A C Grade without Barrels

[Bill Murphy]

Contact, by email today! Thanks for your confidence, Dean. I haven't given up on the Norris gun either. Jack Cronkite gave me the original source of contact. I'll keep everyone informed.

[Marshfellow]

Murph, sorta reminds me of AHF #35. Good luck.

tjw

[Bill Murphy]

Tom, you have a good memory. The Fox #35 barrels cost about $125 and were about a five to ten year search. The CH #86988 barrels cost $400 and this not yet completed search is about 15 to 20 years so far. My search for the gun that goes with my $200 A-1 Special 32" 20 gauge barrels took about ten years. All of the barrels were gun show finds. So far, I have located three guns for four sets of barrels and have not bought one of the guns yet. Maybe this will be the one.

[Bill Murphy]

Things are progressing nicely and a cross country gentleman's exchange has been negotiated. If the gun's back end is presentable, I may actually post my first pictures. The wonderful sets of Bernard barrels and the just as wonderful ex-John Davis DH back end were displayed at the Vintagers a couple of years ago, but the full C grade package should be a bit more impressive.

[Dean Romig]

I can't wait! Keep us informed please Bill. If you have trouble with posting pictures, I can help.

Dean

[TARNATION !!!]

Cnngratulations Bill. Look forward to pics

[charlie cleveland]

bill the parker boys that are upstairs must be lookik after you...hope all goes well....this will make a great storey....i cant wait....charlie

[Bill Murphy]

What's today, July 8, 2012? I have owned these barrels for twenty some years, been running ads on the PGCA website for as long as we have been here. I have periodically posted on Dave Weber's site also. No results. Then, in January of this year, Jack Cronkite ran a google search on the serial number, something I had never thought of doing. His search resulted in a hit that was only three months old. If Jack had tried the google search just four months earlier, the search would have come up dry. With the help of Bud Stanley and his website, and a lot of patience, the owner's email address was flushed out. It took another good while for the owner to respond and I started to doubt that the email address was current or correct. After months of no replies, on July 1, the owner replied, "I do have the shotgun." He related the story of finding it in his attic in PA. By July 3, a fair price was negotiated and now I will pay and wait. To review the discovery of the barrels, a story that has been told here before, here goes. Kevin McCormack and I have displayed Parkers at the Baltimore Antique Gun Show for many years. However many years ago, twenty or more, Kevin came back to our table and told me about a fellow in the back of the room that had two sets of composite Parker barrels for sale. They were housed in a leather trunk case and were priced at $450, an astronomical price for composite Parker barrels at that time. Kevin was not interested but thought I may be. I can't resist a money losing project, so I paid for the barrels and threw them into the gun room. In 1998, I went to Ilion with the PGCA research committee and found the original order for the gun and trunk case, as well as a repair order. I researched the original owner, whose name was engraved on the rib of both sets of barrels. I will tell that story later. Thanks to all who gave me support, especially John Davis, Kevin McCormack, Jack Cronkhite, and Bud Stanley. Dean Romig has offered moral support on this and other searches of mine. Of course, if this project comes to a climax, I will have the owner of the gun to thank also. Apologies to my hero, Jack Cronkhite, for misspelling his name through this entire thread. Stay tuned, it shouldn't be long now.

[Kevin McCormack]

After the above find took place some 20+ years ago, we adopted the working tenet for ALL gun shows; "Don't forget to look UNDER the tables!!!"

[Dean Romig]

Bill, I can't think of a nicer end to the saga of your orphaned barrels. I hope the gun is everything you have wished for in all these years. Congratulations for your perseverence and the faith that the gun would surface someday. This story renews a 'hope' in a lot of us who have orphaned barrels and other parts in our personal gun room inventories.