Makes me cry!!
 

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/897252845
Still a cool and rare gun.

KE grade? The seller needs some education for sure. No surprise given the lengthly discussions had on other guns sold by them in the past.

An interesting gun for sure. A straight grip B grade top action with long fluid steel barrels and no rib extension. Weren't people wondering what constituted a live bird gun...?

It would be nice to see this one saved.

Definitely worth an investment.





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Brian, You just saved me from going to the grade descriptions looking to see what a KE grade was. How does the serial # book describe the gun?

Question for the gunstock craftsman..... Can the original wood be saved with the wire wrapped tightly like this?

Are you asking if the wire is an effective repair? Or if the stock as it is can be salvaged after the wire is removed?

I have seen this form of tie wire and solder used in the past to hold broken stock together. And this one is complete and it is likely doing a good job in holding it together. That along with the metal strap that is installed on the top side under the wire.
As for the stock being saved, that would remain to be seen after the wire is removed. It may not be pretty.
Anyone considering repair of the gun should figure on complete replacement of the stock to be the best way to go.

Wow. The stuff I learn, that just ain't true, from this guy, is boggling my mind.

This is one of those guns that makes me think "If only they could talk". What a fine old warrior! It reminds me of a valiant soldier that fights on, though gravely wounded.

If it were mine it would never have any further repair done to that stock wrist. There is much to be said for returning guns to their former "glory", but this one's glory is still there, IMO. I would like to know how old that repair is, and where it was done. Information lost to time.

Grand! Wire cast, miss match iron and all, yet so ripe with undeniable character.

The forend is not mismatched. That photo is upside down. And it just so happens that all of the digits read both ways.

The ONLY Grade 5 Top Action hammer gun ever made (that we know of) with 32" Titanic Steel barrels.

The wood has likely been burned (to some degree) beneath the areas where the wire was soldered to the top reinforcing strap and the trigger guard.





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Brian
Of course you are correct. One of those times I like being wrong.

Any guess as to if the butt plate is factory? I don't see what I would expect to see for screws. Like Craig said Very Cool!

Dean, Mark Conrad had one and so did I mine 30" Marks was 32"

Dean there was at least 1 other that we know of, #92850 which was actually offered for sale on the forum some 3 years or so ago as I recall.

This gun is not the gun that Mark owned. Mark's was R.A.Welsh's gun. This gun, apparently, is not Welsh's gun.

Was Mark Conrad's gun, offered here http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=22242 Also lacking the rib extension. Hiss pictures do not show a view of the top of the receiver.
The engraving on this diamond in the rough is spectacular.

I find it very hard to believe that butt plate is original to the gun.

I see that Mark had one for sale in 2017 so if this subject gun really has 32" barrels then it must be 1 of 2, this one being heretofore unknown.





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I agree with Dean the steel butt plate is a replacement it is poorly fitted. This gun talks to me for some reason, but I need to keep my finger off the bid button. I swore off big project guns and need to hold that promise.

After the purchase of the gun I see $6-7k to properly resurrect it.





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I sure hope a PGCA member buys and brings it back to life. Otherwise someone will hacksaw the barrels and be a cowboy.

Oh Gary..... :whistle:





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Would be a fun but expensive project. Really makes my C grade look good and it has issues

That deep relief engraving on the receiver bottom between the triggerplate and the hinge , and the corresponding rosette on each side plate, are unique to my limited experience. And beautiful. This alone makes the gun worthy of owning. I too would leave the wrapped grip alone and see how the rest of the gun could be cleaned up without "restoring" anything. I see at least one PGCA member in the bidding cue, so good luck out there. I have no plans myself to bid. No dinero.

I am amazed at how nice the top rib is, after all the gun has been through. There may be some flaws in it but I couldn't see them in the provided pics.

That mid-bead was an add-on, correct?

If it was me buying it, I'd shoot it as is, no restock unless it was absolutely necessary. That wire wrapped grip is like using skateboard tape on a race gun grip. "No slip, grip and rip!" I'd add a slip on butt pad for good LOP and get rid of that useless mid-bead, but that's it. That is a very cool gun. Love the engraving and especially the fish-tail top lever.

Already up to $7,600. And 10 days to go
Now $9025

B grade hammer gun
 

opinions on how much it would cost to restore this rare gun to make it right.looks like the stock is cracked at the wrist and it needs a skeleton butt plate.We do not know the barrel wall thickness or if it had been honed.

$9125 sight unseen (no physical inspection) at 9:15 on 4/18/2021





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Seems like a gamble and its not done yet. The trigger guard from what I see has been poorly welded. So you can figure that too.barrels have pitting on outside. Could use a reblue at the least.

I’ll say one thing that I am certain. This agent has brought out now 4-5 Parkers that have generated a lot of discussion. As a student of all things Parker these are the sort of guns that make us think on multiple levels of what they are now, what they left Meriden as, and what possibilities are yet to be determined. In ways that is the appeal of a high percentage of Parker guns no matter the grade or rarity. I am not surprised at the dollars bid thus far.

To bring it back to its former glory would be admirable and quite an undertaking but for posterity’s sake it should be done. Certainly recouping the investment in the gun and the restoration would be a gamble... but oh, the satisfaction!





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I agree with you Dean. The buyer has to make a decision to restore or leave it the way it is.I called the seller to see if he new bore diameter and min wall thickness but they did not know. Being in the gun business without the proper tools is like an auto mechanic without a wrench. just my opinion

No surprise there that they didn't know.

7 days left and close to 10 grand

:shock::shock::shock:

The way the bidding is going and any cost of restoration could take this Parker over the $20K threshold. It would make for an interesting article for Parker Pages if a member buys and restores her.

Several such guns have made it into Parker Pages and it always makes for a good story. Hopefully, this one will make it into an article

You remember that HE Fox that was on an auction site a year or two ago? It was covered with than coating of bright red rust. It cleaned up beautifully and worked out to be a steal for the new owner.

That guy was lucky

It’s a gun worthy of a complete restoration, dollars be damned. There was a time when I would probably have taken this project on. Alas, my gun interests are focused elsewhere these days. So I dodged that bullet.

I have a passion for these old guns but you can buy a really nice original high condition high grade Parker for 20K. I would love to see the gun brought back with a proper restoration, but I'm happy it won't be me!!