Parker repair records availability
 

According to The Parker Story, Parker began keeping separate repair records early in the 1900s. I am trying to find out if there is any repair information for my 1929 vintage CHE (231036) for which the stock and order books are missing. I strongly suspect that the gun was repaired by Parker in the 1930's (pre Remington). Are Parker repair records available for the early 1930's and, if so, how might I have access to them? Thank you for your help and advice. Jim Lloyd

Jim, you can contact Mark Conrad, the Research Committee Chairman, but it's a pretty sure bet that there are no surviving records available for your CHe and that includes repair and alteration records too. The serial number of your CHE falls within the range where the stock and order books are missing. I owned CHE 230760 and was also disappointed by the lack of records.

Thank you for your advice. I requested a letter from the Association after I acquired the gun but was disappointed to learn that a letter could not be produced due to the absence of the stock and order books. I was hoping that if the repair records had been kept separately, they might give me an insight into what I believe was a significant repair. Like most Parker owners, I want to learn as much as I can about the history of my gun.

Jim, tell us about the significant repair and post a picture or two and some may offer their opinions on the repair.

parker repair records availability
 

Several years ago, Robert Beach at Griffin & Howe located for me the A & F record for the sale of the gun in 1929. The gun, as then configured, had 30 inch full choke barrels with a splinter forearm. Now, the gun has 28 inch barrels with chokes of .009 and .014, a beavertail forearm and "SKEET IN" and "SKEET OUT" stampings on the barrel flats. The forearm iron engraving and the forearm checkering are beautifully done and identical to the rest of the gun. The forearm and stock wood are both Circassian. Serial numbers all match. I'm sure that the barrels were cut, even though they touch and the barrel matting terminates before the end of the rib, because the barrel keel is missing. Taken together, this makes me think that the repair or conversion was done by Parker Bros. at the request of the owner when skeet became popular in the early 1930's. Although these modifications obviously reduce the value of the gun, I like the gun and want to know as much as possible about it. I'm not very adept at sending photographs but may try if this would help. Thanks again for your interest. Jim Lloyd

Two ways of determining if the beavertail forend was fitted by Parker Bros. is if the forend has the "reinforcing rod" and if it has the reinforced one-piece forend lug. How about posting pictures of those two features if the gun has them? The forend iron is also different than the iron for a splinter in that it is stepped at the forward end to allow for drilling and tapping the hole for the reinforcing rod.

Thank you again for your interest. Yes, the beavertail has the heavier forearm iron and reinforcing rod, identical to the picture on page 145 of The Parker Story. The forearm is engraved at the base to match the engraving on the frame, and the matching serial number is stamped on the iron near the patent stamp. The 24 LPI checkering has a beautiful mullered border The barrels have the beavertail loop, but that may be original inasmuch as Parker Bros. began installing the beavertail loop in the 1920's even on higher grade guns with splinter forearms. I'll see if I can get my wife to help me with photographs.

I was under the impression that repair records were kept or included in data base for guns d grade and above ?

Del Grego? They have the stamps and have used them on other guns that weren't originally skeet guns.

I've seen several Del Grego upgrades which originally had splinter forends that now sport a Del Grego beavertail and not one of them had the one-piece forend lug, the correct forend iron or the full length reinforcing rod.