Looking for assistance on identifying Parker SBT

[Phil Reiser]

I am located in Canada and am in the process of assisting a Late Friend's son in liquidating his Fathers gun collection. One of the firearms is a Parker Bros SBT 12 Gauge Serial # 178218 with 32" barrel. I have identified that this firearm was manufactured in 1917 but have not confirmed much else about it. The grade is not marked on the water table above the serial number. The frame size on the barrel lug shows a 12. Is it common for the / to be missing between the 1 and 2 which would then correspond with the chart in the Technical Information on Parkerguns.org. At some time in its life it has had a Morgan Premium Adjustable Curved Recoil Pad installed. There is a crack that has been repaired at the bottom of the forearm. I also suspect the wood has been refinished.
Any information anyone can provide based on the accompanying pictures and info I have provided would be greatly appreciated. An educated guess as to its value would also help me in pricing this item for sale.
Thanks,
Phil

[B. Dudley]

The gun is overall in not too good of condition. The wood has been heavily varnished and the checkering poorly recut. The forend has damage and the metalwork appears to have been cold blued.
I am sure that the gun functions fine as a shooter. But the condition issues would place it very low on the value range for an SC grade Parker.

[Phil Reiser]

Thank You Mr. Dudley for your response and assessment. This is the first Parker I have ever seen or handled but I certainly agree with your comments.

The gun locks up tight and appears to be in very good working condition and the bore is excellent. What would be an approximate value for an SC at the low end of the value range?
Thanks,
Phil

[John Davis]

Phil, I’ve paid as much as $4,000 for an SC and as little as $900. I’ve used the $900 SC for parts and I lost money on the $4grand SC when I sold it. Average the two and you’re at $2,450. The gun in question is well below average but better than parts. That’s about all I can tell you.

[Drew Hause]

The turned pin and buggered screws are unfortunate, and suggest someone worked on the gun without the expertise to do so.

For interest, this is a Parker SBT introduction ad in the April 1917 Illustrated Outdoor World and Recreation
https://books.google.com/books?id=gX87AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA148

1918 with a grooved FE which I'm not sure anyone has actually seen



The Morgan pad was introduced about 1932

[Bill Murphy]

Your gun is a very early gun. It deserves a PGCA letter, which you should share with us in case the original purchaser is someone we would recognize. It also deserves a professional refinish of the wood and recheckering, as well as a redo of the screws. Canadians are not as emotional about Parkers as we are south of the border, so in its present condition, this gun would be sold for $700 to $800 or some similar amount.

[Stepmac]

My SC has a 17 thousand serial number. It also has the close fitting screw on the right side of the breech which I guess hides the firing pin. It bought it, 30 years ago from the son in law of Ray Folger the San Francisco coffee magnet who was a member of the Bohemian Club in that city in the early 20th Century. I had to have the opening lever worked on and the crumbling recoil pad replaced with a new Silver's pad right after I acquired the gun. I paid $1,500 for it. I've shot it quite a lot, but I do better with an old 1928 vintage Model 12...go figure.

BTW: Hemingway's favorite pump shotgun was a Winchester Model 12 made in 1928. After reading all of his books years ago (I am 80.) I decided to acquire guns like his if I could. My antique Model 12 falls into that group. I also have a nice Model 70, but in 270.(Actually, as I recall his rifle was an '06 Springfield, but it might have been a Model 70.) Hem's was an '06. A Mannlicher Shaunauer (can't be spelled correctly) also in '06, his was in something else but close enough, an ancient Win pump .22 and an old Browning Auto 5 in 16 gauge. I think Hem had one of those. Mine has MK IV engraving and comes with an extra barrel and the original case and it is a thing of beauty! I've got a O/U with nice engraving, but it is nothing like Hem's famous gun. And I have been on safari in Africa, but I could not afford to shoot with a gun, but I killed a lot of game with my Pentax 35mm high velocity camera.

[ArtS]

I presume that it sold for $1000 Canadian and I am sure the values stated here were based on US$. This morning that would have been $724 US.