MULLERED CHECKERING BORDER ON A REPRO
 

Here is my question: How does adding a Mullered Border to a Parker Reproduction impact value ?
Bob Jurewicz

It’s an interesting question that could go either direction based on personal taste or how strict one’s leanings are toward original Reproduction form.

An example 28ga sold earlier this year that had mullard boarders, actual cased metal, and an oil finish, the ejector stop plate had been fixed, it brought about $4400. Now all those things shouldn’t take away from it in my view. I see them as improvements, and in truth I can’t recall why I didn’t buy it.

Those are things, I like better about Meriden Parkers. And granted an original DHE 28ga with any condition in any original barrel length is going to cost roughly 3 times +++ what a Reproduction at today’s numbers.

Somewhere here we have a thread Brian showed what can be done with a Repro. You may like the photos, but I reviewed the gun last August when he had it at Mike’s. It’s wonderful!
In my eyes because he did everything to it to make it look like a Meriden produced gun stem to stern. And that’s what I like in a Parker.

IMO, mullering the borders a la Parker Brothers isn't necessarily correct. Tom Skuese sent several of his Remington era Parkers to Japan to be duplicated. Those guns did not have mullered borders as was done by Parker Brothers. But neither did the checkerers in Japan correctly replicate the borders in the Remington style either.

Here is what Remington borders should look like. Pictures 1, 2, 3, and 4 are Remington style borders while the last two are Parker Bros. mullered borders just for comparison. Personally I like the mullered borders but they're not correct for the Parker Reproductions by Winchester.


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I personally do not think that many would care. But I am sure some would.
Personally, I feel that the quality of the checkering on DHE repros is one of their poorest executed features. Anything that can be done to improve it some is not really a bad thing.

I can't see how adding mullered borders could possibly add any value in the longterm. In fact, I believe it will prove detrimental to value to those that chose to collect Parker Reproductions. Serious collectors demand originality, adding mullered borders to a Parker Reproduction ain't original.

But still, it’s a matter of personal preference.





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I just cant see why a reproduction is collectible . Just me I guess

Just because YOU don't understand how something can be considered collectible, doesn't mean they don't exist. There are all kinds of collectors in this big wide world we live in. There are collectors of women's panties found on clotheslines, there are collectors of Japanese swords, there are collectors of Parker Bros. guns and yes, there are collectors of Parker Reproductions -- lot's of them...and likely more in the years and decades yet to come.

The men and in women in Meriden and Ilion who created the originals probably never dreamed that in 100 or more years their utilitarian creations, no matter how plain or how ornate, would be prized so highly by collectors, nor did they have the slightest inkling that politicians of the future would like to take them away from the American public.





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You can say that again it's bloody pitiful !

Glad to see Brian say that. I’ve never personally seen a repro that had checkering to Parker standards. True, my experience with them is somewhat limited. But I did buy one and was amazed at how poor the checkering was. There were runovers and crooked lines to the extent that I couldn’t fix them. I sanded off the checkering and did it right along with mullered borders. I finished the stock in oil and redid the barrels using the slow rust blue process.

I later sold the gun because I thought it was too heavy for a 20 bore.

The checkering on the B grades and A1s is of fine quality. And... they even have mullered borders.

In my humble opinion, the D grade repos without special features are as collectible as the Yugo autos of the 80s. Personally, anything stamped Made in Japan so vividly is not collectible as a classic double. They might be utilitarian and fill a void in the 28 ga area but still a repro if the original in looks only. That’s just my opinion and not meant to insult anyone here.

Well, you just did insult many Parker Reproduction collectors.

I don't need to ask about your opinion that "Personally, anything stamped Made in Japan so vividly is not collectible as a classic double." (nevermind that here in the USA the country the product originated from is an importation requirement), as that speaks for itself and may even be considered a xenophobic comment.

But, I am interested in your humble opinion that "the D grade repos without special features are as collectible as the Yugo autos of the 80s." Just exactly what special features available on D-Grade Repros would you consider as having a chance at being collectible? There may be some collectors of Parker Reproductions that might want to add some examples with those special features to their collection.

Can't we all in the Parker community just get along without denigrating or insulting one particular genre of Parker collecting? We're all in this together, aren't we?

I was not trying to insult anyone but they are not now and never have been a favorite of mine and although I’ve had numerous opportunities to own one I’ve never had the desire. In 2004i was give a 28 ga D repro and sold it in 3 day as it did nothing for me. But that’s just me. Sorry

Oil finish on the wood, updated checkering, and real case colors. I think everything done to this gun made it better. Both sets of barrels split the wedge in the dolls head and got the Bachelder treatment to the lug. Again, I think this made the gun better. I believe it is now used daily to shoot ducks in Texas.

PML

Nice work, I personally like it much better. I recall seeing one early on that had the wood reshaped a little and oil finished. New case would help. Just my opinion but the repro 28's are affordable and available but continue to be going up. I once asked if I should consider selling some originals Parkers to buy a 410/28 repro set and I got a stern talking to from a very reputable dealer, which I did appreciate. Never hurts to listen to some of our members who know Parkers.

Here is one that Brian Dudley did for me.
Bob Jurewicz