It may be the main reason that people don't post the serial numbers, that's true, but there is virtually no reason to be fearful. As for filing a false police report, it's a felony, and I know there are a lot of stupid people in the world (and I have represented my fair share) but again, you have to have proof you owned the gun in the first place.

It's a free country so feel free to be as paranoid as you want, but you have very little to fear by posting a serial number on the web.

I have little insight into the criminal mind. However, if I were going to try the false reporting scheme I would select one of the many high grade, high condition guns posted here. I think I would not go after the well-worn, buggered-up, lower grade ones.

Did not report properly? What does that mean? Did you report it at all?

If you can, and you have proof that its yours you can legaly get your gun back. Yes it sucks for the innocent third party but thats the way it goes.

I was going to buy a gun off Gunbroker and I wanted to confirm that the serial numbers was not on a stolen gun list. They guy refused to provide the info. Turns out he was later arrested for selling stolen property. Had I purchased it, I would have been in possession of stolen property and at the least they take it from you when its discovered.

So, does anyone have an idea of what this gun is worth? Some are saying its rare since its a 10 gauge, others have sent me messages that its not worth $500? I cant find a "G" grade in my Blue Book so not sure where to start to get real numbers.

So, I guess the moral of the story is be wary of people who won't post serial numbers? By the way, to be charged with possession of stolen property one has to know of have reason to know the gun was stolen. A charge requires more than just possession.

I think posting the serial number is quite different than providing it to an inquiring buyer.

Yes, you have to have known the property was stolen to be "charged", and at the least, like I stated they take it from you. At the worst, you have to deal with lots of questions with implicaitons leaning towards you knew. My father went through this very process when he purchased some stuff at a garage sale and it was not pretty becuase the cops basically insisted he knew it was stolen because of the price.

Anyway, any thoughts on the guns value?

I think without knowing the condition of the bores (and I mean checking for pits/dents/whatever) as well as knowing what the true bore diameters is now, everything is speculation. Also, is the gun tight on face, lever to the right etc. etc. There's just too many variables without having measurements. I'd say take it a smith who has the right tools and check it out and get all those details. Then we might be able to give you an idea. I'll say if it was on one of he auction websites I wouldn't much on it without knowing some details first. This comes from being burnt in the past on those same websites. They made lots and lots of Parkers and condition is everything on the more common guns. PS. Barrels are everything on a Damascus gun. Everything else can be pretty much fixed. Barrels can't. My 2 cents.

Mr. Allen, the gun is not rare and it is worth more than $500, so both of your advisors are not tuned in to the gun market. People who know the Parker gun market well number more than a covey but fewer than a flock.

1890's vintage 10's are far from rare, they may somehow be rare in that particular configuration. Barring some uncommon attribute that has not been pointed out here, I'd say the gun is worth less than $1000. But the right answers to the many questions posed above could well prove me wrong.

My local FFL is a gunstock builder and gun smith and as far as the barrels go he said they are the cleanest damascus barrels internaly he has seen. They are mirror finish with no pitting at all and there are no dents anywhere on them. The gun is tight and fully functional! He did not check the bore measurements but I can do that. What are the specs?

I got the gun at an estate sale and the Grandson stated that the gun belonged to his grandfather who baught it new. He claimed his grandfather use to tell him stories about how that gun put food on the table during the depression. I picked it up in Oregon.