A Little Assistance Please?
 

Not sure if this is the right place to post but I have a few questions regarding a Parker VH 12ga I have come across for sale. I'll post the pics the fellow has from his ad and add that I have seen and handled the gun in person and it is nicer in hand than the pictures. The action is so smooth it's as if it's on bearings. Lock up is tight, so smooth and almost effortless. Makes my Ithaca NID 4E feel like an old Winchester Ranger single...LOL

Ok first off, how to determine year? Serial # I am guessing?
Second it would appear the gun has been restocked and the recoil pad questionable as to period correct?
The forend appears to be original. Barrels and trigger guard look to me like a reblue?
Now price....to state these are CANADIAN prices, I live in Alberta and the gun is in Saskatchewan. The used gun market is different between our countries on values and currently the market in Canada is very soft, especially on old double guns and anything old not high grade or target grade.

At our recent gun show he had it tagged at $1895 and has now dropped his price to $1700 shipping included. That works out in US dollars $1263.44 US.

The gun has 30"bbls but no mention of chokes, barrel steel type or any other info in the ad. Aside from these obvious questions what other questions should I be asking?

Quick update...the fellow claims the bbls are original blue, the trigger guard is a reblue with hot blue. The stock he claims is original but refinished and the gun is choked F/F. He says the family that owns the gun has it consigned to him as part of an estate sale and they would take $1500 CDN for the gun...that is the equivalent of $1140 US. What say you??

Be sure those barrels have not been hot blued.

Will that cause problems?

That is NOT the original stock by any stretch of the imagination.
Too much figure in the wood fot a 1910 Grade-0 gun and it has never had the silver initial shield in the toe line.





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Yes that I was pretty sure of. Thanks for the confirmation. A gentleman I know, very much in the know also indicated it was not original by the design of the head of the comb.

I ended up making a deal on the gun knowing it doesn't have much collector value but will make a good solid duck gun. Here is what I have now that it's home and cleaned up...

As long as the barrels were not hot blued, you'll have a solid duck gun there. For a shooter, all we need is solid and reliable.

If it fits you and you shoot it well, I’d say you made a good trade.

For $40, you can order a PGCA letter on your gun which may give you its original configuration and original person or firm that ordered your gun. It will probably be information from the order book entry. Stock book information is not available on your gun, but order book information is more interesting.