new find
 

I have found a Parker bro's gun in a storage unit sale. The gun is stamped Parker bro's maker meridian conn. laminated steel on the rib between the barrels. I also see the numbers 65 on what I have been told is the water table. The same number is also on the under side of the barrels where it connects to the stock. There are no other numbers anywhere. The gun is the lifter model. I have read some about the history of the Parker gun and I think I can place the era it is from, however I'm not sure how to put a value on it or determine the serial number. Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks Jonny

To view pictures - click on link

http://picasaweb.google.com/jdavsbui...XhiJ_D3Yzj5wE#

Jonny,Post some high resolution photo's and we can help you out.

NEW FIND
 

THANKS FOR YOUR REPLY. I'LL SEE IF I CAN GET SOME PICTURES ON SOON.

link to pictures has been posted

What I find most interesting is the wear plate added to the locking lug.

Jonny,Thnk you for posting the picture's.This gun Parker Bros. serial number 65 is or was a back action deluxe grade gun.I say deluxe because there is evidence of checkering and some engraving. It,s an interesting gun and important in the aspect that it is a very low serial number gun.Unfortunetly the condition reduces the gun to just about that.

Dean,That is the soldered in wear plate that Parker used when they devised the 12 1/2 degree locking bite.This is the precussor to the 1910 patent bolt plate.

It must have been sent back to Meriden for that. Too early to have been made with it.

Ya Dean,You are correct.The tapered bolt plate came about in 1874/1875.Also the lifter extension was eliminated at the same time as the bolt plate change.What is interesting about this gun is the fact that the bolt plate was retrofitted but not the lifter extension.

Can we presume this gun went back right between those two improvements?

I believe the two improvement's transpired concurrently. But then again "never say never".

This wear plate is circa 1874-1875? Why do guns made well after those dates not have this feature?

#65
 

Wow. If THAT gun could talk, eh?! I see patches soldered on the barrels?! Never seen that. I bet this puppy has killed some birds in it's day. What a great wall hanger, eh?

i appreciate your comments, however what is my best avenue with this gun. should i try to recondition it or not, and how hard is it to find out who the original owner might have been considering it has such a low serial number. can i find parts for it? The history might really be interesting. I'm new at this and i don't want to ruin what i have, if that is a concern. also can you give me an idea of this guns value as it is. or if i restore it, thanks jonny

Bill,I too have seen many guns with the tapered locking lug and no hardened insert.I really don,t know. Maybe the insert on this particular gun was done in the late 1800's?

Jonny,I am not a restoration expert but I know this. To restore that gun it would cost you many times what it is worth and parts availability for a back-action gun are almost non existant.

Let that old girl rest!

AM I UNDERSTANDING YOU GUYS RIGHT THAT I BASICALLY HAVE A PARKER BRO'S GUN WITH A LOW SERIAL NUMBER THAT REALLY ISN'Y WORTH MUCH AT ALL, OR DO I NEED TO PURSUE DIFFERENT AVENUES. IS THERE ANY PLACE THAT I CAN RESEARCH THE HISTORY OF THIS GUN?

Jonny,Yes you have a very low serial numbered back action Parker shotgun.We do not have any records for guns with serial numbers as low as your gun.Sorry to say in my opinion the condition of the gun is such that there is no collector value left in the gun. Parts are not readily available and taking parts from another gun and using them on yours would result in a cobbled together gun further diminishing the value.

As far as further referrence on back action Parker guns there are books out by Ed Muderlak,Larry Baer and Peter Johnson that will give an overview but not much detail.The best books in print are a two volumne set called "The Parker Story" by Price,Mullins,Gunther,Cote and Parker but are a bit pricey for the casual observer at about $300.00 US

I hope we have been of assistance...

Johnny, that's about all there is to your Parker. There may be someone who collects very low serial number Parkers and that one might fill a certain vacancy and a particular niche but that's about it. The neat thing is that it is considered a Deluxe model and the fact that it has Laminated Steel rather than the Decarbonized Steel barrels more common at the time make it more unusual, but the condition is extremely poor and therein lies the problem and the real detractor of value.
You can send for a PGCA Research Letter and if there is nothing on that serial number to support a research letter Mark will, of course, return your payment.

Jonny, if you are concerned with the nominal value of your gun, donate it to PGCA for their historical collection and deduct a suitable amount from your 2010 personal income for tax purposes. This gun is a legitimate gun of interest to PGCA and its members and would be a good addition to our museum collection. I think it is an interesting piece and would love to own it myself. However, it would be of more value to an organization than to an individual collector.

Thanks fellows for such an informative discussion. I really appreciate your help. I may very well follow up on the search you mentioned. Something to back up the serial number would be great. Before I leave you what is your opinion on shortening the barrel length and fixing the patches on the barrel. Thanks again.

I would do nothing at all to the barrel length or those patches. By doing so you might be encouraging a subsequent owner to attempt firing that gun - something which must never be done with a gun in that condition.

To be absolutely clear about the value of your gun, the charm and value of the gun rests heavily on the condition of the muzzles and in the patches on the barrels. It is not often that a gun like this comes on the market and the obviously heavy use and neglect are its main selling points. Don't mess it up.

Johnny: You have received good advice from all who responded. Leave the Old Girl AS-IS. Hang it on the wall and enjoy it for what it is, a very, very early Parker. I have SN 0229. Join PGCA and register it under "Parkers Found".

Best Regards, George

Johnny ... Other PGCA members have given you great advice ... I collect low serial number Parkers like yours and own the #71, the #90 guns plus quite a few guns with three and four digit serial numbers ... I'm sorry to say that your gun has almost no monetary value ... Collectors like myself routinely buy guns like yours at cheap prices to salvage for usable parts ... So, short of selling the gun for low bucks, the best thing to do is give your old gal a bath in Murphy's Oil Soap and warm water, use a hair dryer to fully evaporate the residual water, give the whole gun a light coat of Formby's or Pledge Furniture Polish, hang it above your fireplace, and enjoy owning a piece of "Americana."

Best Regards ... Jim Kucaba ... AriZOOna Cactus Patch ... Email: JimKucaba@aol.com

You're right, Bruce. I would love to own that gun. My loaner for birds is a 13 1/2 pound NH Grade 34" ten gauge. #65 would be my loaner for waterfowl.

I think it's a doggone shame that some here want to belittle Johnny's find. He is obviously new to Parkers and only wanted some information on his find. Not all of us can afford to collect pristine specimens or high dollar small gauges. I'll bet the first Parker acquired by the critics here was not much better than Johnny's. If we treat each new person who finds our forum this shabbily it won't be long until we have no new blood at all. Jim Kucuba gave the best advice of all.

Just My Humble Opinion......George

Just trying to be honest and informative George.I think the advice I gave was just that.

Dave: My comments were not directed at your post. You too gave Johnny good advice. Johnny filled in another gap in the history of the early Parkers.

Best Regards, George