Money Well Spent
 

This morning at 7:35 the FedEX truck stopped at my driveway. The driver stuck his head out and hollered, "78?" I hollered back "Yup!" and the package was handed to me.

Once back inside I carefully but anxiously opened it up to find a fabulous Parker twenty-gauge DH with 28" Damascus barrels. My very special little gun had finally come back to me after several months in Connecticut for a bit of a facelift.

I bought this one from Mr. Rodney Walker maybe four or five years ago and almost regretted the purchase because of its absolutely grungy condition... to say nothing of the stock having been cut off at the skeleton buttplate and a 1.5" hunk of stock from some other gun screwed on.
So it sat in my safe until last summer when I made the decision to invest a bit of cash into it to see what was under all the grunge and horrible varnish (which completely disguised the French walnut beneath it).

The barrels still need to be sent out for a little bit more than just cosmetic reasons but at least now I have the inspiration to get it done very soon.

This Parker was originally ordered by Rear Admiral Thomas Perry who commanded the American Fleet in the Carribean during the period that the Panama Canal was being constructed. I have the letter that Mark Conrad sent me on this gun No. 147673
Adm. Perry lived in New York state and was an avid ruffed grouse and woodcock hunter and keeper of some fine bird dogs - even entering them in shows.


The smith who did the work tells me it has one of the prettiest pieces of French walnut he has ever seen. You be the judge...

Oh, and I am very pleased with the leather covered pad he installed. I chose to have that done for reasons of LOP.


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Dean, just beautiful. That grade wood is usually seen on higher grade guns and was probably special ordered. Once all completed, you will have a very special gun. Congratulations, Jim

Some of the buyers remorse must be fading...wood is beautiful, can't wait to see it with barrels browned. I'll take a composite barrel gun over fluid steel every time all things being equal.

Full length shot.

LOP is 13 7/8"
DAC is 1 5/8"
DAH is 2 5/8"

Fit is just right with a hunting vest or fall jacket.



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Very nice Dean. We shall see it soon.

Dean
That is a treasure!! I love the history of the gun and hope I get to see it one day.
David

I'll bring it to the Southern and hope to see you there David.

Research letter below.



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After seeing that little dirty girl all these years I never would have believed that all she needed was a little make-up....:) Congratulations Dean very nicely done.

Killer wood Deano. Very, very nice especially with the provenance. Who did the refinish?

Dean:
The gun is wonderful. But the provenance is as great! Please consider full research and a feature in Parker Pages for this one. Please PM me if I can be of assistance.

The work was done by the talented Abe Chaber / Custom Craft Ltd. in Danbury, CT.

Dean ,very nice. i shoot the same LOP the best, i even had a stockless EH restocked to a 13 3/4 LOP ,1 9/16ths DAC and 2 5/8ths DAH, keep an eye on that 20 around me :shock: scott

Very nice gun Dean. Though the gun is missing the ssbp, the leather wrapped pad is a nice treatment.

Very nice Dean, it's nice when one gets cleaned up a little and a Swan is uncovered. I look forward to seeing it at the Southern.

Very nice gun. Do you have any before pictures? I would go out and shoot it tomorrow

No Mills - I had no reason to photograph it in the condition it was in.

Dean: That is a very classy gun with a great looking stock. Thanks for posting the pictures and letter.

Dean,

That is a perfect bird gun. Given its history, it is a gun worthy of The Parker Story; too bad it was not available back then.

The wood is so beautiful I would be afraid to use it in fear of scratching it. Can't wait to see the barrels refinished. Are the chokes and length still intact? As someone wrote before, 20 gauge Damascus is hardly ever seen.

Dean;
Beautiful gun. I've always wanted a damascus 20 to add to my meager collection. If you ever want to sell it.......:whistle:

Daryl a damascuss 20 isn't that hard to find...you just need to part with the cash...and that can be hard...very hard....at times:rotf:

Thanks Jerry - the barrel length and chokes are exactly as stated in the letter (Phew!) and it will definitely be a 'fair weather' bird gun. I truly love these small bore graded Damascus Parkers.

Dean: I bet the seller has some sellers remorse.I really like that set up. I wished I owned it. Thomas

Dean ,I am getting in on this post late as usual ,She's a Beauty ,Wonderful Wood ! I just sent my latest addition ,a DH 20 Dam. Gun out to Jerry to have Her cleaned up a bit ,it was a scroungy looking Gun also ,I just posted pics. of it a couple weeks ago ,it came from Cabelas in Texas ,I think She is a Diamond in the Rough ,I hope She turns out as nice as yours ! Congratulations on a Fine Parker ! :bowdown: Russ

Dean take her int the coverts that's what Parker made it for. Whats a few scratches? They add character and stories. I can see it now, your at Grouse Camp and your grandsons asks "Grampy why does the stock have that big scratch?" The reply is "Well Jr I was fighting the brambles trying to get through as the the dog (I know you don't have one) was solidly on point for 5 min and time was running out, that bird wasn't going to hold all day. There was an old bard wire fence I didn't see and one of the barbs caught my Filson pants and as I fought my way free I lost my footing on a moss covered rock. As I fell the bird flushed and I got off one hurried shot but the gun landed angainst that damn fence and thats how the scratch got there". "Did you get the bird Grampy"? "No I didn't but I'll NEVER forget that bird".

Somehow, the "Gallant Grouse" that seem to elude us are the more memorable. We doff our hats to them and swear out a vengence against them for the next time we are brought together. There are literally hundreds at whom I have sworn time and again.... a vengence, that is... :whistle:

And, Yes, I will shoot (at) grouse and woodcock with this great little Parker. And I will think of Adm. Perry when I bring it and try to imagine what his hunts must have been like... If only these old guns could talk :crying:

What a neat gun with wonderful provenance Dean. Thanks for sharing it with us. Good luck shooting it this fall!