Word about town
 

Got an email note from a friend about a very nice and VERY pricey gun at the gun shop in Whitfield N.H. Note said:
"It's a 20 Ga. BHE straight stocked, skeleton butt plate with 32" yes 32" barrels, not refinished and about 90+%. Stunning engraving and case colors. Sell all your guns you can part with so you can write an article for Double Gun Journal on this masterpiece. The store has it in on consignment for a paltry $35,000."

I shoot pretty regularly in the Haverall area and might make a diversion on my way home and drool at it sometime.

I just checked... They're not open today.
It's only 2.5 hours from where I am. I can see a short road trip tomorrow.






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That's neat. May be a good day for a drive. I've been there only a few times over the years. I'd call before I left just to be sure it's still there etc.

I know the new owner of Village Guns, Josh, and he is a really nice guy. Took the store over last year from the previous LONG time owner. He Is former military. He would be good to deal with, very honest guy.

Looking forward to some pics of that one resting in Deans gun rack.....:corn:

Is this the same BHE 32" 20 that has been discussed on this site recently?

We need pictures!!!

Go Dean Go!!!!

Good luck Dean, we look forward to the pictures!

That is a steal!!! I know of an AHE 20ga high condition 32" that sold for over $100,000! Go Dean!
David

I sure hope the seller isn't watching this thread... :whistle:






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That's o.k., we all know you only want that old Parker for those 32 inch barrels, probably fit them on another gun for a 2 barrel set and sell the action on Ebay!

The gun has sold. I had planned to examine it tomorrow... too late though.

Has anyone offered you a 'finder's fee' Eric?






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Dean, sorry that one got away.

No Dean no fee but it looks like that gun sold itself.
It would be interesting to know its history and why it was ordered and configured the way it was. Trap or pigeon gun? My guess is many of those go to the range, then back in the closet or safe out of the brush and sun over the years and retain their condition.
Lovely as it is I'd like to go out just once, sit on a bucket and shoot some barn pigeons with it for a few hours. You know, stretch some shots a bit. Then back in the safe it goes.

Eric I can't help you with the barn pigeons but if you come to either the Southern or Hausmanns I can let you shoot my BHE 32 inch 20 at some clays. It has quickly become my favorite Parker.

I wonder how close to the asking price it sold for? Does anyone know if it was a 1 frame or an O frame?

Anyone who finds details on that gun, please pass it on. I hope one of our members got it. Talking with a dealer in the Northeast about why great condition Parkers are found there.....he said years ago, well to do people would get an invitation to hunt or shoot and often they would buy a high grade Parker, use it once or twice and then it would stay in the closet, maybe for years. Makes sense. Compare that to my home county in TN where the only two Parkers that I ever knew of belonged to the county judge and the hardware store owner. So, I look forward to hearing what you guys find and seeing pictures.

I wouldn't hold my breath on this one. It is likely to go into a collection and not be seen again for decades. That's often how these high grade - high condition Parkers go.






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That's a shame really IMHO there is nothing wrong with using it. It's like having a nice 69 Z28 Camaro but it never leaves the garage.

I have a nice DHE 20 with all the options and it had about 90% original case color when I got it. Some here were shocked when I said I would use it. I have used it and it has probably 80-85% case color now but that's for the next guy to worry about I like using the gun.

That's fine as long as it had been fired before your ownership.

I had a Parker that I believe had never been fired and as long as I owned it it never was. I believe the new owner will never fire it either.

There are damn few Parkers we can hold up as 'benchmark' guns and for posterity's sake they should remain so....IMHO.






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I agree with that IF it's unfired. The original post on the BHE 20 didn't say anything about it being unfired. I see nothing wrong with using a 90% or better gun. I just sold a benchmark 20ga skeet gun. It had been used but very little and I wasn't going to use it. It helped me get the BHE 20 which I dearly enjoy using.

I couldn't disagree more ! Fired , fired very little or unfired be it a VH or anything up to and including an A1 if I pay for it , it's a 99% given I'll shoot it . And again that's the buyers prerogative .

I currently have 4 Parkers I've never fired. They've been fired plenty of times by someone else, though....I just haven't gotten around to shooting them yet.

I have rifles that I haven't gotten around to shooting...yet. to many rifles and not enough deer season:)

I'd fix that little predicament in about an hour with four boxes of shells and a trip to my club skeet/trap field 😉👍🏻

About 15 years ago, I bought an unfired M42 with original vent rib. It didn't stay unfired for long, and is one of my favorite guns. It also is now sporting a set of Fajen straight grip English Walnut. (The original wood is carefully put away)

To each his own, indeed.

The more scarce an original unfired Parker becomes, the more valuable they become.

...to collectors... we are a collectors organization, aren't we?




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If I had an unfired Parker, I'd never fire it either. I figure if it made it this long without being fired, why should some goon like me ruin it?

But shame on the person who bought it new and never fired it!

We are a collectors organization but I'll bet you there are far more members who shoot their Parkers, Winchesters, Fox's etc. than those who just store them away for posterity. I have had NIB guns and kept them for a while and never used them. The time came when I just didn't see the point anymore and sold them to a "collector". I like and enjoy a nice gun as much as anyone but it has to be something I'm not afraid to use.

Rich -

This is a discussion we hash and rehash at the club.

It is certainly a personal decision. I for one, have passed through the phase of wanting to collect "pristine guns" just to have them. I believe I have swung all way to the other side as I now look at 90+% guns "as too nice to own" - Aka... what would I do with it if I bought it? Cant hunt with it....lose big money if I scratch it......not a good fit for me.
Others in our group have opposite outlook - 90%+ no problem.....lets take it out and hunt it. Only live once!

I am a bit jealous of those guys.....:)

Well, a Winchester? Who cares? lol...


Reminds me of a story....

This young Jewish guy decides to get married, so he goes to the Rabbi to ask for help in finding a mate. The Rabbi sets him up with a series of good Jewish girls. After about 10 dates, the young man goes back and says, 'Rabbi, I've decided to marry a Christian girl."

"Oy vey," cries the Rabbi, "Why would you go and do such a thing??!!"

The young man replies, "Well, these Jewish girls, they're all the same. All they do is complain - My elbow hurts! It's too cold in here! It's too hot in here! The soup is too salty!"

The Rabbi says "Sure they complain - so tell me - do you think a Christian girl isn't gonna complain too?"

"Sure," said the young man, "But a Christian girl - who cares??!!"

I work on the premise that I use all guns I buy now REGARDLESS of condition . I used to have stuff I didn't have a whole lot of inclanation to shoot but those days have passed !

Life is not based solely on VALUE or MONEY !

Right! - but you'll never see me throwing it away ;)





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Great discussion. I am blessed with a few Parkers, some high condition but I will shoot any of them and will never have enough time to put much wear on them so they are safe for the next owner. It is great to clean and admire them and shoot when I can. Thanks to everyone for the great forum, it continues to educate and inform and the Parker Pages is just a great item and seems to get better with each issue! Can't say enough about all the work that goes into it and how well it is done!

Many seem to need to use something to justify the cost, they see objects more as tools. Many see the same objects as art and can appreciate them without using them as originally intended. Most are somewhere in between. I have some guns and a antique decoy collection that I really enjoy to look at but have no need to use them, I justify owning them because they bring me joy. And I think that is the bottom line for everyone, if you don't get joy out of owning an object remove it from your life. Life is to short to be burdened with things we don't enjoy.

Well said, Craig.

You are a smart dude Craig Larter.

Quote
Originally Posted by John Dallas View Post
About 15 years ago, I bought an unfired M42 with original vent rib. It didn't stay unfired for long, and is one of my favorite guns. It also is now sporting a set of Fajen straight grip English Walnut. (The original wood is carefully put away)
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Quote
Well A Winchester Who Cares LOL

Reminds me of a story....

This young Jewish guy decides to get married, so he goes to the Rabbi to ask for help in finding a mate. The Rabbi sets him up with a series of good Jewish girls. After about 10 dates, the young man goes back and says, 'Rabbi, I've decided to marry a Christian girl."

"Oy vey," cries the Rabbi, "Why would you go and do such a thing??!!"

The young man replies, "Well, these Jewish girls, they're all the same. All they do is complain - My elbow hurts! It's too cold in here! It's too hot in here! The soup is too salty!"



The Rabbi says "Sure they complain - so tell me - do you think a Christian girl isn't gonna complain too?"

"Sure," said the young man, "But a Christian girl - who cares??!!"[/QUOTE]
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxx



This winchester left the Custom Shop in 1962. It carried AAA wood, 28" Barrels, Close chokes, 13 7/8" LOP, To a hard Butt Plate, 2 1/4" DAH, 1/4" right hand cast off. This gun always was a rainy day and field gun. Rain, Snow, Cold weather and mud. Different men fondling, and sometimes different men having their way with the gun. Many times being made to sleep in the kennel with the dogs. Finish and checkering is mostly gone from the stock, and much of the blueing is gone.

"OY-VEY" How can this be.
WELL-----" A WINCHESTER WHO CARES" ----- LOL




I DID NOT OWN THIS GUN EARLY IN ITS LIFE OR WAS I RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY OF THE FIELD TRIAL RIBBONS DISPLAYED




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32" BHE
 

Good Morning Guys;

I think the little BHE with 32" barrels is on Guns International this morning.:shock: