A-1 Special

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

There is a A-1 Special two barrel set up for auction on Bonhams, est around 60,000. Serial number137485. Interesting gun, don't know if it came with both barrels or the extra set was added later. Also DHE 16g a, and VH 20g a up for auction, these are not my guns, and I do not have any connection to them. Gary

[George M. Purtill]

A-1 special with 2 sets of barrels? I definitey have to cash out my 401K.

[Steve Leffler]

Wow the 16 guage DHE is one number before my 16 guage DHE. mine is 232214 and the auction gun is 232213. They are extremely similar. I wish I had the cash as it would make an awesome set.....

[calvin humburg]

Yes that would be very neet Steve.

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

That! does not happen often a chance to make a consecutively numbered set. How cool is that!

[George M. Purtill]

Wow the 16 guage DHE is one number before my 16 guage DHE. mine is 232214 and the auction gun is 232213. They are extremely similar. I wish I had the cash as it would make an awesome set.....

And for a little trivia- 232212 and 232215 were sold by Abercrombie & Fitch

[George M. Purtill]

By the way, when is the auction?

[Steve Leffler]

Interesting about Abercrombie. I know that mine went to California. The auction is 11/12.

[Andy Kelley]

Gary I appreciate your honesty but have we really reached a point where we have to make disclaimer statements about any guns we find out about and want to bring it to the attention of the members. What is next ; making a statement about never being a member of the communist party. What are we becoming?

[Bruce Day]

I don't know about "we" but I do know that some of our members, particularly late at night , seem to be spring loaded to a find fault position. I have had to give explanations about not having a stake in certain guns before. The worst was when I posted detailed photos of a nice 20ga that had been perfectly redone but was being offered for sale by a table top dealer as completely original. The gun had passed muster with several people who knew their Parkers but there were a couple details that raised issues. I posted the photos I had taken as an exercise in careful examination only to be accused in frothing late night comments as shilling for the seller and obviously ( to him anyway) of having a stake in the sale. And that person felt that he could just look at a few photos and quickly determine originality when others who were far more expert than he were suspicious but not certain.

So, as a result of that instance and others we have had here, the prudent poster makes sure others know that he is not shilling for the gun. So what are we becoming? I don't know, but be careful to explain that you don't have a stake in a gun.

And no you don't have to explain that you are not a member of the Communist Party but if you vote the wrong way in the next election, don't mention it.

[Eric Eis]

Sorry Bruce but what....! I don't understand, I know I am slow

[Andy Kelley]

Bruce, what you describe is a an association which includes some petty little people who delight in being on the lookout for members they can catch in some statement of ignorance about a particular shotgun or a member who are somehow going to benefit from the sale of a gun and have not made that known by some statement. I don't get why it has to be this way.

[Bruce Day]

..... I don't get why it has to be this way.


Its the 1% rule. Its human nature and happens in all organizations. We are still head and shoulders above the other gun forums and have far fewer disfunctional participants. We try to keep it that way ( thanks John) and be a first class organization with classy people....a group that others want to join and a fine shotgun that others want to buy. There are those of us who are certain that part of the value of Parkers can be attributed to this organization and the standards we maintain. If we lower them, then we may lose our member and interest base. After all, not many want to join an outlaw motorcycle club even if they ride some interesting bikes.

[George Lander]

I received my Bonham's & Butterfields catalogue in today's mail. The "A-1 Special" looked magnificant but I'm not sure about the sculpted breech balls. The 20 gauge VHE has some issues. The 12 gauge DHE looked pretty good.

Best Regards, George