The Value of a Parker Gun
 

I was reading an article from a "NRA gun collecting review" magazine that was published in 1983. The title is "The value of a Parker Gun by Michael McIntosh. The article talks about Mr. Bill Jaqua purchasing and paying $95,000 for a A-1 special 28 gauge.(certainly a steal today) and a AHE 20 gauge that was purchased by boxing champion James Jeffries for his sparing partner William Kolb. Have these guns ever come up for sale and does one of our members own either of them? I know the A-1 special has been pretty well documented but I'm most interested in hearing about the early 1915(deep engraved) AHE-20 ga. Thanks!

Bill also bought (and quickly sold) a 28 gauge Parker which apparently was a salesman's sample and was called "The Little Persuader". I don't remember the specifics of the gun. The transaction was described in the center column of the Wall Street Journal about 30-35 years ago

I believe that the John Pratt A-1 Special was there for a while. It was sold to a GM dealer, and then found its way to me, wish I still had it was a two barrel set. Jack Puglisi bought it from me years ago, I think it now resides in Montana, Gary

In his 1974 book 75 Years with the Shotgun, C.T. "Buck" Buckman states he bought the Parker Bros. 28-gauge A1-Special with two sets of barrels for $3000 from W.O. Rowley of Dallas, Texas. After a few years he sold it to Steve Belleci for $4500. Steve apparently passed shortly thereafter, and Buck helped the widow sell the gun to the president of Keiser Electronics Corporation.

I was thinking "The Little Persuader" was the first A1-Special, but apparently not --

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It is serial number 191049 and pictured on pages 365 and 366 of The Parker Story.

Is the A-1 28 gauge the Max Fleischman one? That one has made several appearances, most recently with Steve Barnett

You mean the one pictured in Larry Baer's books with a poor restock and no mention of a Max Fleischman connection? Now looks nearly new with the Max Fleischman engraved grip cap and was declared by a late Texas dealer as a fine all original Parker in The Double Gun Journal? That gun is 234200.

The one in Larry Baer’s book is the 20 gauge

Actually, Larry Baer discusses both. The 28 gauge has had a few stocks. The 20 gauge has suffered worse.

From Larry's book --

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More recently --

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Note the slot in the hinge screw. Still a 32-inch, 28-gauge, P8, has a lot to recommend it!!