The word "Rare"
 

I find it amusing while i'm Parker shopping, how is it that just about every gun is rare.
It's Friday let's have some fun.

Example. Trojan 12ga 26" barrels with rare ic/m chokes, it's also a mechanics special:corn:

We rarely see that adjective used by a buyer....

The words RARE and WOW in a gun's descritpion tell me to avoid the flim-flam man who is selling.

A sellers attempt to decieve the novice or the seller is a novice himself....:rolleyes:

Question is: Why is something "Rare?" It is often because the item didn't work very well.
After all, if something worked well, it would follow a lot would be manufactured.
"Rare and Desirable" are a bit different. Some recent years ago, side by side manufacturers were making products that were almost all 26" or 28" barrels........a 30" or 32" gun of that era might be called "rare," when in fact, nowadays, there are lots of them.
Hmmm
Sam Ogle, Lincoln, NE

Those 26" 12 gauge Trojans are pretty scarce. According to TPS, only 3.7% of 12 gauge Trojans have 26" barrels. I'll be looking for one of those next time I go to one of those local "Trojan" shows.

"Rare"
 

Yessiree- Rare- when at Ruth Chris' steak house or Outback- but all that hype to sell a shotgun- and a basket cased Trojan already- Mama Mia!!:corn:

Some of the really "RARE" guns out there are the ones that the maker couldn't sell. 410 Parkers are rare primarily because so few were made. Mr. Parker and Mr. Kingwere shrewd businessmen and knew what would sell and what wouldn't. If 410s sold well they would have built a lot more of them. Same with 28 gauge Parkers.

JMHO -------George

There are rare parkers, not all of them but some. For instance a AA hammer gun, one
of a kind guns, and unusual configurations. most time a knowledgeable buyer knows the difference and just smiles and walks away from the run of the mill "rare" guns. In some gun shows a parker is seldom seen and when one shows up it is a rare occurance indeed. We are blessed to have the knowledge the PGCA and its members have!

I agree with Gary that it is nice to have the knowledge. However, the rarity of that knowledge showed itself in the early days also. Some of the rarest early guns were ordered by the most knowledgable customers. Examples are extra heavy guns, long barrel guns, ventilated rib guns, guns without safeties, small bore guns, two barrel sets, you name it.

Edwin D. Muderlak has a article on Rare parkers in DGJ volume five issue 4 1994. After visiting Chadick's Limited Herschel Chadick described the gun he was purchasing as "excellent condition and very rare". Interesting read. Thomas L. Benson Sr.