Research Letters

[John Gardner]

Letters are wonderful. They help any gun of the era come alive.

Sometimes you get the chance to hold/shoot a piece of real history that you've now participated in.

I think all members should be encouraged to order a letter - and especially if it is a so-so gun by grade or condition.

Randy had it right when he said providence doesn't count unless you have it.

Letter's have added and subtracted literally thousands to the value of my collection.

One unusual G grade, not spectacular in itself, ended up being a presentation piece made to an early NWMP officer who escorted Sitting Bull across the US/Canada border, arrested/released the real Sundance Kid, and later was in charge during the Yukon Gold Rush. He passed it to his son who took it with him to Britain during WWI where he had new Westley Richard's barrels mounted - surviving the war while winning the Victoria Cross in the process

Another turned out was one of du Bray's personal guns from his estate when he passed - (verified by John Davis' copy of original list).

Conversely a letter can also potentially save you thousands on a higher end purchase just like a house or boat inspection. I acquired a C grade paying top dollar, and was happy to do so, because I'd been informed it was associated to a famous ball player when my grandfather played. The player was indeed an avid trap shooter but the letter made the date he acquired it questionable because of his relative youth at the time. Plus side it was an 1898 Exposition gun - but that's not why I bought it.

With ALL Parkers we get to shoot both art and history and, sometimes, we get to know we're holding the same gun used by iconic individuals. Letters are a key to that time machine.