Am I getting a good deal
 

Almost four years ago, I sent my PB double, serial #125424 (1904) to Parker Brothers Makers in Lakewood, Ohio for evaluation and restoration. The owner, quoted that it would be about $1700.00 for the restoration. I shipped the gun, then got a new estimate for just over $3000.00. Because the gun had been in my family for many years and I was told by the owner that it would be worth at least $3000.00 when completed, I told him to proceed. He demanded payment up front before they would start the restoration. Sent to him. Have had numerous correspondence with him, finally having to go to an attorney to try to get my gun back. Even when given a completion date, he failed to meet it. Then, when an extension was granted, he still failed to meet it. Sent an email to my attorney saying that instead of fixing and returning my shotgun, he was sending one from his collection. It's serial # is 185661 (1919). According to him it is a "G" grade where he said my original was a "V" grade and not worth as much. Is it worth it getting the replacement gun? I want "My Original Gun" back, but no luck to this point. HELP!!! Mark

Don't know about the money part but had a similar situation with a Model 94 shipped across the country for repair years ago. Never finished, no phone calls or letters answered. I ended up hiring a private investigator near the gunsmith. With proof of my ownership he knocked on the gunsmiths door asked for and got the gun with no issues. Had it gone to court would have cost more than it was worth. Person standing in front of him did the trick. Price I paid reflected half a days work

Having said that only a few bad experiences many years of buying and shipping to have work done. Problem rate far less than geting my car worked on.

Bill

I'd get on the plane or in my car and give him a visit regardless of the cost, or get someone else to do it, an attorney/PI or perhaps US Postal Inspectors, who have gotten results for me in the past.

Being this is a family item, I would definitely want the gun and my money back. There is probably more to the story then they are telling you. I would start another post on this site to see if anyone knows these guys or had an experience with them. Reputation is everything in this community, so play that to your advantage. Billy

So the guy has your VH and $3000 of your money? Are these both 12ga guns, or small bores? The first thing is that the value of a restored shotgun is never more than the cost of the restoration, unless the gun has significant provenance or rarity. Do your own market research online regarding the actual value of Parker shotguns. Don't pay attention to the asking prices you see. Look for guns that have actually sold. Is the VH AND $3000 worth the GH they are offering? Possible, although unlikely, imo. It would have to be a really nice GH. Condition is everything, but know that you can buy a fairly nice GH for $3000 in most parts. Even then it sounds like you'd still be out your original gun. That doesn't sound like a deal I would accept.

So, they have obviously lost or destroyed (or have stolen) your Parker. If you haven't received a full disclosure from this "Parker Brothers Makers" outfit as to what happened to your gun I wonder if the police dept. of Lakewood, Ohio... or even ATF would be interested in the theft of a firearm?

If they lost a portrait of your grandmother, would you accept a slightly nicer portrait of someone else's grandmother?

If it was my mother's mother, I would.

Go for the PI approach, is what I would do.

You've already retained an attorney. Go for the gonads. Sue them on their own turf. They have never been in this restoration business and sent your gun somewhere else or sold it. They had an FFL. By law, they would have had to log it in when they opened the box and log it out when they disposed of it. Your lawyer and the ATF can demand that they provide the information about the next owner.