Today I received my Parker letter for my gun #111377. It was ordered by the Charles Parker Co of NY on October 11, 1902 and shipped on October 24, 1902. It appears the configuration is all original, down to the Lyman beads and the initials on the shield (W and RH modified).
The specifications requested a weight of 7 pounds, 14 ounces.
Questions:
1. Who was The Parker Co of NY. Any affiliation to The Parker Brothers, the gunmaker?
2. Did they keep a stock of semifinished guns in various configurations in order to be able to meet client demand and deliver the gun order so fast?
3. Would a 12 gauge of such weight be considered rather heavy? What do you think its owner intended to use it primarily for?
4. If steel barrels were available in 1902, would would the order request damascus steel?
5. Wonder what would $100 in 1902 would be equivalent to today in order to determine its cost in today's value of money.
Thank you. BillK
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