VHE 20 gauge
 

Guns International #: 101837975

This looks like a pretty good deal to this novice. Am I missing something?

Case colors look funny to me, but I am not an expert.

Parker 30" 20 bores are all special guns. The one in question appears to have had some restoration work done. Case colors are not original and the wood looks to have had some work as well. But it would be a fine shooter assuming the barrels are good.

My money says it's all been re-done and that the case colors are certainly not original. I just read the excellent article on case colors in the archived spring or summer issue of PP 2015 that shows photos of re-done coloring. I'm guessing by the pattern and floor plate in particular it's a recolor. For the money would make a nice field gun.

Cyanide case colors are not original. The quality of the walnut is correct for a VHE but it looks to have been restocked and the forend has at least been re-checkered.

This gun has no safety so it's pretty likely the interest in it will be limited but the barrel length may make up for that.





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The gun has been refinished. Cyanide case colors, reblack on the barrels and stock refinished with checkering recut. But a nice looking gun and would be a great shooter.

It does say in the listing that the gun has been "redone"..... Reblued, refinished wood, although nothing about the case colors. Also, what is that cicrle in the rib in front of the receiver?

But, ya 30" 20's are sweet.

For my own educational purposes, how is everyone arriving at the conclusion the checkering is recut?

That's the retaining screw for the doll's head extension. They were invisible when new but they become visible when refinished.





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It is not "true" to original Parker checkering quality or pattern layout.





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Ah, I missed the no saftey issue. That would be a deal killer for me. I'm too old and clumbsy to be handling a gun with no saftey anywhere but a shooting range.

30" barrels, tapered rib, no safety, serial number possibly low enough for a letter with order book information, what's not to like? Oh, the price.

I never even looked at the price.... what is it?





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Dean the asking price is $3995.

Thanks for the quick and expert insights. I am astounded and humbled by the body of knowledge so freely availble in this group. I am also wondering how I am going to be able to compete for my desired wish list of Parkers from such a drastically inferior position. :-) From my brief forray into researching Parker shotguns to enjoy, shoot and collect, it occurs to me that if a Parker gun is available on one of the larger gun auction/sale sites for more than a couple days it must be a bit overpriced or not what it appears to be.

Some PGCA members with limited knowledge have successfully purchased a hundred or two Parkers in competition with those who know more. Some very interesting Parkers are not sold as quickly as you may think. At an auction, the ability to bid and pay beats knowledge every time.

Not such a bad price really.... if it hadn't been molested.





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Almost bought a VH 20 with 30" barrels a few years ago. $2000 but with issues that could be fixed easily. Now wish I had just done it.

I was after a 20 gauge 30 or 32 inch at Sanford last year . Dealer from FL. had a sequential pair of 0 frame 32 inches . I went back down Thursday morning to purchase one and a friend from Richmond had purchased both , well actually he was doing the paper work when I walked up . Jerry Smith had a VH 30” I think it was and again I drug my feet to long . I thought I was going to get out of their without buying a 20 gauge but a friend put a DHE 20 30” in my hands Sunday morning and told me to shoot it on the 5-stand I broke 23/25 came back and wrote him a check . :rotf: And I still want a 20 gauge 32” preferably on a 1 frame with a straight grip stock .:whistle:

No safety doesn’t bother me . But I doubt I’d hunt with this gun if I owned it . I have a pair of DH 12 pigeon guns that left the factory safetyless and I really enjoy shooting them in the pigeon ring , at sporting and at pheasant tower shoots . If I have one at a tower shoot I usually stand waiting with the gun cracked open loaded with the muzzle resting on my toes , when a bird comes I lift it close it and go on with the program no harm no foul .

A California duck club 20 gauge would be just the thing. I am not insisting on a Widgeon Club either. I remember a few other clubs ordered some too

The chokes in this gun if they actually are M/M would make me reconsider , I’d be more comfortable with M/F or even more so with F/F !

mills I hope you find that 32 inch 20 ga and a plus with 3 inch chambers...charlie

Dan, live and learn...and don't let the expertise get too deep into your head or you may never recover from it. There are plenty of wonderful Parkers out there that have some things that expert analysis would point to as flaws. Weigh them against what your goals are (and your budget is) and move accordingly. Keep asking questions.

Unless it starts at a penny with no reserve. Then it will sell for what the buyer thinks it’s worth. Which is usually fair. In which case it runs the length of the time the seller sets be it a week or more.
In other case it just might be that the higher grade and condition, or rare guns have a limited pool of buyers many times.

A 30-inch, 20-gauge VHE with no safety!! Our man Jay would have written three pages of praise!

I missed a VHE 30" 20 gauge at the last Louisville show a couple of weeks ago. 40% case colors,98% barrel blue,original dogs head buttplate. He had it priced at $6800 and came down to $6200. I went off to think it over and when I came back to buy it a well know dealer was walking off with it.I was told the new owner sold it later that day for $8500.

I think I must be the outlier or just plain crazy, but I don't think the price is totally outlandish, I really don't care it was restocked, re-blued and re-colored. If it's sound I would use that puppy all day long at a clays course and shoot it until my arms fell off and eyeballs popped out of my head. That's a clay bird TOY right there. For half the price of a CSM Super Bird you have something nice dedicated to clays.

Thanks for your thoughts Gary. You have accurately described my typical modus operandi. I'm looking for some solid guns to take in the field and shoot targets with. My intent at this stage is to understand what characteristics and lack there of are most significant value contributors and which flaws are most serious to try to avoid. I hope to make a few old Parkers new hunting buddies.

You're a days drive to the NE Side by Side and the Vintagers in upstate PA. You'll see a lot of guns and learn a lot. More than half the fun is learning about them, the history, and the lore. The knowledge of folks on here is astounding. Just at a glance they teach you more than all the reading.

Dan:

Here is some advice, from one of a number of highly esteemed and ever-helpful PGCA members, that I gleaned from this Forum some years ago.

"The best course for a person interested in Parkers is to get at least the Muderlak Parker Old Reliable book and study that as a starter, find a mentor who knows, have an idea what you want , then move quickly should the right gun surface.

Be quiet about it, there are people who lurk here, the usual numbers are maybe 30 members and 120 non forum member lurkers/lookers, and some of those will buy a gun out from under a person who brings attention to it."

Does your friend still own those 2 20/32" guns?

Ol’ Stumpstalker gives very good advice!





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I think all things considered that is not a bad price in this market(not great, but not bad for a gun you don't see everyday). The recoil pad turns me off a bit, but I could get used to it or change it.

I picked up a 30" 20 gauge VH at the Southern last year and I absolute love the gun. Don't tell my wife, but it is really the only Parker I would ever need. It has 2 7/8" chambers from the factory and is choked full/full. It weighs 6 3/4lbs and comes to the shoulder without thinking. This gun is had been great at everything I have done with so far...Pheasants in Kansas, a lot of sporting clays, trap, a handful of local preserve hunts wear I swear I made a successful 50 yard shot at a pheasant :whistle:

If I didn't have one this one that Guns International Parker would be worth a look...

Oh my God...I'm getting light headed reading something so blasphemous...:rotf::rotf::rotf:

I was just letting everyone know how sweet a 30" 20 really is. I agree though, I should never put something like that it writing...

That's a beautiful gun.

Jay, that's a perfect prairie gun, one made for wide open spaces with those barrels and chokes.

I do believe that’s the gun Jerry Smith had :cool:

Yes he does and I bother him regularly about them !