My first Parker
 

I purchased my first Parker, an SBT, made in 1928. It is stamped a B grade with all matching S/N's, but it is not all original. At some point in time the forearm and rear stock were upgraded, with a beautiful hand carving, with leaves and acorn designs. The barrel was also re-polished, and then beautifully engraved and re-blued. The barrel engraving is larger dimensionally than on the receiver, but of similar design. There is a lot of engraving on the barrel, a lot of work and time was spent. The receiver still has its color case hardening, but is faded. Overall I would say the SBT is 80-90%, but not original. I can see some slight polishing/removal of material on the original barrel, on the name and ACME steel markings. I am trying to learn more about this SBT through books I have ordered, and will take some pictures, but there is not much info and pictures on the SBT. I had no idea Parker made such beautifully made firearms. Is there any good books on SBT's out there?
Thanks,
Ralph

Pictures would be nice.

The best book on Parkers, including the SBT’s is the two-volume set The Parker Story.

If you never knew Parker made such beautiful guns, this book will blow your mind.





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There must be some single barrel articles in The Parker Pages. One interesting article is about a 20 gauge single trap.

Right Bill, but non-members don't get Parker Pages, nor can they purchase the Digital Archive, so they are not likely to read those articles.






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Ralph,
welcome to the Parker world, and you have found the right group to grow your interest! I would agree, a copy of the Parker Story is worth the investment. As is a membership in this fine group.

Some pics of my SBT
 

Here are a few pics before I bought it, as I was trying to figure out its true non-original condition, and worth. It cleaned up nicely once I got it home, I need to take some more current pics. The bore is pristine, but the rib is missing the center ivory bead. The stock cap is gold with light engraving around the circumstance. Any idea where the forearm & stock might have come from, or where the barrel engraving/re-bluing was done. The recoil pad looks like an early Pachmayr, but it does not fit perfectly at the top, so I do not think it was originally installed when the new forearm and stock were installed, because they fit very nicely.

Thanks guys for your help,

Ralph

The engraving alone identifies it as a SB and the circassian walnut appears to possibly be original to the gun judging by the correct “trap comb” and though the checkering and carving was not done by Parker it is truly a work of art!

We see a lot of Parker SBT’s that have been tweaked this way or that and though they may have brought pride to their owners, their values have been seriously compromised. Yours however and IMO, is beautifully done and I would be proud to have it in my collection and to occasionally bring it to the trap range.





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Here are some pics of my SB for comparison. You've got a great gun there.

The aftermarket work done on this gun is of better than good quality. I would buy this gun. In what area of the country did you find this gun? That may give us a hint about who did the work. We need better pictures of the barrel engraving to help with the identity.

Some more info and pics of my SBT
 

Dean, Bill, and John, thanks for the great info and pics from your personal SBT’s. When I first found this Parker SBT, it had been sitting in a gun shop I frequent, and it had been there for a little while. The SBT was priced outside the range for their normal shop clientele. According to the shop owner, the SBT came into the shop from two older women, one in her 80’s and one in her 50’s, mother and daughter. The daughter explained it belonged to her dad for over 50 years, who passed away a few years ago, and her mom was now ready to clean out her late husband’s personal things. I have known the shop owners for many years, so they always try to provide me with as much background information as possible on any old/used firearm. However, they did not think I would be interested in the Parker SBT, until I spotted it in their display case. They informed me that, they thought it had been altered, with a new forearm and stock and potentially had the barrel re-blued, so they would make me a great deal on it. They are not experts on Parker's either, and had to rely on the Blue Book to form their originally and value assumptions. As I looked over the SBT I thought it was beautiful, and the workmanship and attention to detail with the engraving was amazing, thinking it was made in 1928, it was exciting, welcome to the Parker world. I had the shop hold it for me, while I did some research / investigation on the SBT. I ordered several Parker books, but none had specific info on the SBT, but I gained enough general info to identify the B grade from the B & 5 above and below the S/N on the frame water-table. I also was able to verify that all the S/N’s, on the frame, barrel, trigger guard tang, and forearm attach point, all matched. I made the shop a lower offer than they were asking, based on what I knew, and they accepted it, so now I have my first Parker SBT. Thanks for the tip on the Parker Story reference, I will have to order a copy. I live in Ca, so maybe that will provide a clue to where the barrel engraver and upgraded forearm and stock were performed. Included are a few more recent pics on the barrel engraving and stock carvings. As I mentioned I could see some polishing indication on the left side of the barrel in the logo on the missing arrow quills, on the left. Is the logo roll stamped from the factory? Also, the most resent recoil pad was not fit exactly to the stock, but this could be changed several time during a trap guns life.

Thanks again on your help figuring out what I have from an originally standpoint. I will definitely plan on taking this SBT to the trap range, once in a while, as I like to shoot all my firearms.

Ralph

I am not usually a big fan of stock carving. I do appreciate the workmanship when it is well executed, but to me, it usually looks tacky and gaudy. But, overall, this gun is pretty attractive and the workmanship is top notch. When carving is present, I much prefer it to be used along with checkering so that the two complement each other nicely. This gun is that case exactly.
It does look to me like the wood may possibly be original to the gun and the original checkering was just added to and embellished with the carving. And the additional engraving was added to the barrel.
The fitment of the pad may just be due to climate change and wood shrinking up some. It could be corrected easily if desired, or even better, get that white-line thing off of it and put a more appropriate pad on it.

Nice find.

SBT
 

I love it. It should be taken to the range, carried and shot with pride. M

Thanks for the info Brian & Mark. Yes, I really like the SBT, I was not looking for it, it just found me. I will install another time period correct replica butt pad, as soon as I can. I do plan on shooting it, as I do all my firearms, but there is something very special about this gun, and about the amazing craftsmanship, from a time period long past.

Ralph

That is a great gun Ralph. We appreciate you sharing it here. I would wager you are the only guy on this forum whose first Parker was a SBT.

Not true Mike!

When I read mikes post, I thought about Chuck, but ai could not remember the details of the story. If it was in fact his first parker or not.

Chuck's grandfather's SC and it was a featured gun in the 2019 Peoples’ Choice awards.





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My "first and second" Parker, a SC and SB Single Barrel Trap Guns... would love to add a third Parker an A grade. A guy can only hope :)

Trap3

Thanks guys, for the great feedback. I have a few other doubles, all average field grade shooters, I have picked up over the years, but I never ran into a double Parker, in the grade and condition, that I could justify affording. I never knew Parker made an SBT until recently, my only other single barrel trap gun is a BT-99. My firearm collecting is very broad, pistols, rifles and shotguns, preferably the older verities.

Ralph

It`s possible the previous owner had Pachmayr Gun Works embellish the nice old Parker...

Trap3

I stand corrected. Ralph you are in rare company with Chuck and Randy. Get a letter on the gun. You never know what you might find out.

That thought did kind of cross my mind.

Hi Mike, I am new to PCGA what is the process for joining and/or obtaining a letter.

Thanks,

Ralph

Ralph - May I be the first to welcome you as a new PGCA Member... It may be a little premature but you have made your intent obvious.





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Ralph,
We look forward to your membership. You can join on-line, get there by going to the home page or with the same app you can fill it out and mail to Mar Bowes whose address is on the app. A good group,

All signed up, and I found and ordered the Parker Story, looking forward to reading it.

Thanks for info and book tip.

Ralph

When I asked Ralph where he lived, I was waiting for the "California" answer because this gun says Pachmayr all over, including the pad, which may have been installed at Pachmayr when the engraving and carving was done. Don't mess with the pad just yet.

I agree with Randy and Bill. Had the gun come from the other coast, my strong vote would have been Paul Jaeger's shop in Jenkintown PA.

Unfortunately like my SBT,also made in 1928, there is no order book information just stock book hopefully. It may confirm the Monte Carlo stock.

Kevin, you took the words right out of my mouth. Good shot.

Beautiful gun Ralph, and a first Parker to boot!! :bowdown::bowdown:

B grade SBT
 

Wow, great first Parker. That wood work is wonderful!

Thanks Mike & Larry, now I just need to figure out its history.

Ralph

Hey Ralph, welcome to the Members Club!
I didn’t see your earlier post til now. I’m on a mini vacation.
I believe if you click on the link below it will end up getting you a letter on your first Parker!
http://parkerguns.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=41

Thanks for the link Mike, I will spend some time looking through the forums and then get a letter. I ordered the Parker Story, and I am waiting on it to arrive. The research continues, but that is the fun part.

Ralph

Ralph, the Parker Story is a great historical work. One of the authors, Bill Mullins, haunts these forums and is a great guy. If you can swing it, come to Sanford, NC April 23, 24, 25 and 26. You will see more Parker’s than you have ever seen before. You will make new friends that share your passion for these great guns. You will see first hand why the PGCA is the country’s premiere gun collector organization. And if you’re lucky, you just might meet award wining author John Davis.

Or better yet, award winning author Mike Franzen. :bowdown:

Thanks Mike for the invite to Sanford, NC April 23, 24, 25 and 26. That would be great to see that show, meet the members, and all those Parker's. Not sure I will be able to make it, but you never know.

Thanks,

Ralph

Guys, have you seen variations in the SBT roll stamped barrel markings on the left side of the barrel. I have seen these variations on several other barrels. Are they variations due to the roll stamping process, or from polishing off of the old bluing in this area. As deep as the roll stamping is it is hard to believe polishing could remove that much stamping material. The first figure is of my barrel, note the variations on the far left bottom and the far right top. The second and third and fourth pics have similar or no variations.

Please let me know what you think,

Thanks,

Ralph

Ralph, for what it's worth: yours of course has been customized, the second and fourth appear to have been "restored" and no. 3 looks original.