Don't always count on the Serialization Book to give you an account that agrees with the records.
At an auction a few years back, there was a lot that had two Parkers, including a nice looking DH that had 28 inch barrels. The Serialization Book indicted that the gun was a DH, but that it had 36 inch barrels. I'm sure that scared guys away from the gun (and think of the wailing and gnashing of teeth by our long-barrel aficionados!). I really wanted the other gun in the lot, and the shortened barrels didn't bother me, but for the life of me, the barrels looked right (uncut). I got a good deal and bought the lot for the price I thought the other gun should go.
When I got the letter back, lo and behold, the records had the gun as a 28 incher and it matched everything from the letter.
Two lessons learned (at least):
1. Records trump Serialization book
2. Trust you eyes when examining a gun
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"Doubtless the good Lord could have made a better game bird than bobwhite, and better country to hunt him in...but equally doubtless, he never did." -- Guy de la Valdene (from A Handful of Feathers )
"'I promise you,' he said, 'on my word of honor, I won't die on the opening of the bird season.'" -- Robert Ruark (from The Old Man and the Boy)
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