At first look the SN Book can be faulted as wrong, but as previous posters have pointed out, many guns were returned for significant alterations (shortened barrels, opened chokes, "trap forends", etc. A letter is the first "line of defense"'; after that a close examination of the gun in hand will tell you a lot if you know what to look for. Keep in mind that then, as now, someone's "dream gun" may have turned out as a little less that they had envisioned; in that case, many were returned for a "retrofit" to more closely adhere to the original "perfect gun" vision or fantasy.

A personal look at the gun by a very experienced Parker collector/researcher is always preferred over a Serialization Book reference. We have had years to examine that particular gun, but you're stuck with three days. Too bad. An examination of the gun may tell an experienced collector that all changes to the gun were factory sourced. I wanted to look at the gun, but every time I tried at the Hamburg store, the gun was somewhere else, and now it has been moved to the Left Coast permanently. Good luck.

My Friends
This post is one of the many reasons this is a great BB with many great people.
David

When Cabella's opens a new store inventory comes from the other stores. The new store will get some good stuff and some "dogs" in the deal. Its a great way for an older store to unload their "dogs" and move the inventory out without haveing to possibly sell it at less than the desired margin.

Wayne,

Parker 212796 appears in the Abercrombie & Fitch records as a Second Hand Shotgun in 1929. In addition to the beavertail forend, a straight grip, and a vent rib, the shotgun was described as having a single trigger. It was sold first to a private individual who returned it shortly thereafter. Next it was sold to "The Larkin Store" (Buffalo, NY?). The record includes the following information: make, model, gauge, barrel length, weight, chokes, D@H, D@C, LOP, Ej, ST, BTFE, St Gr, VR, cost, price, dates of acquisition and disposition, and the name of the first buyer (as a used gun).

In general, I would like to remind you all that the A&F and VL&D records contain the specifications of over 4000 Parker shotguns, both new and used. These records usually include the name of the owner(s), as well. Griffin & Howe will be pleased to verify the specifications in the record if you are contemplating the purchase of a Parker. And, of course, we would also be very pleased if you decided to purchase the A&F/VL&D documentation for your Parkers. By the way, we also have a few record books from Von Lengerke & Antoine (Chicago) and I have recently begun to index those guns as well. The specifications are not always as complete as VL&D and A&F but the name of the buyer is in the record.

I hope to see some of you at Sanford. Please stop by G&H and say hello.

Bob Beach
Records Archivist
Griffin & Howe, Inc.

It takes less time to unscrew the trigger guard tang screws, lift up the tang and check for serial numbers in the stock than it takes to research the matter and talk about it.

Thanks for the information, Bob. As has been clarified here many times, information about the original purchaser of Parker shotguns is normally only available in a PGCA letter for guns made in 1919 or before. After 1919, serial numbers above the high 180,000 range, PGCA letters usually only contain the specifications of the gun and no ownership or purchase provenance. The Griffin and Howe Reseach Service takes up where PGCA records leave off. The entire list of Parker serial numbers available for research is available on the Griffin and Howe website. Dozens of other makes of gun are also available for research by Mr. Beach.

I want to again thank all of you for your comments and suggestions regarding my post! It sounds like my main question after reading Mr. Beach's reply should be whether the stock was installed at the factory. I will take Mr. Day's advice and talk them into removing the screw from the trigger guard to see if the serial number is stamped in the wood.

If a factory stock, this is what you should see;

Just because the serial number is stamped into the stock doesn't mean Parker did the work. The only way to positively confirm it would be a letter that states the gun was returned to be restocked.