There's a notable difference between an upgrade and a fake being peddled as an original. A fake would certainly not be signed by a contemporary engraver, even if he was talented enough to replicate original engraving exactly. That Parker clearly doesn't resemble any original Parker, doesn't match 'the book' unaltered barrel marking of a grade 0 gun, and signed. What does smack of a poor attempt to fake is the remarking of the water table.
My other gun love are special order lever guns by Winchester. I have studied them for 50 years and the enjoyment is based on the huge numbers out there, and the seeming endless varieties, especially in the 1894.
This gun was upgraded, and being sold as such, by an incredibly talented engraver who works for Tiffany. His workmanship exhibited on this gun is as close to original Winchester work as I have ever seen. Neither he, nor the man who contracted the work, smacks of fake, as he signed his work, and dated it.
I spent a lot of time examining this gun, and when I saw the signature, I asked him who J. Lowe was, and he replied "Me". Up until that point, I never detected anything that said 'not Winchester'. Even the finish is what one would expect to see on a 110 year old rifle.
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=328762667
Subsequently, I saw an Ithica Flues, done by Lowe for his wife, who soon after passed away from cancer. That gun, too, was beautiful.
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