Thanks Tom Skues for all the cool repro's

SXS OHIO · 12-15-2013, 09:01 AM

I want to remember and thank Tom Skues, Richard,Jack and everyone who worked at P.R. for the Parker reproductions they made. Tom did all this for the love of parkers not for profit. They made so many neet guns...410-12ga all gauges, DHE,BHE,A1-Spl. one barrel, two barrel and three barrel set, sporting clays, steel shot, driven /match pairs, duck stamp, and commemoratives. Quality maker cases special made for each. I really enjoy having the ones I own, collecting all the accessories and hunting/shooting them. Just think about the cost of Parker Brother 410 or 28ga. guns, few could ever own one of them! Toms guns were made at a time that working men could afford to own one, a small window that everything come together at a fair price. I think this is what Tom wanted to accomplish. I still remember the first one I bought, I was just married buying a house and I saw the close-out add in gun list 1995. I called Jaqua's and took a loan to buy a two barrel set. Even as I type a person can still find and buy one of these great guns at a bargain price. These are quality firearms that have earned their place history. I only wish production would have lasted longer and they could have made more of them! thanks all.... Kenny Graft SXS ohio...(-:

nid-28 · 12-15-2013, 06:05 PM

Kenny--Tom Skeuse was definitely one of a kind. I had the good fortune to know him. I sold him some guns back in the late 70's --early 80's. I was invited to his farm a few times to visit and to hunt pheasants. I have fond memories of sitting in his house and looking at many fine guns he had purchased. He had many fine shotguns other then Parker's. He also liked nice rifles and I remember him going on hunts to the Jicaria(sp?)Apache reservation to hunt elk. I ordered a number of guns in the early repro years, including 2 barrel sets with 2 forearms. Illness took Tom far too early and who knows what direction Parker Reproductions would have taken had he lived longer!

ForrestArmstrong · 12-15-2013, 06:36 PM

Still the best value in a high grade side by side.

Mike Murphy · 12-15-2013, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ForrestArmstrong

Still the best value in a high grade side by side.

Couldn't agree more. You couldn't build a gun of that quality today for anything close to what you can buy them for.

Bill Mullins · 12-24-2013, 08:16 AM

When I interviewed Jack in the mid 1990's for the chapter in The Parker Story he indicated that when they lost their production facilities in Japan they looked all over Europe for another facility. They only found one that could & would meet their manufacturing quality standards. ( As I recall that was in Italy ) However, to do so Parker Reproductions would have to ask around $10,000 for the basic DHE grade here in the states, and they knew buyers would not pay that for the gun as they were accustom to the mid $3000 price tag. Just put that into today's prices! He indicated that, of course, was a major factor in deciding to discontinue the gun.

SXS OHIO · 12-24-2013, 09:01 AM

Thanks Bill....I have always felt the repr's are a GREAT deal!!!!! I see what CSM wants for the new Remington they make... 50K Yes they are said to be nice and worth the price, but how many can own one? Repro's are the deal of our time!...still can be found at 3500.00 and up for a nice one...(-: thanks all SXS ohio...(-:

Larry the Gun Guy · 12-25-2013, 10:45 AM

I think you boys are right about all of this repo business and Mr Skeuse. As a matter of fact I'm working up a pretty good hankering for one of those 410's after all of this talk.

ForrestArmstrong · 01-29-2014, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenny Graft

I have always felt the repros are a GREAT deal!!!!! I see what CSM wants for the new Remington they make... $50K Yes they are said to be nice and worth the price, but how many can own one? Repros are the deal

I looked at a Galazan 28 AAHE in Vegas. It was OK but not any nicer than a Skeuse repro with Gournet engraving, definitely not worth the starting price of $49K. JMHO.

ForrestArmstrong · 03-23-2014, 08:07 PM

Lately, there has been alot of discussion of very small (410) and large (8 & 10) bore Parkers on these forums. Wouldn't it be neat if Skeuse had run off just a few 8 bore repros? Not particularly practical but neat, and highly collectible. I'd sure want one.

Richard Skeuse · 03-24-2014, 10:21 AM

Thank you all for the fine words you have written here about our father. It has been 24 and a half years since he passed, and it seems like yesterday that we were all hunting on the farm. Dad was deer hunting the day before he died, bundled up in the back of the car just to see that we did it right. He actually shot a deer that ran off and we finished it for him. You were right in saying he was one of a kind, Thank you all again, Richard and the boys.