(NOT) RESTORED DHE 20 GA
 

I recently had my DHE 20 ga Parker completely restored by a well known and recommended gunsmith.
The gun is a disaster. I have contacted this gunsmith numerous times to resolve this issue. He has refused to refund all /or/ any part of my payment for substandard work.
I have found another competent gunsmith who received the Parker today.
He has added to the list of of problems - a completely botched restoration!
Now this will cost me more time and money.
Please contact me if you would like the name of the first gunsmith and/or pictures of his inferior work.

That's sad. Seems we hear/read more and more of this sort of thing. I guess we need to ask for recommendations and actually examine, first hand, the quality of their work.
So, who is this 'gunsmith'??

DSRomig@aol.com

Hi Dean and Tony...

First - I will tell you that I really respect Tony for his post. It's a long story - and I've chatted with Tony in private over the past weeks.

Second - Tony is still getting the hang of the forum and how to reply - but I'm certain he will. He's simply trying to get his DHE back into a condition that - in Tony's words to me - "would make Mr. Parker proud.."...

I hand it to him for his perseverance in spite of one restoration gone not in a direction he anticipated... So - my view? Let's get him square as well as his DHE...

John

Information Please
 

Tony....I have a Parker that I'm planning to place in the hands of a restorer. Please let me know the name of your incompetent smith so I'm certain not to make contact with him. My e-mail cbbeers@att.net

Anyone know of a good stock man. Want to have a new stock and fore wood made and want it done correct to the gun. I know Doug Mann but he is booked up for a long time. Please contact me with your thoughts at the above e-mail. Thanks, Carl Beers

The smith in question has worked on and brought back to life several Parkers for me, some in really bad shape. I have been veery happy with his work. I think there was a misunderstanding as to the type of stock finish on Tony's gun and things went downhill from there. We need to be fair about these things. Ed

Ed - I think you forgot all the pictures I sent to you (and I have more pictures and testimonials form other gunsmiths) - the entire gun is a disaster - I tried to negotiate a partial refund and he laughed at me - have your restored guns been seen by the 'Parker guys' - the same guys that commented on my gun?

Bruce - Mr Parker would cry at your response (look at John's post) - how do think Puglisi gets high condition guns - restoration.

I don't think so.

The vast majority of Jack's high condition guns are in original high condition, not restored guns.

Anthony,
I would like to know how you know that. I have bought several guns from Puglisi's and they have all been original as they were represented. I would be very carefull about slandering a man's reputation unless you have very good proof. Eric

wow - no one is saying Puglises guns are all restored - and if they are restored - he does say so.
I am only sorry you do not believe in restoring old Parkers to 'a Parker condition"
They are great shooters

I don't know how we got "restoration" into this discussion as a debate subject. I also don't know how we got Mr. P into this discussion. Mr. P doesn't want to be here so let's let him out of this thread. Bruce, don't tell me or anyone else to buy quality. If I want to bring some guns back, leave me alone to do it. If you didn't have the checkbook, you would be drooling over the guns I have brought back. Put a cork in it. By the way, what do you know about twenty eight years ago? You just got here with your checkbook about three years ago.

:corn:

Bruce and all concerned members:::::
Lets get back to the subject at hand.
I only wanted to restore my Parker properly - not by an amateur! - "so Mr Parker would be proud...."
I have only been collecting Parkers for two years and I have covered a few ends of the spectrum:::
I have Lucky #7 (see Parker Pages) - the seventh Parker to come out of the factory
I have a .410 DHE with 28" barrels - the only one known (and I had to dig deep into my checkbook to buy that one!)
I have Trojans and restoration projects.
I only wanted to have my 20 ga DHE restored properly and prevent other members from problems.
See you all at the Vintage Cup!

OK...I'll throw my two cents in here.First off if Tony wants to have his gun restored thats his business.It's his gun.Second Jack P's name should have never come up.Those of us that fool with these guns know Jack's reputation and all that he has done for the double gun community.

I think the thing that get's my goat the most is that if a new member posts here he should be treated with some respect.I gotta ask you all if you got berated and put down everytime you offered an opinion or asked a question what incentive do we have to come back here?

I have said this in the past and i will say it again"There is room in the PGCA for everyone. From the high end collector,bird hunter,waterfowling guy's,target shooters or the guy that owns just one Parker but loves to shoot/hunt with it. It's a joy for him and we should welcome him with open arms.

At some point non of us knew anything about Parkers but we paid our dues through time spent and I am sure(as much as we may not want to admit it :rolleyes:) some bad gun buy's.

When veteran members knock a new comer something is very wrong. New members are our lifeblood.

There I said it.And it's just one mans opinion.So have at it :bigbye:

Thank you, Dave
It is nice to have your support.
I wish the twelve apostles would share your view.

Can't leave sleeping dogs alone, had to get that last little dig in?

Anthony,

You won't see Bruce at the Vintage Cup, he doesn't attend "Eastern" shooting events anymore. You have to pardon him, he's originally from California, that should explain everything.


Destry

that's why I am Italian - Italians have big mouths

P.S to Dave Suponski: I'm currently dealing with my greatest ever "Parker Mistake" and it's fixing to get expensive.

DLH

Ditto here Destry . . . ditto here.

Yep, I know all about that! An education can be expensive.

I don't know who is referred to as the twelve apostles. Clue me in. I certainly don't know who Bruce was referring to when he talked about the "eastern seaboard interests". Is he bitch slapping our PGCA founders? When he gets back from investigating his business interests in Kansas, he is going to educate us on Larry Baer's attitude about Parker collecting. Well, to fill Bruce in on Mr. Baer, Mr. Baer, before writing the books in the early seventies that made him famous in the Parker collecting world, was the proprietor of a business called Bearcat Sports. Bearcat Sports specialized in the refinishing of Parker shotguns. Yes, Bruce, the refinishing of Parker shotguns. Mr. Baer also did his Parker collecting with a fat and active checkbook, something that you feel is the only way to go. Well, Bruce, it isn't the only way to go, and it isn't the way the majority of our members approach Parker collecting.

Dean,
Mine is with Russ "Burt Becker" Bickle as we speak. Hopefully his magic can save the old girl from going into parts gun status.

Destry

Destry and Dean....I have one of those guns also.I take it out of the safe fondle it for awhile..Remind myself I need to get up to Larry D,s shop... shake my head and put it back. :banghead:

All I wanted to do was get a 20ga DHE gun restored so I can shoot quail amd dove - what a can of worms was opened - it does not matter how much money anyone has -
I just wanted to restore my gun.
As to the 12 apostles - well you all know who they are
- it is the same guys at every Parker function - they think they are the bottom line for every opinion on Parkers.
Stop throwing stones at each other. I was only mad at my 'amateur' gunsmith.
I only want to show the apostles that my 20 ga DHE is not a cow.
As an antique dealer, you should realize that many of these guns are over 100 years old and you should be happy to even own one!

Destry- I hope you are not referring to the gun you bought from "The World's Foremost Expert on Parker Shotguns, the Universe and Everything"? If so, its pieces are still sitting in my shop until Saturday when I see Burt...

Don,

One and the same.

No rush, whenever you see Burt will be soon enough.

If he can get that heap back together (with the short barrels) before we go to Quebec I'll use it on them teals. I'm not holding my breath......


Destry

"Burt" told me that he was not set up to perform the necessary surgery on my little foray in Parker education to bring it back to shooting condition and Keith wasn't very encouraging either.

Did you try Merrington? To me, he's the go to guy on that sort of thing.

DLH

Dean, sounds like you have barrel problems?

Bill, I'll call you tonight - 8:30-ish okay with you?

Dean I hope you come out ok on your project. If its not feasable to repair it I would certainly consider legal action to recoup your expenses.

DLH is the gun you speak of the BH that Dave V had for so long? I already eagerly await next fall when Russ will have my CHE 20 fitted with a new stock.

One and the same.

I finally got sick of waiting on him and took it back.

He actually attempted to produce a bill for taking the gun into 100 pieces and never finishing the job. After a tense moment or two, I walked out of the shop with the gun in a sack and my wallet in the same shape as when I went in.

That will be my last experience with him as a gunsmith I can assure you.

I wonder who Dave V is? I guess we don't want to use him to fix our guns.

He's a Michigan double gun guy, not nationally known, but had done good work for me in the past. He only kept the gun for two and a half years before finally deciding that he didn't want to finish the job.

DLH

I have a Parker apart in my garage with the stock simmerin' in pot of Methyl Chloride in the back porch... If I don't get it put back together soon my wife's gonna post on this thread. You boys ain't read nothin' till you see that.

Ok Dave I,ll Bite What grade gun is she gonna give away? :crying:

Sell it... hell, she'll just toss it out. Its a repro! I'll post up some pictures when I'm done, nothing major.