VHE 20 ga

[Bill Murphy]

At least one CH, one BH, and now one VHE are known unengraved guns.

[Autumn Daze]

I knew of the B but the C is news to me. Thanks Bill.

[Bill Murphy]

Dave, the CH Grade is pictured on page 286 of Ed's "Shooting Flying" and also in two pictures in Double Gun Journal Volume 8, issue 1, page 52. Kevin McCormack also comments about unengraved Parkers in that article. Both of Kevin's articles on the Del Grego family and shop are worth a reread. Volume 7, issue 4 and Volume 8, issue 1. Since I don't post pictures, you can look at pictures of my favorite AHE trap gun in the second article. Dave, like some other of my trap guns, this one could be yours some day. I paid $2200 for it, but Linda may expect a little profit when she sells it. By the way, the 1972 pictures of Babe and Larry Del Grego Senior were taken by my Dad. My Dad and Larry were from the same rust belt generation and had plenty in common. Good grief, my Dad took those pictures 41 years ago.

[Autumn Daze]

I'll check it out. Thanks again Bill. Interesting stuff.

[Bill Murphy]

Sorry, Dave, I edited my last post to identify the grade of your next trap gun. I hope your favorite son enjoys it.

[Jerry Parise]

Hi Folks,

I hate to sound dumb but, here goes. How can you have an unengraved C grade or an unengraved B grade? Other than barrel steel and wood quality isn't the engraving on the receiver what really makes a gun a certain grade?

[Researcher]

The fit and polish of the internal parts gets finer as the grade increases.

[John Farrell, Charter Member #33]

I have a 236XXX 20 VH with no PB engraving on the boxlock sides. Parker is on the underside of the frame. Parker Bros. Maker is on the rib as usual. Perhaps there was a vacation period when a bunch of frames were produced and no one got around to taking up that slack in 1933-35 when Remington first came around.

Larry Baer, on page 47 of his book, "A few guns were made until 1945, but were completed from inventory guns already serial numbered". This could be the case with our two guns; they may have been assembled from PB inventory and serial numbered parts by Remington; the assembly may have occurred AFTER Remington was informed that they could not use the Parker Bros. trade marked logo on the guns they were making. So the side engraving was eliminated in favor of the Parker name on the underside of the frame. Which engraved name appears in different styles, sizes and fonts on different near to - and actual - Remington era guns I have seen.

[Fishtail]

I thought the C had minimal engraving on it, but not 'none'?

I'd also like to see a pic of the B with no engraving.

[Bill Murphy]

The B is in a private collection and, so far, has not been offered for sale. Jerry's is a good question. The C was ordered as a C with Acme barrels and English Walnut with a skeleton butt, listed in the stock book as a C and priced in the order book as a C. It is also stamped "CH" and "4" on the water table. It is a C in all respects except the absence of engraving, for which the owner was given a $22.50 reduction in price. "Parker Brothers" is engraved on the sides of the receiver, that's it. The B and the VHE were made after the elimination of the order books, so less information would be available.