"Parker VHE 16GA AS-NEW "MAGNIFICENT" on GI
 

Parker experts, the seller is saying that this VHE 16 Ga that he is selling on GI is original, and is in "as new" condition. It does look like a nice gun, but do you guys think that it is original, as claimed, or refinished?

http://www.gunsinternational.com/Par...n_id=100217781

Just guessing here but Remington did put cyanide colors on Parkers but I haven't seen enough of them to be expert on them. They were also known to put nice wood on lower grade guns and the fluting at the nose of the comb looks right. I'd say it's original. Nice gun.

Not to pick a nice gun apart, my guess would be a restoration, but an excellent restoration. The lines at the head of the stock (where a D grade would have the drop points) aren't nice and sharp. Also, were the triggers on V grade guns blued? Here's a link to an original beauty.

http://www.gunauction.com/buy/106952...lors-take-a-lk

I am thinking DelGrego. A couple things that caught my eye. Going by the pictures the profile of the forend looks to be the more squared off style typical of them. The case colors look to be theirs also but the typical line under the breech balls is not there that I can see in the pictures so it could be Remington. Still in all a wonderful gun with great wood. I wouldn't kick it out of bed...:rolleyes:

Gee Dave at your age that is not saying much :bigbye:

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Pete, No I suppose your right but we will discuss that comment further on January 1st......

Sorry guys... I think the wood is much too nice for a Del Grego job.

But the serial number is a tad early for a true Ilion made Parker unless it is one of those that were serialed in Meriden and not finished until late in the Remington era.

It is a real beauty and I still think it is original...

Wouldn't it stand to reason that if the gun was built in Meriden, it would have been heat treated as any other Meriden gun? It certainly doesn't look, to my untrained eye, like any guns I've ever seen that were heat treated at the 'home' plant, by the people who had been doing it all along.

IMO it is restored. It is too 'fresh' looking to be 75 year old work. I also don't see the slightest amount of handling marks on the wood....even a gun that has been in a box since new will have some haze to it.

Deffinately a gun that was made before or around the time of the move to Illion. Has Meriden Marks on rib, but Parker Mark on bottom. The Stock does not appear to be as "fat" as many of the Illion made guns were. That wood looks just too nice to be for a V grade. But it may have been used to for the sake of draining inventory before the move. Who knows??? Nice gun though.