Certified "Wall Hanger"

[OH Osthaus]

Originally Posted by Richard Flanders

Nice!! What a find. How about more details?? bbl length - looks to be 28" or greater? stock dimensions, no mods I assume.

That was in the first thread on this neat old piece

http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=7268

[Pay Dirt]

Parker #129168 has surviving factory information and a letter has been requested.





The Family story goes like this,
The Great Grandfather purchased the gun in 1904 using the first paycheck he earned. East Coast.
A graded Parker was $100 ?

12 gauge DH with Damascus barrels on a #1 frame, splinter forend, pistol grip, skeletal butt.
Bore diameter of .730, both barrels
Minimum Barrel Wall Thickness of .030, both barrels
Unstruck weight of 3 /6
.038 choke right
.040 choke left
2 5/8 " chambers
14 1/8 x 1 3/8 x 2 5/8
6lbs 9oz

Sometime after the Second World War, The Great Grandfathers' gun was hung on a wall in the house of his daughter (the Grandmother). 30 years later when the Grandmother no longer needed the big house, her daughter (the Mother) took over the household and the caretaking duties for the old Parker.
After another 30 years, the original owners' Great Grand Daughter was given possession of the old gun by her aging mother.
Parker #129168 celebrated the new millenium as a closet queen and had remained cloistered until about a month ago.

This gun is not mint/museum quality but is a very beautiful, original condition graded Parker.
It has earned it's scars as a moderately carried, lightly fired, unmolested, fourth generation, wall hanging closet queen.

Perfect screws, beautiful sound wood, good Demascus pattern remaining (underbarrels are better with best under the forend), beautiful case colors in protected areas with some original case colors showing in patina'd areas. Clean bores, crisp triggers, tight action, hingepin and face.
The coolest thing is the Damascus pattern on the sides of the rib.

I've had the gun inspected by Master Gunsmith Les Pittman here on the West coast. All is good.
I've reloaded some 2 3/4" Federal paper hulls with a Windjammer wad, Win 209 primer, a smidge of Hodgdon powder and an ounce of lead.
5100 PSI per the Hodgdon recipe book.

We shot a pair of these pillow soft reloads through the damascus barrels.
The gun threw a beautiful 2 foot pattern approximately 60/40 at 30 paces.
Was it my imagination or do Damascus barrels "sound" different?
Am I setting myself up for a future disaster with the 2 3/4" hulls and the 2 5/8" chambers??

I'm not a 12 gauge guy.
I'm not a DH guy
I'm not a Damascus guy.
Can someone please help me with value?

Thank you,
Bobby

[Fishtail]

No way should you restore that gun. I wouldn't even put any oil on it or even touch it. A gun that sweet should be hung up on a wall for all to see.

[Autumn Daze]

A gun that nice should be exercised regularly....

[Craig Larter]

I wish it was hanging on my wall!

[Labowner]

On the question of value, a 1 frame 12 DH similar to yours was sold in the 5500 dollar range recently.

[Richard Flanders]

Wouldn't that make a great Argentina dove gun?! I'd love to have a 1-frame D-grade but when I shoot a 30" F/F gun it's generally with heavy loads which doesn't make much sense with a 1-frame. My 1-1/2 frame is punishing enough with stout loads, enough that I don't do it any more. My 26" 1-frame GHE12 on the other hand is a sterling little grouse/woodcock killer. I'd be all over this D if it had short bbls....

[B. Dudley]

In looking at the photos, the tiggers look different or should I say interesting in form. Or is it just me?

[Richard Flanders]

I noticed that the rear trigger is a bit far forward.

[david weir]

Nice gun I have a 1878 Parker gun love the way they shoot I am a new member guys