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03-25-2021, 10:55 AM
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Let me give a bit of history and information on the Johnson book. Before Peter researched and wrote his book, there was absolutely no information on Parker guns or the company history, in print. Before 1961, collectors such as myself and many others still in the Parker collecting game had no reference material except "For Sale" ads in the Shotgun News and earlier on, the American Rifleman. Shotguns "For Sale" ads in the American Rifleman had pretty much ended by the early fifties. We bought Parkers by the seats of our pants, not having any information on the originality of Parkers we were buying except visual inspection. I was buying Parkers before I knew Peter Johnson personally, and before he wrote his book. Many other collectors were in the same boat. We knew original condition by experience with other guns and paid for guns that looked original to us. Hundreds of guns were faked up with bogus fluid steel markings on blued Damascus barrels. Most of the faked up guns were poorly done, but others were better. We had no information about barrel markings or lists of factory serial numbers to help us. We worked by experience and empirical information gleened by looking at a lot of guns. We had no idea of rarity of certain grades, gauges, and features except by, again, looking at a lot of guns. Things have changed in the sixty years since the Johnson book was published, especially after the Ilion trip by the PGCA research committee in 1998 and the Kevin McCormack and Commander Gunther trip in 1997.
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| The Following 8 Users Say Thank You to Bill Murphy For Your Post: |
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03-25-2021, 12:03 PM
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#4 | ||||||
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Bill, first of all, I did not mean to offend you or your friend Mr Johnson. I certainly did not know him, and assumed he was an enthusiast, collector and authority. That being said, we all appreciate certain writing styles and in my thirst for knowledge I found myself wanting meat and potatoes as quickly as I could (I'm paying the price now with TPS). I will certainly re read it and I'm looking at it on my shelf sandwiched between Shotgun Technicana and Spanish Best, so it does occupy a place in my humble library. I do appreciate your perspective on what he accomplished.
__________________
Nothing ruins your Friday like finding out it's only Tuesday |
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03-25-2021, 05:32 PM
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Ed Muderlak's books, Parker Guns, Shooting Flying and the American Experience, and Parker Guns, The Old Reliable are not to be missed. However, they may have reached collector status and be out of reach for casual readers. Ed may not have been one of my favorite people, but he was a great writer and historian. He is one of the people who made this website what it is today. Comments?
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| The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Bill Murphy For Your Post: |
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03-25-2021, 06:34 PM
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#6 | ||||||
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"Comments?"
I agree.
__________________
"Life is short and you're dead an awful long time." Destry L. Hoffard "Oh Christ, just shoot the damn thing." Destry L. Hoffard |
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| The Following User Says Thank You to John Davis For Your Post: |
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03-25-2021, 06:38 PM
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#7 | ||||||
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“Comments?”
Nancy is an angel. Further DSR sayeth naught. .
__________________
"I'm a Setter man. Not because I think they're better than the other breeds, but because I'm a romantic - stuck on tradition - and to me, a Setter just "belongs" in the grouse picture." George King, "That's Ruff", 2010 - a timeless classic. |
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| The Following User Says Thank You to Dean Romig For Your Post: |
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03-25-2021, 11:05 PM
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I recommend Peter Johnson’s book because there I read prose written with passion that in my opinion is infectious. It lit the fire within for me and from that point on I felt a passion for these guns that I have for no other. I respect the other makers and the people who collect and shoot them but I have no passion for owning any of them. Only my Winchesters model 12 and 42 plus an old Stevens 20 gauge give any feeling and that’s more due to sentiment. However, I think I could feel something for a Wesley Richards if I found the right one.
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| The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Mike Franzen For Your Post: |
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03-26-2021, 07:46 PM
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1) Oh, My!!
2) WESTLEY Richards 3) Hold out for a droplock 28 gauge |
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| The Following User Says Thank You to Kevin McCormack For Your Post: |
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03-27-2021, 11:12 AM
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The books mentioned are different from each other, and as a whole, make up a pretty darned good Parker library. The amount of information in TPS is unexcelled, but the other books provide lots to learn from and think about.
Don't forget to add in past issues of the Parker Pages -- a good source of information on many things not mentioned in any of the other books. The search function on the forum is also a great resource. I especially like (but don't always agree with) Ed M.'s views. Lots of fodder for discussion in all of them.
__________________
"Doubtless the good Lord could have made a better game bird than bobwhite, and better country to hunt him in...but equally doubtless, he never did." -- Guy de la Valdene (from A Handful of Feathers ) "'I promise you,' he said, 'on my word of honor, I won't die on the opening of the bird season.'" -- Robert Ruark (from The Old Man and the Boy) |
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