Seriously Angel. It would be great to put a name with a face. Should be a lot of fun too.

The real Raffle Gun is every bit as nice looking as the one shown in the representative picture.

Dean, If I remember correctly, you and I were standing with Larry at the Southern last year when the gun was given to Larry. I remember the look on your face, and it must have matched mine, when Larry said "Here's the 2014 Raffle gun"
It truly is a beautiful gun.

It was that plus the realization that I wouldn't have a chance to bring it home.

Can someone describe the process by which the PGCA acquires the raffle guns?

John,
I have only been involved in the process for a relatively short time but in the past most of the guns would be purchased at the best possible price and freshened if necessary to allow for the maximum monetary benefit of the PGCA. At the 2012 Fall Southern, Life Member and past Chairman of the Board John Davis graciously donated an amazing D grade top lever hammer gun for use as this years raffle gun and we can't thank him enough. I should have more information and some nice pics in a couple of weeks. This will perhaps be the nicest gun the PGCA has ever raffled and hope everyone gets a chance to handle it at some of our upcoming events.

I'll add to Larry's post. As he said, the raffle gun is sometimes donated. Other times, the word is passed out that we are looking for a raffle gun a year or two into the future. It has to be a gun where there is a consensus that it will be desirable to members and the public, its a nice original configuration gun ( no chopped barrels, added beavertails, etc) , and right priced so as to maximize return to the PGCA.

If the gun is bought from a director or longtime PGCA good guy, its bought at his cost; no self dealing money making deals here. Often the gun needs fluffing up, it hasn't been a full restoration, but sometimes the barrels need re-browning if Damascus, and often the stock needs dirt cleaned out and a top coat rubbed in. That work is usually generously donated or at cost by a friend of the PGCA gunsmith, Dale Edmonds, Brad Bachelder and Doug Turnbull come to mind.

Sometimes a request has been posted on the forum for submission of raffle gun candidates. It has to be a gun that others would be pleased to own and the more wow factor the better. Got one you want to donate or sell at cost?

All of the Raffle Guns that I have seen since I joined the PGCA in about 2000 have been very desirable representations of various grades and configurations of Parker guns.
The CHE Double Trap gun I won in 2005 was a fabulous Parker and all the PGCA had done to it was the addition of a new Silvers pad and the checkering touched up. This year's Raffle Gun, while representing a different category of Parker shotguns, is every bit as desirable... even more so to many members.