Old guns.
 

Went for a walk late this afternoon with this old Superpose. It’s a sweet old gun, 20 ga, nice and light, carries like a dream, and points exactly where I need it to point but what makes it really special is it’s history. A gentleman named John Thompson bought it new in 1959. John was a banker in my hometown. A distinguished gentleman, tall and lean with a shock of white hair. My parents were close friends of John and his family. After he passed away his guns were dispersed to his friends. A few years ago I tracked this one down and bought it.

John passed away 20-years ago this evening. He was a gentleman and a character. I wish I had been able to spend time afield with him when I was young but I’ll have to settle with his Superpose and that’s OK. I look at the thinning blue and a few dings on the stock and I know how they came to be. That’s what makes this old guns special.

https://i.imgur.com/TuMH8fZ.jpg

Very nice, too early for a Superlight, right?
Hidden Round Knob?

RKLT

Not only did you Super "Pose" it as a Superlight,
it looks as though it's a vent rib single barrel with a mag tube.

The 1950s era 20 gauge superposed guns were the best in my opinion. The fore-end was smaller and yes they were a joy to carry. I owned a bundle of them before I got interested in Parker guns.

It is very cool to know the history of an old gun. Even better you knew the gentleman who owned the gun. Good on you for tracking it down.

That's a beauty. I spoke with an appraiser from Morphy's last month, and he said that prices of Superposed are steadily dropping because the new "crop" of shooters are familiar with the name Citori and are bidding those up in price. They're so new to shooting they don't know what a Superposed is. With my birds eye eyeball it seems prices have come down somewhat lately and I'm considering picking one up. I should re-read my Superposed book I suppose.

My first Superposed was a first year 20 Superlite. To reduce weight, the comb was shaved down, making it razor thin. Recoil was tough. Sold it and bought a later version which somewhere along the way had an original Midas stock put on the Grade 1 gun. Got my only grouse double with that gun. Someone forced me to sell the gun and double my money. Still think fondly of that gun, however

I bought my first SuperposeD in early 1968 and have owned a dozen or so since in most varieties - RKLT, RKFT, STGP, including some stunning Pre-WWII and very early 1950s Grade Vs. Most have been 20 gauge, a few 28s, with a few exceptional graded 12 gauges, all Belgian guns. When the Citoris first came out I had little or no interest in them until I started seeing them at gun shows at a fraction of the price of the Belgian guns. Now I have them in 20, 28 and .410 gauge and am closing in on a 16 gauge (yes they made them but only for a few years). I truly believe they are the best value in an O/U in the under-$2500 class going for the basic models. Right now the market on 12 gauge Belgian guns is flatlined, but the smaller gauge prices are still strong, and the graded smallbores are still right up there in the mid-thousands, depending on gauge. Like the Belgian guns, the Citoris are built to last - you can wear them out, but they don't break down.

Jay,
Thats a nice story, I am glad you were able to track that gun down. There is an old stevens side by side .410 that I wouldn't mind tracking down. It was the first shotgun I ever hunted with.

Old guns are cool and most have some soul to them. It's even better if you know the history. I like Pre 64 M70's and have owned almost every caliber in both std and fwt. The only one I know the story of is the 375.
If you don't know the story it's fun to walk in the woods or drift off in thought in a deer blind and think of one.

Kevin is right about the 12 gauge Superposed flatlining, but I have a covey of high condition early 12 gauges that were reasonably priced and I am very happy with them. Prewar is good, if in high original condition. My early 20 gauges in mint condition will hold their value and go up in time. I'm not giving up and will still buy a good one at the right price. I recently found a minty first year 28" field choked .410 which is the holy grail in Grade Ones. It will go up in price faster than any of them. Nothing wrong with buying Superposed. You just have to pick and choose and avoid common models and low condition. Don't buy skeet choked guns, whether 12 or 20. Don't buy 26" guns. Don't buy worn out guns. Don't buy Grade 1 Broadway traps. Don't buy guns made after 1966, even 28s and .410s unless they are exceptional custom guns. If I take my own advice, I will be OK and my guns will go up in value. These are great guns and have a place in our collections.

I’ve sold off or traded almost every gun that I owned that didn’t have a story. At this point in my life that’s the frosting on the cake. I think I would like to own an early 20 Superpose Superlight though.

The guy to whom I sold the early superlight is also the owner of this AH 10 gauge.

http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthr...ighlight=gauge

Jay I will contact him to see if he's interested in selling the Superlight. I doubt if he has shot more than a box of shells thru it

Me too, Ed. it was loaned to me for four years when I was eight, by a benevolent neighboring landowner here. His grandson has it now, a J C Higgins .410 S X S with "beautifully marbled" Tenite stock and forend. Well .......... I thought it was beautiful at the time.

:) SRH

I like those tenite stocks....I have a 22-410 stevens with this stock...my first gun was a 410 double barrel stevens...wish I still had it traded it to my dad I thought I had out grown the little gun....charkie

Charlie, I thought I wanted to buy a .410 like my first, a few years ago, and went on the search. When I found one and saw what the asking price was.... I CHANGED MY MIND!!

The Tenite stocked doubles were lighter than the walnut stocked models, due to the buttstock being hollow. Never shot a 12 ga., but have been told that dentists love them.......... they will supposedly loosen your fillings very quickly.

Reading through this thread reminds me again that a gun is so much more than wood and metal.

Yup, a mint condition Tenite .410 double is more than a $1000 gun. I sold a nice walnut stocked high condition Stevens side by side .410 off my gun show table five years ago for $950. My handy man recently gave me a Springfield .410 with very little original finish and I am happy as can be to have it.

Indeed they are, something most people don’t understand.

I guess this forum and all of us wouldn't exist if we didn't believe we were more than that Garry : )

If only they could talk and re tell the places they have been and the birds or in the case of a classic rifle the big game they have taken. Some would have traveled the world some would have remained in the area of the caretaker and some would have been destined to be safe queens.

Several years ago I did a PP article on the fictitious travels of a CHE 20. It did get shipped back to Parker from either China or the West Indies I don't remember exactly for a new stock and returned to that far off destination. The fact that it was shipped and returned without miss hap is amazing in itself.

One of the firing pins on my Superpose was driving so I sent it to Art Isaacson to have the gun cleaned. They suggested it would be a great candidate for restoration but I declined. Every mark, the wear, was in the hands of a gentleman who I admire. It may diminish the financial value but it increased the sentimental value.

Taking the honest wear away from a classic gun is erasing the memories and removing it's soul.
There are cases where a restoration is prudent and might even return a classic to it's full potential but to do it to a completely functional firearm just to make it pretty again isn't one of them.

I bought a neat 16 DH from an elderly gentleman in Maine. The gun had been found in the back of a closet in an older house and it looked like to. The wood had a coat I grime and the metal had gone brown. It needed to be cleaned up, not restored. The only real wear to the stock was on the forend, just forward of the knuckle where the checkering was completely worn off. So, I ask a fellow to recut the checkering. A year or so later I was carrying the gun and I looked down and realized why the gun was so worn at that spot. The gentleman who ha carried the gun for decades wedding ring was responsible for that wear and I immediately Reg regretted having had the checkering recut. Never again will I mess with something that doesn’t absolutely need to be messed with.

I bought a GHE Damascus 20 from a friend. The stock had so much dirt and grime you couldn't tell if it had any figure in it. I had it cleaned up and under 100 years or so of grime was a beautiful piece of walnut befitting a much higher grade of gun.

I completely understand "honest wear" and honoring past custodians,
but have trouble with careless abuse at the hands of a stranger.


https://i.imgur.com/rPac4ub.png

https://i.imgur.com/NKTzX8U.png

About a week after I returned from viet nam and with some separation pay in my pocket, I bought a very nice 12 ga Browning Superposed from Eddie Thomas at the Dedham Soortsmans Center, in Dedham, Mass. I hunted with that gun for many years and sold it when the top rib came loose. Best shooting over under I ever owned and would buy it back today in a heartbeat. 26 inch barrels and many a grouse to its credit..
Oh and I paid $300 for it. Had money to burn back in the day.....

If I remember correctly, a Superposed at the PX in 1968/69 was $322

And a Rolex Submariner was $95 at the Navy China Fleet Club in Hong Kong. Lets not get started...

I remember the China Fleet Club in Hong Kong. Oh, the memories of HK back in the day...