DHE 20
 

hi,
my first post. be kind.
i am lookind to purchase a 20ga.28" dhe from a dealer. this gun just became available from an estate. the serial no. 220991 is not listed in any publications i have. i don't have any problem paying for the pgca letter. my issue is i don't have but a couple of days to make a decision . i believe all photos and specifications to be correct, but would feel more comfortable with documentation. any suggestions apreciated.

Contact chuck bishop and ask him if there is any order book info that a letter be provided from. The serialization book is based on just the surviving stock books.

If a letter is not available, the. A very keen eye will be all you will have to go on unless you can get some photos of the gun to post up here. A DHE 20 will no doubt carry a deicent price tag, so you should thoroughly assess the gun before you buy.

Thanks a lot.

There is no order book information after 1919. You will be at the mercy of the trained eye. If it has a blank space at the end of the rib matting, a serious length of choke at the end of .615 bores, an even barrel length, and a skeleton butt at the end of an approximately 14" stock from the front trigger, it is likely to be a fairly original gun. The trained eye will determine original wood and original finish. Good luck.

Brian, I checked and we have no records for your gun. I even checked the Griffin & Howe database, nothing there.

Brian and Bill gave you good advise. If you can take in focus closeups of the gun and post them here, you'll get a pretty good estimation of originality.

Good luck!

Chuck

thank you gentlemen

I once planned to buy a DHE 20 from Puglisi's. I ordered a letter. The letter came, the gun checked out, and I called Puglisi's. They told me the gun had sold the day before.

About the only thing in doubt that would be "mystery solved by a PGCA letter" would be barrel length or stock configuration. If barrels are cut, you send it back for a refund. Stock configuration is usually only discussed in pre 1919 gun letters. No one much fakes up Trojan through B Grades, so that isn't much of a problem either. Don't wait for a letter to buy a nice gun.