Forget that business about cheating widows as Mark suggests. I bought my first eight gauge Parker from a Griffin and Howe employee, an experienced trader in antique guns, for $470.00 after it sat on his gun show table for three days. At the same show at another time, I bought a Lindner 16 gauge hammer gun, the only one I have ever seen or heard of, for $700.00, from an experienced dealer in antique guns. If you don't buy it, someone else will, and they will flip it and you will add it to your collection. I would rather see such guns added to collections rather than being "flipped".

Bill, you need to put your prices in perspective. By that I mean, when did you make those excellent purchases? If the items were purchased in the last 15 years, you did wonderful. If 20 to 30 years ago, average. My pre 64 Winchester model 70s in 22 hornet, 375 H&H, and 243 heavy target all cost way less than $1000 each...35 years ago.

Bill, bought the Parker eight 15 years ago, the Lindner 16 a few years later. The eight did not have a forend. Ron Kirby provided me with a nice #7 frame forend.

Thanks, Bill. Extremely good buys. In spite of our economy, the prices of collectable firearms has greatly exceeded the inflation rate ver the past 30 years. Every gun I have sold has almost tripled in price since I sold them, and I wish I had kept every one.

Bill we have the same taste in Pre 64 M70's although I don't have a varmint 243 I do have a nice std grade 243 and a couple of others.:)

I am looking at the photos of this gun again and it appears to have almost identical engraving to my 8 gauge. I bet it was the same engraver. What year was this one made? Mine was made in 1913

Mills, 156,970 is a 1911 vintage. Definitely close enough to be the same engraver.