"Czar's Parker A1 Special"
 

I just noticed something about the "Czar's Parker." Look at the checkering. To me, that looks one whole lot better than the normal, over-done, too elaborate style normally featured on that grade. But, I like'em well made and simple; after grade three I tend to lose interest.

If you’re talking about No. 168304 what picture are you looking at?

Remember there is also the “Not the Czar’s Parker” with inlaid gold wire around the checkering.




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Since the only way I’d ever afford an A-1 Special would be to sell just about all of my accumulation this is rather immaterial to me :rotf:

The real Czars gun is restocked. With a lower grade style stock. So I am not exactly sure what the OP is talking about.

Frank, yup, show us a picture of the gun you are referring to. There are a couple of choices.

The "real Czar's gun" is 168304.




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This seems to have died on the vine.

The gun I'm looking at--#168304--is pictured in the Double Gun Journal (Vol.18.issue#1, pp.80 &ff),"The Shotgun Parker Brothers Created for the Russian Czar," Part I, by J. E. Fender. RE-stocked or not, I just like the way that particular gun looks. And that's all I'm saying.

The DGJ is the Spring, 2007 issue.

The Czar gun (168304) is a ideal example of the deep relief engraving that is done of many A-1 Specials.
The gun was restocked later on in its life, so the checkering and cheeks are plain compared to what is correct for the gun. It would have originally had the typical A-1 flur drop points, checkered cheeks and fancy checkering.