Parker serial # 258
 

I hope these show the engraving, this is an unusual old gun

That is very interesting. Do understand the engraving is the bird hooked to a string? What dollar grade would it be? Steel buttplate? A very neat gun.

That is the neatest engraving I have ever seen on a Parker. An early rendition of trap shooting. The string goes to the box, pull it, the box opens and the pigeon flies out. The pigeon on the left lock did not make it. Gary, a unique Parker. Thanks for showing.

The stock has a skeleton butt plate, but think the stock is a replacement, never seen a pistol grip like this on a Parker, and as you can see on the other photo's the for end is fully checkered. Gar y

real trap shooting!!
 

That is the most interesting engraving I have seen in years. Gary, thank you for sharing it.

The gun has a skeleton butt plate, fully checkered for end The stock might be a replacement, never seen a Parker with this kind of pistol grip, also the bolsters are different Gary

Case
 

I see a case in the photo above. Can we see it opened?

Gary, being a total novice at Parker hammer guns, is it common for the striker to meet the hammer so far off center? Or could these hammers have been replaced at one point.

in any case - thats a great gun, love it.

George, Rick, That is the original case, I took these photo's couple weeks ago do not have one with it open, and the hammers are numbered to the gun, You won't believe what happened when I was ready to take these photo's, the darn case with the gun in it fell of the porch to the ground 15' on impact the case opened and the gun fell out, thank goodness no damage to gun but the case had some damage to the lid. Never again take a phot without a table! Gary

Wow, too bad about the case but that is one nice gun. Is it considered a trap gun or is that's just the engraving. I love the dead pigeon over the crate. Is it a 12ga??

serial #258? front action lock? very unusual? very cool gun, never the less...

Angel it is a 10g a I think, there was snap cap with the gun, not labeled as to gauge modern 10 shell won't go all way in but it could be the shell it was fired and I cut it to 2". The gun has 30" Damascus barrels, the case seems to be tin covered in leather some of the leather came off when it took a tumble just on the edge of the lid, I was lucky on that one!

Gary, Thanks for the pictures. It's like visiting an old friend...That is an interesting gun to say the least.

Rick, because of the axis of the hammer, as the firing pin moves forward upon impact the hammer head ends up more centered on the firing pin.

What a great old Parker! Congratulations! Thank goodness it wasn't damaged in the fall.

thanks - the only hammer gun I shoot has a straighter throw - it hits the strikers pretty much dead center

Gary: what a great gun.Is there any history of previous owner or would love to hear the story behind it. Thanks Thomas

Gary, would of liked to heard the conversation with yourself :)

Every once in a while we all do something stupid!, like take photo's of a gun on a railing, no more from now on a table with red towel, although the red towels are getting scarce they closed the local brothel down and the madam that was my source for the towels has retired to a more meaningful life style! Gary

I do way more than my share. Opened the door of pickup hunting and my GH fell out. No birds eather.

Wow!! I thought the killing Raptors and other engravings were cool.
.....do you think the Potter Bunny is in that box?

If Gary could show a closer image of the dead pigeon on the trap box you would see the + where the pigeon's eye is. Very cool early indicator of "dead". I think it is probably a $125 Grade but may be too early even to be counted in the "Dollar Grades".

I think I've seen this gun in person. One, or one very much like it, was shown around at the Michigan Antique Arms Show a couple years ago. Very cool, engraving is super unusual needless to say.

Destry

Gary

Interesting----looks like a gun that came from Baltimore!!!!


Allan

This gun has been seen at shows here in CT for the past few years. It's great to see that it found a good home.

Bill, It could have!

Gary; this gun was shown at Allentown several times a year and a half or two ago. I was seriously interested in buying it, but the owner selling it at that time was so arrogant (absolutely no negotiation on price in a vindictive sort of way) and ignorant about Parker Guns (he claimed the gun was ordered with 'variable cast' so the shooter could succesfully take either left or right birds as they cleared the box) that after a few minutes I just walked away. I'm really glad to see it again, especially to know that you wound up with it. Well done!

Kevin, That was for sure the same dealer. I had a similar experience with him.