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Parker A
 

Hi all. I am thinking about geting the gun restored. What is your option on this? Is it better to keep it original?

If you have it "restored" you must do it right or you will destroy value. You must have the right person or people do the job correctly. Above all else, Do No Harm to it. The wrong choice can ruin its value. A Grades are rare enough without eliminating one more of them from the pool of nice ones. If it were me I would think long and hard about it... and I probably wouldn't do anything to it besides a good cleaning and possibly putting it back on-face if it is off-face.

And it will be expensive to do it right.

Edward,

Get you and your AH to Hausmann's Hidden Hollow the first weekend in June. There will be plenty of Parker collectors and Parker gunsmiths there to evaluate your AH.

Decide what to do after you know what you have...

A restoration will cost much and take a long time!

Mark

I always try to keep a gun a year before I do anything major and irreversible. I have the triggers done, the action tightened etc... but as far as refinishing or bluing barrels I always wait. I usually wind up not doing anything at all.

Best,


Mike

Edward: Dean is correct. Think long and hard before opting for a full restoration. A restored Parker is just that! In doing so you will, most probably, not enhance the value beyond where it is now and could, possibly, decrease it. A good cleaning in & out would be fine, but before going further show it to some of the members here who know. IMHO

Best Regards, George

Is there any members near NJ that would be willing to take a look at the Old A grade.

Ed

Why don't you post rally good photos of the gun. This way many of us can really see what you have. Then we may be able to give you a better opinion.

From what I can see, it looks like a nice gun. Doesnt appear damaged or completely worn out. Have you had the barrel thickness measured? I'd do that first. If they are too thin, that would eliminate a restoration, IMO. If the barrels are good, I'd find someone who you are sure can pick up the engraving without ruining it and give you a quote. You'll probably have sticker shock. That may have a big affect on your decision.

No matter, it will probably be worth less then what you have into it after a correct restoration. That's just the way it is. I've restored everything from antique cars to guns, and if done correctly, I was always upside down. But it would be cool to see a brand new AH. If I really wanted one, I would do it if I had a gun that was really worn out.

Ray

I wouldn't touch the engraving. I'd like handling it and thinking about how much time the gun spent in someones hand to have worn the engraving a bit smooth like it is. It's unbelievable really. How can a human hand wear engraving like that?? What a great honest gun. I like it just the way it is. I'd make sure it's functionally sound and safe and take care of any corrosion and wood issues it might have such as oil soaking and thin finish but that's about it.

Parker Gun Letter
 

Thanks Chuck

Wow

That is a lot of history on this gun, a great example of why letters are important

more pics
 

pics

Well, I'm new at this job and I screwed up Ed's letter. Can any one of you Parker detectives tell me what I did wrong.

Don't worry Ed, a revised letter will go out tomorrow.

A 4 digit serial number, "6000".

Mark, you got it! In my own defense, Ed did have 6000 on his request form but all the information is correct.

Also, if you read the letter, this gun was ordered by C.E.P. in 1890 but not shipped to Laughton until 1892. I didn't put the 1890 in the letter but I will on the revised letter. I got to thinking if this gun was built for an exposition so I got out TPS. It wasn't built for an exposition but it is listed as one of the many guns ordered by Charles Eddy Parker. According to TPS, some were built for individuals, some were sent to dealers, some were show displays, and some remained in stock for several years. Many could have been used as salesman's samples. TPS authors state that these C.E.P. guns were special in every way.

Contrats, Ed.

Chuck,

Thank you taking the time to do the extra reserch on the Parker. Thast an amazing amount of information. The gun is certianly very special.

Ed

Ed: I believe that Larry DelGrego is somewhere in your neighborhood but I don'y have his address or phone number. I'm sure that someone here does.

Best Regards, George

Isn't the DelGreco shop still in Ilion NY?


http://parkershotgunrepair.com/parke...contactus.html

parker
 

Thinking about selling the gun any ideas.

well; you asked what you should pay in the early posts and had suggestions,

the same advise would be true to the next purchaser.


decide what you would like to get and, since you are a member - post it in the for sale section here

Rick: Yes it is & I believe that Ed said that he was in New Jersey.

Best Regards, George

Ed, I replied to your PM today. Did you get the reply? Thanks.

The letter posted raises more questions then it answers. What happened between the date it was made (1890) and when it was shipped to Laughton? Most CEP guns remained in stock to show off Parker's craftsmanship but when sold they were usually sold at a discount. It doesn't appear that was the case here. It was sent to him as sample but doesn't answer question of what Parker did with it until then.

Looks like it was sold to Cassady at usual discount for gun that had been "handled", ie not new. But it must have been returned since it was eventually sent to big NY dealer at an even deeper discount. Might have been returned because it was easy to sell such a high dollar gun in Butte whereas there was a lot of rich folks in NYC.

These CEP guns lead interesting lives. Some went to big expos to be displayed by Parker, some to dealers to be displayed at smaller regional expos, some to dealers as samples (such as this one) and others who knows.

Ed, which state did it end up when you bought it? Where did the fella in the photos live? When did he buy it, and where? Would be interesting to know these answers.

It is also interesting that it only has one dog on frame and one stag on floorplate. Most AHs of this time had two dogs and at least three stags (when stags were used). This gun has more scroll engraving to make up difference in space. With that said, I've seen some like it but it's not the typical.

I'm surprised the letter doesn't mention a stock replacement. The wear on gun is not commensurate with the wear on stock and the stock has the later checkering pattern leading me to believe it was replaced by Parker, which was not at all unusual. A deeper look at the records may address this and anser some of the other questions.

With regards to restoring it, it doesnt have much finish and it does have a lot of wear but no way I'd restore it. It is what it is and it is - a very cool gun with an interesting history so why mess with it? Someone long ago thought enough of it to give it a lot of use and it's part it's charm.

Anyway, that's my two cents. Ed, goodmluck with it whatever you do!

Ray,


I bought the gun in NJ it had been in an attic for the last 30 years. The pictures where taken in NC the guy I bought it off of it was his wives uncles. They owned a plantation down there I have a whole photo album of the guy with the gun with alagators, deer and ducks "even former slaves". The gun was then owned by the guys son who was a steamship captain. Then it was given to the guy I bought it from.

Not sure if I understand. The fella in the photo lived in NJ and went down to NC to hunt? Makes sense the gun was in NJ since it ended up in NYC to be sold ultimately.

The fella in the photo lived in NC on a plantailon. When he died it was given to his son who was a steamship captain. He died and gave it to the guy I bought it off of who happend to live in NJ.

updated letter
 

updated letter

Ed, did you get my PM?