Buying Question

[Mark Callanan]

Originally Posted by will evans

Mark, I might be willing to give you a letter. You could even tell people my letter is actually a Delgrego letter. The point is that letters don't mean much in our World of computers and printers.

After reading this board a few weeks it appears the above statement regarding looking at a LOT of Parkers is the gospel. That, and arming yourself with as much information as possible. I have a serialization book, and I just ordered both volumes of The Parker Story from DGJ. They still have blemished sets for $195. My favorite tool is an inside dial caliper bore gauge with long legs that I picked up on eBay for $50. I can measure the length of the choke and the constriction pretty accurately. With those tools I feel I can at least walk away with a pretty comfortable feeling regarding the barrels, but fit, finish, checkering and the rest? While I don't wish I were older, I do wish I had more experience. I'm hopeful my soon to arrive copies of The Parker Story will shorten the learning curve on the rest of the details.

I have all of the above books
They are of no help on this Parker
No thanks on a fake letter lol
Thanks for trying...

[nid-28]

Mark--I expressed my opinion as honestly and fairly as I could on TS. I sell a lot of items on that site. It's a very nice gun, handsome gun, great shooting gun, with original parts etc. but it NOT an original skeet gun. The gun, according to the serialization book started life in 1923 as a 28 inch GHE with DT and splinter FE. Skeet was not even a word before 1926! It's a nice #1 frame gun that has been converted sometime over the last 75 years to a skeet configuration. The beavertail looks good. The 26 inch barrels look good. I know the seller claims Del Grego denies working on the gun. Buy it as a shooter and enjoy it. Get a factory letter and convince yourself. Hey--maybe I'm wrong--it's happened before. Maybe Parker did the work or Remington! My money is on Del Grego. Good luck to you.

[Richard Abraham]

That's my gun. It sure has started a fire storm on the net! I will try to post some pix here to help. I was the one who called DelGrego. They said send some pix and they would give an opinion. They said they would talk to anyone interested if they were called.I his mind the gun is legit no matter what the books say. They said the receiver might have been recolored but they couldn't say who. They said the barrels looked good. keels in place bar at the end of the matting etc. I know its a 1923 gun and I know remingtons repair records are lacking. there is no remington date code on the gun or barrels. Only the skeet in and skeet out stamps. Choking is .005 and .007.They did say I had an early "BIG" beaver tail that was used on early target guns. Checkering pattern was legit also.
I will try to post some pix for you to ponder.

[Pa SxS]

I've been reading that thread and purposely did not reply. Only the Stock Book is available for this gun and it verifys 28" barrels. If the gun was returned to either Meriden or Illion, it's not in the order books. To me, the gun looks worked on and not just the barrels but without more detailed pictures of the forend including the reinforcing rod, water table, and sides of the receiver, it's not an absolute. To my eye, the butt stock looks original but the case colors on the bottom of the receiver look too splotchy. That's why I'd like to see the water table.

If that's all the pictures the seller sent to Del Grego, Del Grego didn't have much to base an opinion on. From what I'm told, they don't keep track of guns worked on by the serial number, they keep track of the name of the person who sent them the gun. If I'm wrong, someone can correct me on this.

Either way, from what I've seen, it's a nice gun but until I would get further proof to originality, I wouldn't pay as if original.

[Pa SxS]

I see that Mr. Abraham posted while I was typing. Mr. Abraham, can you post a picture of the water table and the end of the forend? The checkering pattern doesn't look like any I've seen. The only way to see if the forend wood is original is to take the metal off and look for the S/N stamped in the wood.

[C.O.B.]

My 2 cents worth (and you can get change from that). If the serialization books says it was made befor the game of skeet was even invented thats a big red flag to it being a true skeet gun. I once had a vent rib DHE 12 that was stamped skeet in/skeet out but it was not an original skeet gun The checkering isn't correct on the forarm. The only letter that matters would be from the PGCA. Skeet guns can bring a premium dollar and IMHO this isn't an original skeet gun. All the true skeet guns I have seen were mfg after the Parker Gun Co was sold to Remington. If the receiver says PArker Bros than (once again my opinion) it's not a true skeet gun.

At the end of the day remember this "it is much easier to buy a gun than to sell a gun".

[paul stafford jr]

nice gun i agree with rich, the forend look different than my 1923 ghe. i'll post a picture if i can figure out how to do it again. mine # is 205xxx but as luck would have it most of 1923 records are lost

[Opening Day]

Ok I was not going to reply but since I have a couple of Skeet guns there are a couple of points that makes me wonder, first Skeet in/Skeet out was used during the Remington era, the gun is double trigger and has a DHBP both not seen on Skeet guns and even if there is a serial number stamped in the wood of the forend that does not mean it's factory. Also a 12 ga Skeet gun on a 1 frame I haven't seen that either. To me too many questions, great gun to shoot yes but to pay a premium for, no. That's my two cents. Eric

[Bruce Day]

Eric knows Parker skeet guns.


Eric, could this be a standard game gun that went back to Parker in the late 20's/early 30's to be rebarreled and beavertail forend added to be suitable for the new game of skeet? The beavertail forend looks early Parker to me.

Does the absence of a Parker Bros or Parker overload proofed stamp pin a return date to the mid 1920's?


This assumes return records are not available and the history must be discerned through indicators on the gun. It looks like factory work to me.

[Richard Abraham]

Here's the best I can do. The splotchy bottom and sides looks like patina from hands from carrying and shooting. Any how I think I shot pix of everything you asked for.