Dean, all I know is the story that has been handed down in the family thru the years.
My grandfather, Arthur Newell was an executive in one of the large leather companies in Boston. He lived in Dedham, Mass. When the depression hit and to relieve the strain, he bought a farm in Bow, New Hampshire. My grandfather had 4 sons. They all hunted and had their own guns. Story goes that grandfather bought this 16 ga sxs Parker VH in Boston and used it to both hunt grouse, pheasants as well as shoot hand trap on the farm on weekends with the boys. On the last occasion that he shot it he must not have been holding the stock well cause on the recoil of the shot his thumb came back and hit him in the nose. He went home with a headache and died that evening from internal hemorrhage. I was told that instead of getting a nosebleed, he bled inward. The family doc came over in the morning and stuck a pen in his foot and pronounced him dead to my grandmother.
My dad, Herbert L. Newell, inherited the 16 and hunted with it for many years. When my brother and I were old enough, we took turns hunting with the 16'. I bought it off my brother some 20 years ago. 10 or 12 yrs ago I drove out to Larry Del Grego's and left it with him to be completely restored. The stock was very punky at the head, it had far too much drop for me and i felt it was time to get it restored. Lawrence put a nice piece of wood on it, re-blued the barrels and did the case colors which i subsequently learned were cyinide.
It's a family gun and will stay in the family. Tom Newell out in Utah will get it after I'm gone. Tom is the son of my first cousin Tucker, now deceased. Tom hunts and will enjoy it. Many fine memories with this 16. I shot many grouse and woodcock growing up with this gun.
Dean, some years back you may have seen and handled this 16 VH. I may bring it up to Major Waldron's this coming Sat. Oh, all my uncles had Parkers. All higher grade. At least C or better. The only parker left besides my 16 is a very nice CHE 12 ga with 30 inch barrels that Tom has in his posession. That all the history and then some that i know of. Hope i didnt bore too many with this story.
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