Sometimes it pays to be the early bird at a gunshow. If it wasn't for all the great information provided by the Parker Gun membership and forum members I might have just walked past this gun.:)

By the way both barrel bores are bright and shiney.

Thank you all!

Ken

I think both Bruce and Dave are in the ballpark $5000 to $7000, the gun does need some work so it would not bring more I am thinking somewhere inbetween those numbers. But hell what do I know....

I have not yet seen a post that says that Ken can't get a 16 gauge shell in the breech of the original gun. The book says it is a 16 gauge gun, I think it is a 16 gauge gun, and posters are appraising it as a 20 gauge gun. Ken, a 20 gauge DH grade Damascus barrel gun in worth about half again as much as a 16 gauge Damascus barrel gun. What gauge is your original Damascus barrel gun? It is one wonderful gun and we want to give you a correct appraisal.

Bill, read the second post on page two of this thread where Ken says he attempted to insert a 16 ga. shell in the original Damascus chambers and got a "no go".

According to the table in The Parker Story there were 129, 20-gauge, Damascus barrel, DH-/DHE-grades made. The most common barrel length for them was 28-inches, with 69 made in that length. However, I'll be willing to bet that a very small percentage of them were made with the half-pistol grip this gun has. Very nice find.

A buddy of mine since Cub Scouts, bought a DH-Grade 12-gauge at Frederick & Nelson in Seattle, in 1967, serial number 88224. It has "S.F. Cal. Apr 8, 1899" carved in one barrel channel of the forearm. It has sported Italian steel barrels all these years, but we are still on the lookout for the original Damascus barrels. Any of you guys got them?

OK, Ken's 3:15 PM post on 8-30 says that he can't get a 16 gauge shell in the Damascus barrels and there is no sign of sleeving. I guess the original gun is a 20 gauge. Now Ken needs to get the gun in the hands of a Parker expert with a set of bore gauges. It would be worth it to Ken since a D Grade 20 gauge Damascus gun is a very coveted gun in Parker shotgun collecting circles.

Ken, despite advice to the contrary, I don't think I'd jump right onto cleaning or refinishing anything about that gun just yet. Once you do anything to that gun you can't undo it. Go slowly. Don't do anything you might regret later. Don't do anything to that gun that may negatively affect it's value. If you watch "Antiques Road Show" or have had any discussions with people who have been in the antiques business for most of their adult lives you must know that "cleaning", "refinishing" or in any way removing original patina can have a devastating effect on value. Yup, it's nice to have a clean gun but I think the Damascus pattern is quite visible and the wood figure and grain are lovely with the character age has given it but it is the original finish that you should preserve and protect.

All i'd do to it is shoot it. And oil it gently. WOW!

Here is a picture with a 20 ga shell chambered and a 16 ga shell trying to chamber.

Ken

Ken, The picture with the damascus barrels and shell next to the side do the lines on the rib go all the way to the end ? It looks to on the left side as I look at it