PHE 16 gauge 0 frame - what a grouse gun!
 

I guess I need to thank my buddies wife for this one, as they are about to embark on a kitchen remodel and my pal was in need of cash. He found this gun at an estate sale 6 years ago and I had asked him to give me first dibs if he ever decided to part with it. The gun was owned by the same family for 87 years. It had to be owned by a grouse hunter, would have loved to heard his stories. All original Parker PHE, 16 gauge, O Frame, 28" bbls, choked IC/IM, 6 pounds, 6 ounces, 90% barrel blue, 60-70% case color, very clean screws, built 1920... A hard to find gun in this condition and configuration... Now I just need to find some grouse to shoot with it! I would love to know more of its history, but sad to report no records exist for this one.
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Very nice, looks unmolested, 16 PHE. Consider joining the PGCA for $40. There is a lot of knowledge you can gain for your membership. Bet you it's not your last Parker. Give us some specs. on your gun such as barrel length, chokes and the serial #. You never know what info you'll gain on this site from our group of Parkerphiles. Enjoy.:bigbye:
Daryl

Nice Parker Mike! PGCA Member Steve Hodges owns one about identical to yours in every way. What a sweetie you have!

Beautiful gun and great case coloring. I like your selection of books; are they signed? Andy

Thanks for the kind words, Andy. Yes, I have a complete set of GBE books, all numbered the same and inscribed to me from George. I was a friend of the Evans from 1978 until they passed away. George and Kay hunted with me for a week in 1980, and again in 1986. I have owned Old Hemlock setters since 1986, currently have four ranging in age from nearly 12 years to 8 months.

Oh, forgot to mention I paid $5,400 for this gun... Too much? Too little? About right?

Of course it is right, but who cares? Is your Thunderer an antique or modern? I have my Grandfather's full size "REACH" and his "POLICE SPECIAL". He died in 1929, so I guess they are considered originals. His "REACH" almost sounds like "REACH" when blown correctly.

Mike,

Is the pipe in your pics a Nording?

Great gun, great story.

Nope, Ben Wade, Denmark... Been my regular fishing pipe since I bought it in 1980, thought it added the right amount of Michael McIntosh flair to my meager photo composition skills :).

The pipe looks like a Stanwell.

Hi Mike..you SXS is a very nice one! I have a 1925 PHE-16 26" parker steel barrels that has been correctly restored. Its choked 005/024, sk-2/lt full also a grouse gun for me. No-1 frame 6lb-10oz and is ballenced between the hands perfectly.....I paid 4175.00 and shes a keeper! My grouse dog is a gordon setter...Ruby who will be 2 on feb-5th.....(-:

Thanks Mike. That's the spitting image of an Erik Nording Freehand (also Danish) I had until recently. A Peterson Aran Fishtail and McClelland's Frog Morton typically find their way into my vest when I hit the water.

Beautiful gun by the way.

Cheers
Marcus

hey Mike - welcome to the board. Good to see you on here, Its a nice bunch of guys you will have fun.

By way of intro to the board- I got OH Osthaus though Mike's good graces, he will be a great addition to the group.

Mike you are living the american dream....great setters , GBE books , and a super Parker! My dog is from Decoverly with the same Ryman look as Old Hemlock. He is my best friend!

Classic shotgun, classic setters, classic gamebird, wonderful americana here folks. Now why oh why did the 16 ever fall from the graces (rhetorical). Beautiful gun sir, and a joy in the covers im sure.

That is a beautiful gun. I have a 12 gauge PHE from about 2 years later that I love. Like yours, there are no factory records.

Those are great photos Mike, don't sell yourself short. Also, give me a shout if you ever decide to remodel your kitchen. I don't have a 16 parker. Do have a smith and an A grade Fox though.
-plc-

Beautiful pictures--and now that grouse season is over in Ohio( ends today), I think I will re-read all my GBE books in order. My 78 yr old neighbor (looks 68 and is a good gunsmith with a machine shop in his basement) has a PH 20 that he got in trade for doing chores for a farmer when he was just a boy--he says that it was his first gun. I have hinted that the gu n needs to be used, but he doesn't appear to have any interest in selling.
The Old Hemlock line now resides in Monroe County, Ohio--just down the river from me. I hunted Monroe county for 2 straight days in great looking cover with 2 setters out, but moved only 1 bird in 2 days. Unfortunately, I decided to shoot and took the big cock bird with an old Fox Sterlingworth Co. 12 ga pin gun.

Mike thats a great gun no doubt about it. Don't worry about what you paid for it as it really doesn't matter. Excellent books as well. Were you ever a member of the National Sporting Fraternity? Jim Rikhoff of Winchester Press started it and formed Amwell Press. I had their limited editions of GBE Grouse and Woodcock books that you have but sold them years ago for a gun safe:banghead:

Love the gun and the pipe ...great stuff !!!:cool:

Dont't let him kid you, Mike takes some of the best composed hunting photos I have seen, maybe some day he will post some in the album area.

I though he was pulling our collective legs.

Yep, I was a NSFL member for a number of years and went on one of their hunts with Jim Rikhoff in New Brunswick for grouse and woodcock in 1981... Each night he would regale us with stories of Africa and other places, each with special well known people (like Gene Hill), all while drinking tumblers (and I mean water glass-sized) of scotch and lighting one cigarette off the butt of the previous one... He's my hero, hope he's still alive :).

I was a member of the NSFL from the very begining to the end. They produced some of the best books and I have quite a few from hunting the uplands to Africa. I went on several Quail hunts in TN with them. Jim could tell quite a story. I don't know if he's still alive or not, if he is thats one tough liver he has thats for sure.

I believe he's still alive and kicking. Would be about 73/74 I think.