A C Grade without Barrels

[Bill Murphy]

This is a pair of Parkers I can afford. The DH back end was $750, the CH back end was $900, and the barrels were $400. So far, I'm in $2050 for the two guns and have the CH stock to fix or replace. About six feet of copper wire ought to do it.

[Bill Murphy]

Craig, thanks for posting the pictures of the pair of reunited guns. Let's see, since the last newsbreak, I have located the original barrels for the DH grade, courtesy of friend Gary Carmichael, who found them on a gunshow table in North Carolina and brought them home to Virginia. He caught my ad on the missing parts subforum and we reached an agreement. Unfortunately, John Davis long ago used the forearm for #74,151 on his BH project and I will have to find a DH forearm to finish the project. The saga of DH is almost as interesting as the CH. Parts for the DH came from Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, and ultmately to me in Maryland. Another chapter of the story came recently when Kevin McCormack presented me with the restored original case for the great CH two barrel set. As always, it is a great job with no sign of the restoration visible. The entire leather binding around the lid of the case was broken away and rotted, causing Kevin to have to drill and restitch hundreds of stitches in the new leather. Unfortunately, 2012 wasn't the best year for me and I missed the Northeast and the Fall Southern. I will try to bring this finished pair of reunions to the Northeast Shoot in the spring. If Dave or Dean will take the pertinent pictures, we can throw something together for the next PP. The as yet to be replaced forend for the DH and the restocking of the CH will have to wait a bit. As you can see in the pictures posted a page or two back on this thread, the second forend for the CH fits just fine on the DH and looks like it belongs there. Thanks again to Jack Cronkhite who put this entire project together for me, one hour and forty nine minutes after my last ditch post on page one of this thread.

[TARNATION !!!]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

Thanks again to Jack Cronkhite who put this entire project together for me, one hour and forty nine minutes after my last ditch post on page one of this thread.

Bill: Like many things in life, a bit of bullshit luck helps a lot. Google has changed our lives and the internet gets us in touch with way too many great guns. Can't have 'em all but wouldn't that be nice. I'm very pleased that the reunion of long separated parts came together for you. Cheers, Jack

[Researcher]

About six feet of copper wire ought to do it.

At the price of copper these days it might be cheaper to have Craig restock it!!

[Autumn Daze]

Bill, I would be happy assist in any way I can.

[Bill Murphy]

Just to clarify the January 14, 2012 google hit on my serial number, courtesy of Jack Cronkhite, Jack's hit was a very small window of opportunity. Bud Stanley's website chat rolls over on almost a daily basis if it is used and Bud does not allow any rehash of previous chat. Bud doesn't get a lot of activity, so the "86988" post remained active on his site for almost three months, when it would normally rotate out of google range in a day, again, if it is used. Three months before his hit and just a few days later, "86988 parker shotgun" would only appear as posts on Dave Weber's site and the PGCA site. I had been posting mentions of 86988 on gun sites and searchiing on google since before 2006. By January of 2012, I had given up on google and rested my hopes on the PGCA forum. Only Jack took a shot at google after I had tried google for probably six or ten years and failed. I hope this explains what a shot Jack took and succeeded. The PGCA forum takes the credit for reuniting the barrels of my DH #74151, along with Gary Carmichael, but that was a piece of cake compared to Jack's effort. Thanks both of you, and thanks also to John Davis who turned one great original gun into two by selling me the wonderful DH back end that fit my CH barrels with almost no effort. I love these PGCA guys who will send a gun or parts across the country for no payment on the chance that they will fit your gun. Wait until you guys see the next one. Linda and I will see you at the Northeast. Thanks for enjoying this thread so far.

[Mills]

Bill, That was a great find and IS a great gun. We are still waiting on the Parker Pages story on your adventure with this gun

[C.O.B.]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

At my estate sale, a cased .410 Skeet marked at $7500.00 will sell for $7500.00, no tax, no buyer's premium. Y'all come.

You have my e-mail address and mailing address....NO hurry

[Bill Murphy]

You understand, of course, that you have to be here to read the tag attached to the gun.

[C.O.B.]

Ok, just give me some advance notice so I can put a little gas money away...or we can get a head start and you can just bring it to the Southern or Hausmanns we can avoid the crowds that way