comments especially for the information. I greatly appreciate it. good news is the pieces now in hand! so there's no going back! now all that's left to do is research what kind of investment I have made.....

[johnmac]

just measured it and they are 32 inch barrels.... can somebody give me some background shed some light on that. I'm under the impression that that is pretty rare ..

[Dean Romig]

Not so much that it may be rare or unusual but that it is desirable to long-range shooters for it's barrel weight and length.

[johnmac]

Long range shooters eh? I was under the impression, this it was nots safe to shoot barrels of this age made from this type of steel ....


also um just got off work and I'm tired as hell but I'm going to try my hardest to get you guys some really good photos, because this pics that I posted from the original owner make this gun look like crapola! in hand it is a work of art ... the engraving the wood hell is a couple of you said it looks like the screws have never been touched ..

[calvin humburg]

Well put Bill.

[Rick Losey]

[QUOTE=johnmac;81883]Long range shooters eh? I was under the impression, this it was nots safe to shoot barrels of this age made from this type of steel ....
QUOTE]

that depends on the condition - same as it does for fluid steel- don't shoot bad barrels of any kind, but if these are in solid condition ---

get some low pressure shells from some one like RST http://www.rstshells.com/

and enjoy the heck out of them

[johnmac]

That's cool. I'll stick with my 870 express when hunting....... I think ill leave the 120 year old shotgun at home..... Hell. I'll probably end up selling this one anyway.... Nog
Sure yet though....i

[Dean Romig]

I was under the impression, this it was nots safe to shoot barrels of this age made from this type of steel ....



Not necessarily so John. Many, many of us shoot our Damascus and Twist and Laminated and Bernard barreled Parkers on a regular basis with the appropriate loads. But our barrels are sound and without compromise so we are quite comfortable shooting them. It is great fun to shoot these old Parkers and give them a little exercise as often as we can.




.

[David Noble]

how can you guys be saying I didn't pay too much when you have no idea what I paid ....ha ha.........

If you think you paid too much for it but you still like it, then you didn't pay too much!:)

At least the seller was honest enough to show you the bad parts up front!
What deal you made from that point should remain between you and him.

[johnmac]

If you think you paid too much for it but you still like it, then you didn't pay too much!:)

At least the seller was honest enough to show you the bad parts up front!
What deal you made from that point should remain between you and him.

True, true... But I am constantly finding deals, scouping them up, enjoying them for a while, then trading, selling, battering, upgrading, ETC...

The seller was a great guy, and as a matter of fact this wasn't a cash deal, but rather a trade... I still believe I gave too much for it.....

[johnmac]

show me what the purchase price of this one was when it was brand new?

[johnmac]

My talk to text isn't so accurate... I was asking if anyone knew and could please tell me how much this shotgun was when it was brand new?

[johnmac]

another question who is the original retailers of Parker Brothers shotguns ? I would like to try to find an original ad for mine... my grandmother has a stack of Sears and Roebuck catalogs from that era was Sears and Roebuck an authorized Parker Brothers dealer ? you think I might have a chance of finding it in there ? if that would really be cool....

[johnmac]

the more I study this bad boy,the more I want to throw it in the safe and leave it there ... hurry this better hang it on the wall for all to see!

[Dean Romig]

Johnmac, I see you are a 'forum member' and not a PGCA Member so please accept this advice.

To begin with I would suggest you go directly to our "PGCA Home" page and click on the FAQ (frequently asked questions) and thoroughly read all of them but especially those that reference identification of Parkers and the various designs of actions and features.

Next, I would suggest you buy a book or two... or three, or four which have been written by Parker Gun 'experts' of their time so you can begin to understand how much there really is to learn about these wonderful old guns. Most of us are still learning about them and will likely continue to learn until the day we die.

The answers to your questions are really very complex and we invite you along with the rest of us in the process of learning.

Please consider joining the PGCA. It is only $40 annually and the benefits are many.

[johnmac]

thank you for your reply Dean, my collecting interest is hardcore into military rifles from World War 1 and World War 2 with a special emphasis on sniper rifles. don't get me wrong I fully appreciate the beauty in history of Parkers, but I am just not that into them, to take it to that level. my number 1 love is K 98's. this Parker is beautiful, and special. I am seriously considering passing it on to someone who would fully appreciate it on a different, stronger, more appreciative level than I do.

I would like to say thank you again to everyone who commented and help me out with the information that I was able to obtain from you guys. I cannot express my gratitude and appreciation adequately.

John




Johnmac, I see you are a 'forum member' and not a PGCA Member so please accept this advice.

To begin with I would suggest you go directly to our "PGCA Home" page and click on the FAQ (frequently asked questions) and thoroughly read all of them but especially those that reference identification of Parkers and the various designs of actions and features.

Next, I would suggest you buy a book or two... or three, or four which have been written by Parker Gun 'experts' of their time so you can begin to understand how much there really is to learn about these wonderful old guns. Most of us are still learning about them and will likely continue to learn until the day we die.

The answers to your questions are really very complex and we invite you along with the rest of us in the process of learning.

Please consider joining the PGCA. It is only $40 annually and the benefits are many.