I just picked up the 30" SG VH12 that started this thread this afternoon and all I can say is "Oh My!". It is gorgeous. It's much nicer than shown in the pictures. Stock finish is essentially 100%. Numerous minor handling marks but not a single bit of wear or abrasion through the finish, not even on the checkering on either the wrist or forend or along the edges of the stock cheeks that usually take a beating. The checkering isn't even worn. Case colors are approx 80% and nearly if not original intensity and with a few minor marks is all. Barrel blue is 90%+ with no real wear, just minor scratches here and there, and still nice thick and dark blue. Impressive. Lever is still to the right and gun locks up tight as a safe, even with the forend off. Butt plate shows barely any wear. Nice wood too, with quite a bit of flame and curl and is more like the usual G-grade than a V. I haven't had a nicer V grade for sure. Lots of thickness at the muzzles. Bores look as shiney as new with not a single spot or ding or scratch. Screws seem untouched other than maybe having been tightened a time or two on the floorplate. Whoever owned it rarely hunted with it if at all; there's only minor case wear on the floorplate. Trigger guard blue is maybe 60% with some markings but no real wear like it would have from being hunted with. Even the lower trigger tang has about half of the original blue. The previous owner seems to have oiled it every day of it's life as every screw is packed full of dried oil as is much of the engraving;even the firing pin holes were packed with dried out oil. Trigger pulls are a tad heavy at 6# and 7#. I just hope I don't find problem wood soaked with oil when I dismantle it to inspect and clean it. This is one sweet, totally unmolested Parker that has been shot very very little, and... it fits me perfectly. I am in love!
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