need info on 1902 D3 Parker
 

I have come accross a 1902 D3 Parker Ser# 109528 Demascus steel, capped pistol grip, hammerless with skeleton but plate. Meriden Conn made

Looks to be all original. I need help on how to value gun for possible investment purchase. Any help with this would be great. Ball park value???

Thanks
K Price

Value is a function of condition. Original components are great but what kind of shape is it in? If the gun is in "as-new" condition it is worth five figures. If the barrels are cut, stock sawed off, checkering worn flat, screws buggered, case colors gone, engraving worn down, action lose, chambers reamed, rusty finish, pitted bores, cracked stock, or any other of a long list of common maladies, it might be worth $200. Can you describe the condition of the gun in more detail? How is the wood, the metal, the fit, and the finish? Unfortunately, this gun is not in the Serialization Book which gives the original configuration.

Heel Destry, Heel! :duck:

:nono:

Thank you Mr. Fuller
 

The gun is in great condition but NOT like new. Stock has some scratching, fit is solid, metal condition is very good but I did notice very slight scattered surface rust in the last inch or so inside barrels, checkering is also good. Also there is a round brass or bone?? inset on the bottom of the stock. I cannot tell for sure but there looks to be possible roman numerals hand carved in the inset??. If you give me an email I would be willing to send pics of the gun.

Again thank you
Kelly

Kelly,

I will post the pictures for you hmcollins2@hotmail.com

Harry

These are pictures of the Parker Kelly is interested in. Not a screw looks buggered. The barrels have been cut, but overall I think this is a nice looking DH. I think $700 is a fair price, then again I am out of the loop on price.

Harry

a few more....

Harry,I agree $700.00 seems like a fair price.You say the barrels have been cut and they look that way to me also.The keels are still in place and we know that Parker cut barrels at the factory.What does the "book" say?How long is the choke constriction in the gun?

stock is cut too isn't it?

That's a nice gun with non-buggered screws; it may never have been apart since it left the factory. But it is not an investment gun in that condition. It is a shooter, and would make a good project gun. What is the bore diameter? The ends of those cut barrels look thin. Those 1 1/2 frame damascus guns are light and need appropriate loads. I had one just like it and if I had to buy that one a price in the $700 to $900 range would be tolerable.

I bought two very similar last year. They were in a little better condition and in the book, I think I paid $1100-1300 each for them but again slightly better condition.

I agree that $700-900 is appropriate for this gun.

Sorry, no gun with cut barrels is a project gun. No money should be spent on a D Grade gun with cut barrels. However, the gun pictured is one beautiful gun to shoot and enjoy in its present condition which is just wonderful. A PGCA letter may tell you about the stock and barrels.

Kelly,

Bill is right on the money. If you take this Parker home do nothing more than shoot the snot out of it.

Harry

Thank you ALL
 

Harry

Many thanks to all of you with the help on this gun!! Especially Harry for taking the time to help me out. I knew this gun was nice but had no idea on value. The guy was asking around $3000 for it and I had no idea if that was good or bad for this gun. I am very happy you all gave me the information I needed. I would love to use this gun for birds and if he takes $700 than that is what I may do. It may not be investment grade but well worth a good upland shoot.


All the best and happy holidays to all of you sportsmen

Kelly Price
VT State Game Warden

Kelly,

I see your a Vermont state game warden. I was wondering, How many hunters carrying Parkers have you given tickets, and how many with LC Smiths, Fox, autoloaders and pumps. Just curious

Bill

Hello Kelly - What is your patrol district there in VT? I hunt Vermont almost exclusively in the Northeast Kingdom.
Dean

For what it's worth
 

Bill

I am not sure what the point of your question is?? However, I have never "yet" ticketed anyone upland game hunting or, as you implied, using high end shotguns. That covers the eight years on the job. The vast majority of violations during hunting season are big game violation involving illegal deer, bear, moose killings. At least for me. I have very few upland game violations because there is little quality upland habitat in the south east corner of VT. Thus, few hunters for upland game. We also do not stock pheasant like many other states.
I am from Western MA and grew up hunting upland game around that area. The habitat is better further south. However, other parts of VT have very good bird hunting as well as rabbit. As Dean touched on, Northern VT can produce very good grouse and woodcock hunting.

Dean

As you can see from the above reply to Bill I cover the south east corner of VT. The woodcock seem to have already come through but I do bust a few from time to time.

All the best and good luck in the woods.

K Price

Kelley. My brother and his wife live in South Newfane and my nephew and his wife live in Willmington.Does your area cover them? And you are right about upland game in that area.Nice area(actually all of VT is nice area) but not to many Pa,tridge.

Kelly,

While working the Parker both at Pheasants forever convention in Madison Wisconsin I did a survey. after determining the person was a Parker owner I asked the question, do you drink scotch? Without exception they all answered yes, Ok it appears at face value to be a Wisconsin thing. My point is anyone that limits themselves to two shots typically is not someone that break's game laws. They have already made the decision that 2 birds with 2 shots is the highest achievement. I was just wondering what your observations have been, The members of this organization in my experience is, that they are conservationist first, gentlemen, historians and good guy's with a scotch problem.:smiley7:

Dave

Yes, I cover Newfane but Wilmington is next district over.

Bill

OK, I get what your asking now. YES, in my experience most double shooters always seem to be true sportsmen for the most part and law abiding. Now that DOES NOT imply that pump or auto loaders are not....!! But for some reason there is a true connection with many strict double shooters conservationism and following the game laws..?? I find most upland game hunters in general are law abiding. I have no opinion as for why this is.

All the best
Kelly

Kelly,

I bet you also find the same true about men and women that use a fly rod.

Bill

Kelly, you don't know my friend Bill. We have a little thing about not shooting the female quail out here. Well, Bill shot a couple anyway, said he couldn't tell. They don't have quail in Michigan, where he lives, but they have grouse and I wouldn't be surprised to hear that he shoots the females of that species also. So if he ever comes back east and winds up in Vermont, watch out for him and keep your citation book handy.

Kelly,

You will notice Bruce holding a very rare Michigan Prairie Chicken, as a matter of fact they are now extinct.

Bill

Bruce: there are quail in Michigan, just not many I suspect. We used to hear them on our farm all summer. I remember hearing them daily in the late 50's and into the 60's until they took the bounty off fox. My sister has one that follows her around and sometimes sits on her foot as she hoes her garden and jumps off and grabs insects that get stirred up. I think there aren't many these days but there are a few. There's too many coons, possums, foxes and coyotes for upland birds to get too numerous these days. They have REALLY cleaned out the wild pheasants despite there being lots of good habitat.

Bill

What I find is that women are just as talented at fly fishing as men. They also shoot better.

:cheers::cheers:

Predator/Varmint hunting in Wolverine State
 

[QUOTE=Richard Flanders;8361]Bruce: there are quail in Michigan, just not many I suspect. We used to hear them on our farm all summer. I remember hearing them daily in the late 50's and into the 60's until they took the bounty off fox. My sister has one that follows her around and sometimes sits on her foot as she hoes her garden and jumps off and grabs insects that get stirred up. I think there aren't many these days but there are a few. There's too many coons, possums, foxes and coyotes for upland birds to get too numerous these days. They have REALLY cleaned out the wild pheasants despite there being lots of good habitat. We do have a "on the books" quail season here in Michigan, but the lowest tier of counties that border Ohio and Indiana are the only ones open, and few birds, mainly due to predators- My son-in-law and I do our part to control them: woodchucks (not a true predator) fox, raccoon, feral cats and coyotes. Opening Day of our firearm deer season Nov 15 2008- private 260 Centennial Farm in Mecosta County- from opening light until 11:30- from a ground blind I shot two coyotes with my Dad's older M70 in 30-06 scoped and with 180 grain Rem Core-Lokt rounds-there is a sheep ranch/farm adjacent, those two rascals never circled or checked the wind, even though that farm had some hunting pressure for 6 weeks of the preceedent bow season for deer- This Fall while squirrel hunting with a scoped Ruger BA and hollow points- sunny still early October afternoons I shot several raccons, possums and one dog Fox that almost walked right up to me-The lack of hunting pressure and NO Bounties has emboldened those predators-- and in our area, where 20 years ago the farms held some huntable populations of ringnecked pheasants, clean farming and pesticides have taken their toll-

I agree about most gentlemen and ladies who hunt upland birds and the usage of double guns (even those bulky Over and Unders I see: Ruger and Citoris--You can never say never, but as the confiscation of your shotgun for a violation is a possibility, perhaps that may be one of many salient factors in the "staying within the limit" and playing the game fairly while afield. As far as the character of the gunner however, let us not forget that the late Nash Buckingham started with a Winchester M1893 pumpgun (and his father Miles told him to only load it with two shells when partnered with someone using a double gun) and although in his prime years he used many fine doubles (Becker, M21- etc) in his twilight years he used some autoloaders as well.

As far as those of us who treasure our Parkers and the scotch whisky syndrome, I can't speak to that: George Dickel, Old Cabin Still, Early Times, Bushmills Black and Tullamore Dew are my favorite choices- on the rocks please- not a Kilt in that gathering- alas--

Finally, as my GHE 12 Project parker also had some numbers besides the @ frame size stamp on the lug, I noted that this 12 DH size 1 & 1/2 framed Parker also had a number 8 in smaller case stamped on the barrel lug. I am curious as to what that might mean..:rolleyes:

I see that Francis has not been talked into drinking the fifty dollar a fifth bourbon "koolaid". I don't know a lot about Cabin Still, but, some years ago, I had a customer who inflated my opinion of it. He would come into the store at all hours of the day and night, slip into the bourbon section, crank the lid off of a bottle of CS and take a long slow draw. He never changed brands, so I assumed he knew what he liked. He never stole a bottle and we never figured out who he was.

There are several markings or stamps that we don't know the meaning of.

Thank you Francis.... finally someone else who likes G Dickel.... not as good as the Balvenie 12ry old single malt I was introduced to at the RGS shoot in Minnesota, but a good sippin' whiskey nonetheless.... and yes, definitely on the rocks...

Old Cabin Still- Robert Traver--
 

That brand of bourbon was the favorite of John Voelker- aka- Robert Traver, fly fisherman, lawyer, judge and curmudgeon first class from the UP- So, being an avid reader of his writings (I have the scarce "Danny And The Boys and Troubleshooter" and of course, Trout Madness) all great reads. John Traver's father Nick owned a brewery and a saloon- sent his son to the U of M and their fine Law School- great story in an older GSJ-- "Fishermen By Night" in which John tells of his Dad- and his "assigned duty" to make and refill the whiskey sours for Nick and his many friends- "A Doubler" was Nick Traver's term for a double shot, apparently. John served his Cabin Still whiskey sours in Mason Jars to his fishing pals at his cabin on Frenchman's Pond--to get an invite there was "top shelf" as John traver did not suffer fools easily-You had best be fishing dry flies with a split cane rod, have your drinking cap set right, and be a whiz at cribbage- he was a shark at that card game==

Maryland- Liquor Control Commisssion- we were in Ocean City this past June, my baby sister and her hubby are silent partners in both the Big Peckers Restaurant and the equally infamous Brass Balls Saloon across the causeway- But we made a side trip up to Fell's point to visit the reportedly oldest tavern in MD-- "You And The Horse You Rode In On"-- I would guess Jimmy Beam was the main choice in Bourbon-- Canadian Club in blended-- all good, but Old Cabin Still and George Dickel are true "sippin' whiskies" IMO!!:cool:

You boy's talking about whiskey in the middle of the day makes my "Irish Constitution" weak. I'm looking out the window at my truck. In it is a .45 and two half pints. I keep the half pints because the last time I shot some SOB I wanted a drink afterward....... I can't booze it up to much this afternoon because of church this evening.

Harry

Pass the Elmer T. Lee

Irish Constitutionals
 

[QUOTE=Harry Collins;8485]You boy's talking about whiskey in the middle of the day makes my "Irish Constitution" weak. I'm looking out the window at my truck. In it is a .45 and two half pints. I keep the half pints because the last time I shot some SOB I wanted a drink afterward....... I can't booze it up to much this afternoon because of church this evening.

Harry

Pass the Elmer T. Lee[-- Harry-great reply- of course, talkin' about a dram o' Tullamore Dew and actually "doin' the Dew" could be horses of the different complexions- I'm reminded of the words from my all time favorite comedian-pool shark and juggler- William Claude Dunkerfield-- Aaaah-Yeees-- "I always carry a flask of bourbon in case of snakebite-and a small rubber snake as well"--and of course his classic words: "A man has to believe in something,--- I believe I'll have another drink"--:rotf:

I'll have to re-read "A Time of Laughter" by Corey Ford. He and William Claude Dunkerfields were best of friends in the twenties and thirties.

Have an assignment for you when you return John.....we need an emoticon for grey goose and cranberry now...as I feel left out....:)

Grey Goose and cranberry juice?
 

If Tony Pacos serves that- and I am going to Cabella's in Dundee- I'll treat-Out this afternoon with the snow flakes as our duck and goose season ends Sunday- (re-opens for my favroite time to hunt dem webfeets on Jan 2nd. 2010-- Saw two bald eagles- maybe same pair as near a private pond we have hunted until the DNR posted it to protect them- wow- did the mallards scatter when those "101st Airborne" emblems made a pass- I did manage a Canada goose, some grey in the colors of course, maybe will marinate him/her along with the two Greenheads in Vodka and juniper berries-then roast with sauerkraut and sliced apples and baste with Calvados--How are you doing with the Parker? Have you shot it yet? If so, paper patterning, clays or game birds?-- I use either one of two "fowl weather shotguns" when we get heavy wintery weather- a Model 12 Magnum or a Mossenburgher 835 12-3" Federal steel BB's--when you can see their shoe-laces, they're in range!!:bigbye:

And Corey Ford was at one time engaged to D. Parker
 

[QUOTE=Dean Romig;8491]I'll have to re-read "A Time of Laughter" by Corey Ford. He and William Claude Dunkerfields were best of friends in the twenties and thirties.- Yup, that is a fact-I like Corey Ford's retelling of Prohibition- and the trap door at Jack Kreindler's famous "21" Club and the mistake that sent a sizeable quantity of fine whiskies crashing to their glassy demise on the stone and cement floor underneath-might have inspired the later Crown Royal ads- "Ever see a grown man cry" and a broken bottle of same lying on a street curb sans Purple bag--I always wondered if Dorothy Parker was a distant relative to the Charles Parker family of Meriden CT. fame- somehow, I think not--:p

My grampa....caretaker of the club before my uncle....was buddies with Tony...and yes they serve grey goose. :) No I have not shot my great grandfathers parker....need light loads as I don't think my shoulder could take full loads. Season ends here the 6th. As I take walks in the morning and hear the ducks and geese til the shooting starts. Am looking forward to end of season though.....as I love to take wlks in the marsh....and can not again til season is over. sighs. I am blessed at having access to it.....I feel like it is 'my marsh' til duck season starts. Just doesn't seem right! :)
Let me know when you are coming down.....would be nice meeting another one of you guys!!