Parker Gun Collectors Association Forums  

Go Back   Parker Gun Collectors Association Forums Parker Forums General Parker Discussions

Notices

Reply
Thread Tools Display Modes
Were Parker shotguns made when ordered?
Unread 03-28-2016, 07:51 PM   #1
Member
Kirk Potter
PGCA Member
 
Kirk Potter's Avatar

Member Info
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 713
Thanks: 1,058
Thanked 826 Times in 229 Posts

Default Were Parker shotguns made when ordered?

Or did they keep many in stock?
Kirk Potter is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 03-28-2016, 07:54 PM   #2
Member
Fishtail
PGCA Lifetime
Member

Member Info
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 789
Thanks: 63
Thanked 512 Times in 254 Posts

Default

Yes.
greg conomos is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 03-28-2016, 07:55 PM   #3
Member
OH Osthaus
PGCA Lifetime
Member
 
Rick Losey's Avatar

Member Info
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 7,932
Thanks: 1,772
Thanked 8,544 Times in 3,345 Posts

Default

both

shipped from stock - or made to order

it would depend on what was ordered - special features and higher grades could be ordered
__________________
"If there is a heaven it must have thinning aspen gold, and flighting woodcock, and a bird dog" GBE
Rick Losey is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 03-28-2016, 08:03 PM   #4
Member
Kirk Potter
PGCA Member
 
Kirk Potter's Avatar

Member Info
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 713
Thanks: 1,058
Thanked 826 Times in 229 Posts

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick Losey View Post
both

shipped from stock - or made to order

it would depend on what was ordered - special features and higher grades could be ordered
Ok, I was just curious because according to the serial # chart, my 12 gauge GH #85571 would of been one of the last made in 1896, but my research letter shows it as being ordered December 24th 1897.
Kirk Potter is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 03-28-2016, 08:21 PM   #5
Member
OH Osthaus
PGCA Lifetime
Member
 
Rick Losey's Avatar

Member Info
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 7,932
Thanks: 1,772
Thanked 8,544 Times in 3,345 Posts

Default

you will find guns shipped from stock to a dealer- returned for credit and shipped again later to another

the specs on your gun may have been a slow seller due to some spec - and sat on the shelf waiting for someone to need one

so - a customer walks into the gun shop- says he likes the GH they have but wants a different barrel length or weight and the order was placed and filled from stock
__________________
"If there is a heaven it must have thinning aspen gold, and flighting woodcock, and a bird dog" GBE
Rick Losey is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Rick Losey For Your Post:
Unread 03-28-2016, 09:50 PM   #6
Member
B. Dudley
PGCA Lifetime
Member
 
Brian Dudley's Avatar

Member Info
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,050
Thanks: 529
Thanked 19,644 Times in 4,963 Posts

Default

In some cases, research letters will show years between made date and sold date. I recall seeing a gun in later production that was in inventory for like 7 years or something.

Lower grades in common configuations were kept on hand as stock for fast order fulfillment.
__________________
B. Dudley
Brian Dudley is offline   Reply With Quote
Visit Brian Dudley's homepage!
Unread 03-28-2016, 10:20 PM   #7
Member
Dean Romig
PGCA Invincible
Life Member
 
Dean Romig's Avatar

Member Info
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 32,852
Thanks: 38,454
Thanked 35,771 Times in 13,109 Posts

Default

I have a very unusual Parker that was made in 1908 and which sat in inventory until 1912 when it was used to fill an even more unusual order.






.
__________________
"I'm a Setter man.
Not because I think they're better than the other breeds,
but because I'm a romantic - stuck on tradition - and to me, a Setter just "belongs" in the grouse picture."

George King, "That's Ruff", 2010 - a timeless classic.
Dean Romig is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 03-28-2016, 11:36 PM   #8
Member
Researcher
PGCA Lifetime
Member
 
Dave Noreen's Avatar

Member Info
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,842
Thanks: 1,834
Thanked 8,688 Times in 2,555 Posts

Default

Serial number chronologies are at best a close approximation and at worst just totally wrong. The Fox serial number chronology that Lightner Library put together back in the 1970s and is available various places on the internet is the latter.
Dave Noreen is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 03-29-2016, 09:31 AM   #9
Member
Kevin McCormack
PGCA Lifetime
Member

Member Info
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 2,246
Thanks: 1,712
Thanked 4,267 Times in 1,192 Posts

Default

Generally speaking, grades up to D (Quality 3) were routinely produced and inventoried to provide quicker turnaround for individual as well as 'bulk' orders. The higher the grade, the fewer were warehoused for obvious reasons of cost of production and individual gun specifications routinely ordered. Quality 4 guns (C grade) were generally produced only on specific order, although there are always exceptions, such as exposition guns made up specially for exhibits and samples taken on the road by salesmen such as DuBray, Stice and others.

The Quality 3 gun (D grade) was universally recognized as Parker's "break point" gun; that is, the profit realized from the sale of this grade made up for the expense of producing it and left a comfortable margin of profit at its offered selling price. The more expensive higher grades' return on costs of production fell off rapidly as the grades ascended, e.g., more expensive wood, stock carving and checkering, and extensive and more detailed engraving all combined to make delivery of the higher grade guns longer and more expensive to the maker.
Kevin McCormack is offline   Reply With Quote
The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to Kevin McCormack For Your Post:
Unread 03-29-2016, 11:19 AM   #10
Member
Bruce Day
PGCA Lifetime
Member
 
Bruce Day's Avatar

Member Info
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 4,995
Thanks: 554
Thanked 15,698 Times in 2,676 Posts

Default

Interesting. The only light shed on margins I am aware of is the report of the Remington auditor upon Remington's purchase of Parker. That purports to state that Parker lost money on all low grade guns until Grade D, where sales price overtook cost. According to that report, Parker in the 1930's only made money on high grade guns.

Are there other documents ?
Bruce Day is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:54 PM.

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright © 1998 - 2025, Parkerguns.org
Copyright © 2004 Design par Megatekno
- 2008 style update 3.7 avec l'autorisation de son auteur par Stradfred.