How old was you when you bought your first Parkers ?

[C.O.B.]

I heard about Parkers long before I ever had one from my mother. My Grandfather was a double gun guy and Parker's were his favorite especially for shooting trap. I have a trophy he won at the Detroit gun club for breaking 200 straight from 16 yards to win the class C championship in 1936.
. He shot both trap and skeet and I was lucky enough to find some old photos of him both hunting and target shooting with a PArker.

Mom said the Parkers were his favorite. The family story is that he bought an A1 special at Abercrombie & Fitch in Chicago while he was on his way to Mayo Clinic. He picked up the gun on his return. It would have been used as this was 1948 or so but Mom still remembers the argument over the $600 when there wasn't any discretionary funds.

My parents bought me a Trojan 12 when I graduated from college. Shortly after that I bought a Vh that I traded a grade 5 Browning Citori 20 ga for. I played with some other doubles but never got the hang of double triggers and collected A5's and M12's for a long time.

About 20-25 years ago a friend an I were headed west to shoot Prairie Dogs and stopped in Cabela's in Owatonna MN. I found a nice DHE 20 with a straight grip 26inch barrels and bought it on the spot. A lot of guns have come and gone over the years some I still regret letting go of. I never thought I'd have an English Best but have several now or a high grade Parker but the God's have smiled on me not to mention creative financing and I have a BHE 32 inch 20 and an AHE 20/28 factory two barrel set. I have way more than I need but not as many as I want and we won't even go into the rifles

[Milton C Starr]

Originally Posted by Rich Anderson

I heard about Parkers long before I ever had one from my mother. My Grandfather was a double gun guy and Parker's were his favorite especially for shooting trap. I have a trophy he won at the Detroit gun club for breaking 200 straight from 16 yards to win the class C championship in 1936.
. He shot both trap and skeet and I was lucky enough to find some old photos of him both hunting and target shooting with a PArker.

Mom said the Parkers were his favorite. The family story is that he bought an A1 special at Abercrombie & Fitch in Chicago while he was on his way to Mayo Clinic. He picked up the gun on his return. It would have been used as this was 1948 or so but Mom still remembers the argument over the $600 when there wasn't any discretionary funds.

My parents bought me a Trojan 12 when I graduated from college. Shortly after that I bought a Vh that I traded a grade 5 Browning Citori 20 ga for. I played with some other doubles but never got the hang of double triggers and collected A5's and M12's for a long time.

About 20-25 years ago a friend an I were headed west to shoot Prairie Dogs and stopped in Cabela's in Owatonna MN. I found a nice DHE 20 with a straight grip 26inch barrels and bought it on the spot. A lot of guns have come and gone over the years some I still regret letting go of. I never thought I'd have an English Best but have several now or a high grade Parker but the God's have smiled on me not to mention creative financing and I have a BHE 32 inch 20 and an AHE 20/28 factory two barrel set. I have way more than I need but not as many as I want and we won't even go into the rifles

Speaking of rifles there are some from vintage/classics one I would like to get some day . Lots of nice reproductions though that make them easier to obtain . I really want to pick up a Uberti 1876 in 50-95 eventually . I almost ordered a C Sharps 1874 last year , but they dont offer a pistol grip unless you get the presentation grade . So I would have to buy the action from them then find someone who builds Sharps to finish it .

There is a gunsmith I talk to a bit who builds the best looking single action revolvers in my opinion , I wouldnt mind getting one of his works . Lots of guns I would like to get if the funds allow it haha .

[Garth Gustafson]

[QUOTE=Rich Anderson;299481]I heard about Parkers long before I ever had one from my mother. My Grandfather was a double gun guy and Parker's were his favorite especially for shooting trap. I have a trophy he won at the Detroit gun club for breaking 200 straight from 16 yards to win the class C championship in 1936.
He shot both trap and skeet and I was lucky enough to find some old photos of him both hunting and target shooting with a PArker.

Mom said the Parkers were his favorite. The family story is that he bought an A1 special at Abercrombie & Fitch in Chicago while he was on his way to Mayo Clinic. He picked up the gun on his return. It would have been used as this was 1948 or so but Mom still remembers the argument over the $600 when there wasn't any discretionary funds.

Rich, the Chicago A&F store your Grandfather visited must have really been something special. At that time they were still doing business as Von Lengerke & Antoine at 9 N Wabash St in downtown Chicago. In fact, VL&A didn’t rebrand until 1959, more than 30 years after the A&F purchase. Such was the strength of the VL&A brand in the Midwest. What a sad day when A&F filed for bankruptcy in 1976. The Chicago store ran their going out of business sale in November 1977. Truly the end of an era. I wish I could have visited that store back in its heyday. Ed Muderlak wrote that he went in there as a kid and was in absolute awe of the place. Today, the old A&F storefront is a jewelry store.

[Milton C Starr]

[QUOTE=Garth Gustafson;299688]

Originally Posted by Rich Anderson

I heard about Parkers long before I ever had one from my mother. My Grandfather was a double gun guy and Parker's were his favorite especially for shooting trap. I have a trophy he won at the Detroit gun club for breaking 200 straight from 16 yards to win the class C championship in 1936.
He shot both trap and skeet and I was lucky enough to find some old photos of him both hunting and target shooting with a PArker.

Mom said the Parkers were his favorite. The family story is that he bought an A1 special at Abercrombie & Fitch in Chicago while he was on his way to Mayo Clinic. He picked up the gun on his return. It would have been used as this was 1948 or so but Mom still remembers the argument over the $600 when there wasn't any discretionary funds.

Rich, the Chicago A&F store your Grandfather visited must have really been something special. At that time they were still doing business as Von Lengerke & Antoine at 9 N Wabash St in downtown Chicago. In fact, VL&A didn’t rebrand until 1959, more than 30 years after the A&F purchase. Such was the strength of the VL&A brand in the Midwest. What a sad day when A&F filed for bankruptcy in 1976. The Chicago store ran their going out of business sale in November 1977. Truly the end of an era. I wish I could have visited that store back in its heyday. Ed Muderlak wrote that he went in there as a kid and was in absolute awe of the place. Today, the old A&F storefront is a jewelry store.

One of the best looking doubles I ever got to hold when I worked on the plantation was a A&F , ive never seen another one like it .