G grade letter

[Angel Cruz Ortiz]

Herb, I have a 16ga lifter that sat in a store for two years before it was sent back for credit. Then it was resold by Parker Bros.

[Pa SxS]

Herb, while doing your letter I didn't notice the gap between the stock book date of 1891 and the order book date of 1901. I checked and the letter is accurate.

The manufacturing dates are taken from the stock books so what you see listed on this site and what you see in books, as far as when manufactured, that data was from the stock books.

Some thoughts as to why the gap in dates for your gun are:

1. It was made in 1891 and put in inventory until sold in 1901.
2. It was sold soon after manufacture but was in a missing order book. The only missing order book in that time frame is # 39 which is in the 1895 time frame.
3. When the PGCA database was made (made up entirely from the Order Books), that S/N was missed. The gun could have been sold earlier and returned for credit, reconditioned and sold as recorded in the order book for 1901.

I went through some pages of the order books in the 1891 range looking for your S/N. Some orders from the same company took up two or more pages of guns ordered. The range of serial numbers was as much as 6,000 difference so many had to come out of inventory.

Remember, when an order is placed, an order number is recorded in the order book along with who ordered the gun/guns, grade of gun, price, etc. This order went to the factory. When the factory chose a S/N, the gun was built and the factory notified the office to write in the serial number in the order book where the original order was placed so the actural S/N found in the order book was recorded sometime after the original order was placed.

Clear as mud???

[Herb Hewlett]

To all who replied to my questions,thanks for the quick response. I found it interesting that a shotgun would sit in inventory for 10 years,it never occurred to me ,picturing Parkers going out faster than that.Certainly the Parker gun business is an interesting one and I doubt they made much money on this one. Thanks all,Herb

[Double Play]

Chuck,
Thanks for taking the time to do some extra research in order to give Herb some possible scenarios as to the history of his Parker. Your work is much appreciated by our PGCA members and nonmembers alike.

[Pa SxS]

Herb,

The order book has the gun listed as Spencer Bartlett & Co but the real name is Hibbard Spencer Bartlett & Co.. They were one of the largest hardware companys in the U.S. located in Chicago. Both names are found in the order books.

The writing in the stock books is very hard to read sometimes and the name of the coal company was difficult to read. It could have been various names so I Googled different spellings and included the town of Gilchrist Ill. That's how I found Empire Coal Co.

Google both Hibbard Spencer Bartlett and Empire Coal Co and you can read their history.