Yes to all the above. There are many entry's in the order books of guns being returned for credit by large sporting goods or hardware stores. Those were probably unfired. There are entries where a new gun was ordered by an individual and he traded in another Parker for partial credit on a new gun. I don't think Parker ever sold used guns, they would return them to factory new condition and sell them as new for the regular price or slightly reduced price of a new gun.

Not to my knowledge... never even aware of a prototype.

Trap3

Winchester made a "Model 21" single trap gun, but it was never close to production as I understand it. This prototype was sold at auction recently.

The SBT version of the Model 21 is pictured on pages 214 and 215 of Ned Schwing's Model 21 book. Credited to the Peter & Patty Murray collection. The over/under version is on pages 208 to 214. No relation to the reprofiled Inverness CMSC sells as a Model 21 over/under.

Have you ever seen an entry stating that’s what they did? I wonder how they would have referenced that?

Wording to that effect is in the letter for my 28 gauge Skeet gun No. 236912

The letter states it was one of the guns.... well, you can read it yourself.

According to the research package I received from Bob Beach at Griffin & Howe it was received at A&F on Feb. 28, 1943 for $124.43 and sold shortly thereafter for $138.00.
These are pretty much ‘new gun’ prices.

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well - i think the model 21 was first sold in 1931, so many of the Parkers made during the rush of shotshell development predate it

i agree with Dean that guns were used as testing platforms

off the Parker topic- but in line with this sub tangent -

My Super Fox was one of the early ones - it was shipped to VL&D where a Mr. L. A. Miller ( i have been unable to find any data on him-would love to know why he had a new type of gun for it's first season) picked it up within a couple days of its arrival in October

and then Mr Miller returned the gun to the store at the end of season from where it was sent 2 1/2 blocks down the street to Winchester -

Unfortunately the Winchester records in the Cody Museum do not include the NYC store's data.

I recall an instance where a customer sent his C grade back to the factory to have it upgraded to a B grade. I was fortunate to have seen the gun several years ago. It was well done and a very attractive gun.