Man, how I would love to be shown how to use these tools properly. I have a drop in choke gauge, chamber gauge and the gun measuring tool from Robert Louis I picked up used.

I have never made a mistake acquiring a Parker.:eek: (So, Andy, I've got a couple to sell if you are interested.):rotf:


(OK, in case the humor was missed in that statement, I should mention that my middle name is "Mistake.")


(OK, to further my case, I have every double gun I ever purchased.:crying::banghead: So what does that make me? Again, middle name -- Mistake.)

But, I'm content with what's in my gun safes.

I appreciate the "offer" Garry : ) I'm now sitting on a real nice condition 12g LC Smith with 28" barrels that I thought I "stole." I can't sell it! I'll donate it to the RGS or fundraiser for the NRA and at least feel good about it. Probably the best use I can make of it. I keep wondering what to get next and I don't really need anything more to use but somehow I think I'm going to lose that battle. Overall I'm blessed to have what I have.

Not a Parker mistake, but early on I would buy any double that was priced right. Gauge and configuration didn't matter neither did maker. Shot them all and sold them all. Got my money back from all but one. Even that one I only lost out on about $150. So, specialize in what you want to buy. Me, Parker and Lefever. I pass on Eurotrash!! :)

The wisdom of Daryl Corona comes to mind here. You don't pay to much but you might pay it to soon. Meaning sooner or later you will realize the value of your past purchase.

The biggest Parker mistake I ever made was NOT buying one. At a pigeon shoot somewhere in a super secret not to be named place. A gun dealer offered me a 32" DHE 28 gauge (out of an estate sale) for $3500.00
I figured I didn't really need a 28 gauge, so passed.
My buddy and I still lament that one to this day.

I will say again, in gun collecting (and life in general), regret may be the strongest felt emotion. It's certainly one of the longest felt emotions. Todd, that one must truly haunt you.

I am speechless.

"Not buy" or sell to make a few bucks is the most common mistake. Examples in my case are selling a #2 frame 32" factory 3" because I felt that no VH 20 is ever going to be worth $1000. Another potential mistake would have been not buying a wonderful little VH 28 because it was a nice restock with a blued receiver. $2600 sounded like a lot money at the time, but the gun has perfect barrels with all correct bore and choke dimensions. It is also a lightly used seventh 28 gauge made by Parker Brothers. There are thousands of examples of collectors not buying a gun because it is overpriced TODAY. The market price of a class of guns is not the most important factor to consider. Even more important is that the particular variation, not just a class of guns, will disappear from the market because they are all bought up. Then they disappear into collections for decades. In my opinion, long barrel smallbores, even 16s, and Super Foxes are a class of guns that will disappear in the next few years, to be injected into collections for years. Overpaying for such guns today is just something you have to do if you want to own one. If you want to own an AHE trap, and one comes on the market, you have to buy it, even if overpriced. WHY? Because the next time you see it or one like it, it will be in a luxury auction and it will sell for $30000, way more than the first time you saw one. OK, that's my story and my advice.

Bill, I think there is a great deal of wisdom in what you wrote. Let me ask you (and others), though, since it seems that many of us are, how shall I say, more experienced in life (OK, older), don't you foresee that those guns that are being bought into collections to be held, might not be held for so long and might then become available to younger collectors? Then, there is the seemingly diminishing pool of potential collectors that is often cited in discussions among today's collectors.

Just curious how you or some others might respond.