2020 Parker additions-how about you?
 

2020 is a year I am ready to forget. The social isolation was very difficult especially for us that live alone. Fortunately, I have hobbies to occupy myself. I have dodged the virus bullet so I feel blessed. For whatever reason I was able to upgrade my collection, some nice guns just came my way. I bought or traded 6 and sold 6 so no net increase.
Early in the year I acquired a AH 10/32 Boston Show gun that I wrote about in the recent DGJ. Auction purchases were a high condition DH 12/28 and a very nice original DH 20/28 damascus, my two bargains of the year!!! Individual purchases were a GH 8/36, PH 8/36 and a three-way trade in which I ended up with a BHE 12/30 straight grip.
How about you??

Several left and several came my way. Seems the more I try to narrow my focus the broader it gets! I am most pleased with a very original high condition 20 skeet gun. So much to love about getting one that seems to have been untouched for years. it is accompanied by a 16 skeet gun that is in similar high original condition. I suppose I need a matching 28 ga now for the trifecta! A very nice original 20/32 vent rib joined my small group as well.

20ga VHE -- shooter grade.

8 Parkers and 9 Model 70’s. The year is not over either and sent an absentee bid in today.

I think I have mentioned all the Parkers except the two most recent. One is a GH 16 0 frame which is a project even by my standards. Hoping to bring it back. It has original 26 inch barrels which should make a great upland gun.

The last is a GHE 12 and PGCA had the original work order tag! I now have it in a plastic sleeve with the research letter. It is a late Meriden gun

The first Parker of 2020 was a VH 12 which was also a Boston Show gun from 1901 I think. 2 GHE 12 gauges from the late Meriden era. GH 16 which is the heaviest 16 I have seen. C top lever 10 with original 31 inch barrels. The order book is missing so no record of who would order such a gun. It must have been special order. Then a SC SBT owned by Fred Gilbert. A VH 0 frame weighing exactly 6 pounds. These are the others

Also a Parker coffee mill and a nice Aiden Lassell Ripley quail hunting scene.

Lets see, I got a patch, thanks Destroy.

I had a good year collecting as well all things considered. Some interesting non Parker items:

I finally got a Winchester 42 and love it. I also added a nice WC Scott and Son 12 gauge from 1878 with the Duck Bill locks and crystal indicators. This is my first gun that is "cast off" and I like it!

I bought a real nice contemporary recreation of a David Morton Pennsylvania Flintlock rifle in .54 caliber. Also on the muzzleloading side, I had a replica made of an original New England Fowler from 1770-1790 that I bought a few years ago. The modern copy is amazing in 28 gauge/.54 I can hit clays or put a round ball into a relative tight group at 50 yards.

On the Parker side:

I found a few grade 0 or 1 guns that were unique in their own way and I couldn't resist. One notable one was a straight stock top action hammer gun made in 1905 with twist barrels and a fishtale lever.

I found a nice grade 2 check hook lifter with the updated(top action) firing pins. This gun falls right in the transition period from lifter to top action.

I got my A grade top action 10 gauge back from Brian better than ever and breaking clays. This Parker turned out better than I ever could have imagined!

Lastly, Josh had a few for sale that I just had to buy. That was enjoyable on many levels. Getting great Parkers and dealing with Josh. One was Parker #97 and the other was a grade 3 top action 16 gauge. I was hoping to show these 2 off in person at a few events, but this year has been tough for that. Hopefully, we'll have a chance for some Parker shoots next year.

I got Brutus (8 gauge 7 frame 36”) . Got a VHE 20 26” . 16 top lever 30” . I think the Grade 3 #4 frame top lever came my way this year . Picked up three or four 1911’s Colt and Kimber . I’m sure there were others but this stuff kinda blends together any longer . And I do have almost three more weeks to add something else . Oh yeah the little Mannlicher Schoenauer MC carbine in 6.5x54 MS arrived this year . And the Sako competition HB in 6mm PPC arrived early in the year .

I was unaware that you’d acquired a second giant ! I’d enjoy seeing pics of that one of the notion struck you :whistle:

My daughter found me an interesting VH 28ga. It was from a consecutive order of two 24" guns, being the first 24", 28ga. guns made. The buttstock was equally short, so because the gun matches the letter, I'll set that stock in the closet. Brian Dudley is now installing an original skeet gun stock to it.
I also bought a super nice model 700 Coffee grinder from member Allan Swanson.