Bill Murphy |
07-08-2012 11:10 AM |
What's today, July 8, 2012? I have owned these barrels for twenty some years, been running ads on the PGCA website for as long as we have been here. I have periodically posted on Dave Weber's site also. No results. Then, in January of this year, Jack Cronkite ran a google search on the serial number, something I had never thought of doing. His search resulted in a hit that was only three months old. If Jack had tried the google search just four months earlier, the search would have come up dry. With the help of Bud Stanley and his website, and a lot of patience, the owner's email address was flushed out. It took another good while for the owner to respond and I started to doubt that the email address was current or correct. After months of no replies, on July 1, the owner replied, "I do have the shotgun." He related the story of finding it in his attic in PA. By July 3, a fair price was negotiated and now I will pay and wait. To review the discovery of the barrels, a story that has been told here before, here goes. Kevin McCormack and I have displayed Parkers at the Baltimore Antique Gun Show for many years. However many years ago, twenty or more, Kevin came back to our table and told me about a fellow in the back of the room that had two sets of composite Parker barrels for sale. They were housed in a leather trunk case and were priced at $450, an astronomical price for composite Parker barrels at that time. Kevin was not interested but thought I may be. I can't resist a money losing project, so I paid for the barrels and threw them into the gun room. In 1998, I went to Ilion with the PGCA research committee and found the original order for the gun and trunk case, as well as a repair order. I researched the original owner, whose name was engraved on the rib of both sets of barrels. I will tell that story later. Thanks to all who gave me support, especially John Davis, Kevin McCormack, Jack Cronkhite, and Bud Stanley. Dean Romig has offered moral support on this and other searches of mine. Of course, if this project comes to a climax, I will have the owner of the gun to thank also. Apologies to my hero, Jack Cronkhite, for misspelling his name through this entire thread. Stay tuned, it shouldn't be long now.
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