Checkered panels on CH grades

[David Noble]

I've noticed quite a few CH grade guns lately with checkered side panels like on the BH grade guns. In fact I just purchased one and that is what got me wondering about this subject. What do you think about this? Was this a factory option, and if so would it be listed in the Stock books etc? Or, is this an upgrade done by the owners to make their gun stand out more or look more attractive?
What do you think, does it add to the gun, or detract from it?

[David Noble]

Here are some pics I found on the web to illustrate my point. All of these are listed or described as C grades.

The last one, that shows as an attachment, is the one I bought. I don't know why it didn't show.

[Russ Jackson]

David ,Right or Wrong ,they all look nice to me ,I would sure like to see more pics. of your C Grade ! Is it a 20 Bore it appears to be small framed in the pics !

[paul stafford jr]

all guns d grade or above were special order. the customer could request this option. look closely at the lines per inch ,the type of border and placement of the panel. parker used 60 degree checkering and a out lined border. picture #2 is what your looking for not picture # 1

[Bill Murphy]

The order book entry should show the request for checkered side panels, but the stock book will not. I'm not sure about that #2 picture.

[paul stafford jr]

by the way your gun looks corect ,great find

[Dean Romig]

It is often very difficult to know an original checkered cheek panel from one that was done later. Some experts may know how to determine an original but there are so many examples of different workmanship and execution, I'm sure I can't tell which is which for certain.

[David Noble]

Paul and Russ, I'm not sure if you saw the gun that I purchased. It is not the last image in my post but rather the attachment at the bottom that you have to click to see. For some reason the pic didn't show.

Russ, the last image is indeed a 20 ga, but it is not mine. I wish it was!
Paul, here are pics of my gun. Is this the one you thought looked correct?

These are pics the seller took. I'll get better ones when the gun arrives.
It is 12ga #2 frame, 30" full/full. Comes with a PGCA letter. Has a silvers pad that is correct according to the letter. Barrel finish by Dale Edmonds.

[paul stafford jr]

i am not able to down load your pictures

[paul stafford jr]

i can now download the pictures ..my bad

[David Noble]

I don't know why my pictures aren't showing right. :banghead:


Edit ....... OK, I figured out my problem with the pics, They're showing now.

[Gary Cripps]

Maybe someone can explain the meaning of the terms in this letter. What would be the reason for the second set of barrels? What is shape #2? Is "check side of stock" what we are refering to in this thread? AND is there another set of barrels out there somewhere?

[paul stafford jr]

i belive the side panels were added along time ago. a little clean-up by some one like brad batchelder and they will look fine. dale does nice work the barrels look great

[paul stafford jr]

on the rebarrel question . my guess would be they were damaged, but i dont under stand the shorter chambers. i have a dhe sold thru van camp hardware in 1904 it had 28in damascus barrels and was sent back and rebarreled with 30in fluid steel barrels with 3in chambers. it also has checkerd side panels

[Russ Jackson]

David , Looks like a Beauty to me , if it isn't on the order ,you may never know for sure ! I will post my 20 Ga. ," Dean Loves when I Do This By The Way " :whistle:Just to show how unique some are and may be factory ,Maybe Not ??? Runge engraved and thought to be Correct but with very unique checking Fore and aft ! This gun is a 1937 CHE 20 Ga. . Best ; Russ

[Rich Anderson]

Checkered side panels or "cheeks" could be requested as Parker would do what the customer requested. I have two DHE 20's with checkered side panels. The other explanation is it was done to hide a stock repair.

Either way you have a nice Parker.

[Dave Suponski]

Russ, Your killin me...

Gary,Yes "Check side of stock" is what these gents are refering to. I find the "No bottle points #2" very interesting. My take on that is that the factory had a template(#2) for drop point carving and this gun was to be made sans the drop point.

How many of you have Parkers with wood that would be considered "Non-standard" checkering or other features? I have already stored some pictures of beavertail forends that are a bit different. Maybe we could gather some more interesting pictures and put an article in Parker Pages.

[Richard Flanders]

Is that Dean I hear crying as he looks at Russ's CHE 20??

[Paul Plager]

I think they all look great. I just aquired my first D grade. There are no points or cheek checkering on it. Letter has been ordered and is coming soon.( I hope )
Russ, keep on posting those pics, it doesn't matter how much Dean sweats, those guns are gorgeous. That is the only way some of us low budget collectors get to see them.:p

[Brian Dudley]

Dave,
Nice fine on your ch grade!

The gun and letter than Gary has shown are a great combination to have. The letter documents certain features about the gun that are not standard to the grade of the gun. Without that letter, one would question the absence of drop points or engraving on the guard.

I just looked at a gun this weekend that was originally a dh and it had checked side panels. The records do note that it was ordered that way. The side panel checkering had no border, was fully pointed and was much finer than the wrist checkering. At first inspection, one would wonder if it was original or not. But it was.

[Bruce Day]

Gary, for your comparision this CHE may be of interest. Its a few years later than yours and is as built originally except that it went back to Parker to have the safety added. Also, I replaced the hardened and brittle recoil pad with a new leather faced Silver's. This configuration was popular at the time for targets. Sometimes they are called "live bird guns" but they were used on targets of all forms; birds, clay disks, glass balls, bituminous formed balls, etc. This one has a 2" DAH, 1 1/2" DAC. Some people complain about Parkers "all" having excessive drop. Some do , some don't.

Original charcoal case colors. Original splinter forend. It was patterned when made with nitro ( smokeless) powder at 1 1/8oz at 3 drams equivalent, which runs out to about 1200 fps, which is the same load I use today from Federal, Remington, etc. Chokes are .035 and .040, so you can pick off one side or the other of a clay target with the tight barrel. I expect yours would have much the same characteristics unless altered.

Enjoy and treasure your new Parker.

[Dean Romig]

I will post my 20 Ga. ," Dean Loves when I Do This By The Way " :whistle:


:crying:

[Bill Murphy]

Gary, do you have the barrels that have Mr. Parry's name engraved? Can you post a picture of the unengraved trigger guard. Thomas H. Parry was a fierce competitor in the midwest at the time. The gun papers were full of references to his shooting. Your receiver looks like the work of Larry Del Grego and Son. Your beavertail forend looks like it may be from the Parker factory or maybe Del Grego put on the beavertail when they did the refinish. Del Grego could also have installed the safety. Whatever, it is an interesting gun with important competition provenance. If you know the name of the previous owner, Babe Del Grego can look up the job they did on it. They do not keep records by serial number.

[Russ Jackson]

Bill ,It is interesting that the Del Grego's didn't keep records according to serial #'s ,I sure wish they had ,I have contacted Larry more than a couple of times about a gun which I thought they may have a record on ,so far the only one for sure is the 410 ! You know if you think about it ,guns are constantly changing hands but the Serial is constant !

[Rich Anderson]

I thought the only way the did keep records was by serial number. If they had accurate records what a treasuretrove of information that would be.

[Bill Murphy]

Believe me, it's a treasure trove, no matter how they arrange it.

[Gary Cripps]

Mr. Murphy,
I do not have the Parry engraved barrels. I have the later ( 1916) barrels. The trigger guard has been engraved at some point. I will contact Del Grego and see what I can learn. Thank you very much for the additional information and providing other paths to follow.