HOW MANY LEFT?

[Hammer Gun]

I have often wondered just how many Parkers have survived! Out of roughly 242,000 give or take a few, PGCA members 10,000, Dealers 5,000, other collectors 20,000 Total 35,000 any one venture a estimate maybe I am way off? Gary

[Bill Murphy]

I will guess that no more than 60,000 are beyond shooting condition, maybe many less.

[Holeshot]

I will guess that over 50% are beyond shooting condition. There just seems to be a lot of parts for sale.

[B. Dudley]

I used to own a '24 Model T. And that was a common question people used to ask in those circles. Something tells me that more Parkers survived than Tin lizzys (proportionately).

[Mike Murphy]

Gary,
Interesting, but ultimately unresolvable topic.
Your guess puts survival at @14.5%.

I don't have access to the production numbers, but possibly an estimate based on year or period of production would be just as interesting.
Example, guns built in the 1880's - 5.0% survival; 1890's - 10.0% survival, etc.

[Dean Romig]

Give some thought to the number of Parkers that remain "in the family" of former owners or even as yet undiscovered in accumulations of deceased family member's "old stuff we've never got around to sortin' through yet." Or loaned or borrowed and never got back... or stolen that nobody knows the whereabouts of...

I think that number could easily exceed 50,000.

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

I think that a member or two have 5000 or more tucked away...

This might be an interesting fact if the PARKER PAGES editor were to privately pole all PGCA members for the number of Parkers in their posession. The total number would be interesting especially if those guns were subtotaled by gauge and grade.

[Dean Romig]

No offense intended to anyone... but I think we might get a response of 30% of the membership and the accuracy of that response might be 65%.

I'm just tossing hypothetical figures around, obviously, but I think it would be a wasted effort.

[George M. Purtill Member #28]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

Give some thought to the number of Parkers that remain "in the family" of former owners or even as yet undiscovered in accumulations of deceased family member's "old stuff we've never got around to sortin' through yet." Or loaned or borrowed and never got back... or stolen that nobody knows the whereabouts of...

I think that number could easily exceed 50,000.

I agree with Dean- there are many undiscovered Parkers. They are a lot easier to forget about than a 1930 AA express body truck.

[Fishtail]

Guns generally live a pampered life compared to most products. They usually sit indoors and are more or less cared for. Yes, I know some get used as shovels but most don't.

Some get lost in lakes and rivers. Some get blown up. Some get turned in to gun scrap drives. Some get just worn out.


I'd bet 40-50% are still around in one piece.

As a side note, the other day I saw a public notice...I think it was in the Wall Street Journal...of ATF confiscated guns. I didn't see any Parkers but I also didn't spend much time looking. What was noteworthy was the staggering number. It was a full page ad in the smallest print.