New member, need input on an option I have not seen before on a DH

[Black Wing Armory]

Greetings PGCA!

I have a small gunsmithing shop in Vermont. Recently, a customer brought in a Parker Bros. SxS for valuation. The shotgun is a DH in 20 gauge, size 0 frame, grade 3 with 30" Titanic barrels (32 weight) with ejectors. Thank you and your amazing website for all the help there. Where I am stumbling in the evaluation is the fact that this particular unit was ordered without a safety. Family lore is that the original purchaser was a skeet pro and found safeties a bother. The safety is not missing, clearly manufactured without one. So my question the the community is how does that affect the value? In my opinion, the gun is condition Good (primarily due to overall finish quality and obvious use-related wear on the engraving). Fully functional, all original, bluing is still probably 20% there but pretty thin, wood is marred but not terribly though all original finish is long gone. I don't have the customer's permission to post a photo, will try to secure that when she picks up. Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[Jim DiSpagno]

Value is in the fact that it was made as a dedicated “live bird gun” and its original. 30” with ejectors and no safety is a hard to find combo and is a nice competition gun.

[Jim DiSpagno]

Without good photos and a bit more info, such as barrel wall thickness stock configuration and dimensions etc is purely suggestive

[B. Dudley]

The safety delete is not necessary rare, just a feature that people would order when a safety was not desired. Usually guns that are used for target or competitive shooting.

It does not hurt the value. And I cannot say that it would improve the value incredibly. Just make ghe gun more appealing to those interested in target guns.

The condition and originality of the gun are the largest factors in establishing a value.

[Black Wing Armory]

Thank you for the feedback. Owner granted permission for pictures. Incorrect pad, obviously. Stock was resealed looks like a long time back, 14 3/4" in length. Everything else seems to be original and untampered with. Barrels are tight to the frame, rib is solid, bore is on par with the rest of the platform.

[Researcher]

By the looks of that last picture the gun is a Quality DH, no ejectors. Just plain extractor.

[Mike of the Mountain]

I'd be happy to have that gun in my stable of shooters!!

[Researcher]

Family lore is that the original purchaser was a skeet pro and found safeties a bother.

The owner might want to join the PGCA and get a research letter on the gun. Can you tell us the serial number range? Just looking at the gun, it appears older than the game of Skeet to me. I'm thinking I can see the early-style grip cap.

[Black Wing Armory]

Gents,

Thank you for the comments. A few more pics, serial number is 98710.

[Bill Murphy]

Very early California duck club gun, probably ordered by DuBray, if he was working for PB at the time this gun was manufactured? Note the question mark.