Babe Ruth's Parker? - Page 2

Bruce Day · 12-22-2009, 06:26 PM

I have no idea what "BEFNAST" means. Maybe I am computer conversation illiterate, but I'm lost.

You know that little 20ga D hammer gun that was brought to the Vintagers and shown in the PGCA tent and at dinner was found in a chicken coop in Nebraska, feathers in the barrel, covered with a fine coating of rust and with a metal doubler strap to cover a stock wrist crack. While some would have turned up their noses in disgust, within a few days of work the gun was looking much better and it received much attention and admiration at the meeting. I suggest that now that gun is a high collector interest Parker and perhaps the only D hammer 20 known.

While I don't know the provenance of this alleged Ruth gun, if I was in the market for a historically interesting Parker, I'd be looking at this gun and considering what could be. I haven't examined the gun in person, can't tell the depth of the rust, but to me the gun looks merely neglected and not abused.

Just my thoughts. Wouldn't it be nice to have the Ruth gun? I sent a PDF file photo of Ruth in a Yankees sweater holding what may be this Parker. I was unable to manipulate it to post.

Here is the 20ga D hammer after it was fixed up. Rust gone, barrels refinished, stock crack fixed.

Bill Murphy · 12-22-2009, 06:38 PM

Bruce, my main collector interest is in provenanced Parkers. I would love to own a Parker owned by a famous baseball player.

Brad Steinfeld · 12-22-2009, 07:52 PM

I spoke to the owner when it was listed several months ago and at that time there was no substantiated connection between the gun and Babe Ruth other than past friends and family verbal claims to such in addition to a photo of Ruth holding "a" Parker that was to be this gun.

Happy Holidays.

Jim Kucaba · 12-22-2009, 07:57 PM

I hate Stick-Ball and wouldn't go to the World Series if it it was being played across the street and tickets were free ... That being said, I'm with Bruce, I've seen photos of Babe Ruth holding a shotgun, and if this Parker proves to be Ruth's gun I'm sure someone, not me, would willingly pay big buck$ for it ... Find me a Parker, or any other gun, that was owned by Ray Nitschke, Bart Starr, or A.J. Foyt and I might mortgage my house to bid on it ... Just my opinion ... So take it for what you paid for it.

Jim Kucaba ... AriZOOna Cactus Patch ... Email: JimKucaba@aol.com

Forrest Smith · 12-22-2009, 08:36 PM

The Babe had a sporting life, much like Tiger's I hear. There were some Parkers in the mix, among other guns...

Autumn Daze · 12-22-2009, 09:10 PM

Forrest,Thanks for the Ruth photo's a nice treat. We,re a big baseball and Yankee's family here. As far as this "so called" Ruth gun goes without any hard provenance its just a Parker shotgun.

In fact in a couple of weeks I can come up with a couple G Grades with Babe Ruth engraved on the trigger guard ! Or any other "Hall of Famer" for that matter....

Dean Romig · 12-22-2009, 09:28 PM

Okay, I'll ask for myself and most everybody else . . . What is "BEFNAST"??

Big D · 12-22-2009, 09:55 PM

I don't know either, but I can make an educated guess on the "F"

Dean Romig · 12-22-2009, 10:06 PM

Bruce, is the D hammer 20 bore the same one with the silver half-moon on the grip knob?

. . . No, that was a sixteen, wasn't it?

Old and Reliable · 12-22-2009, 10:19 PM

[QUOTE=Angel Cruz;9582]This gun was out earlier in the year. At that time it was offered with a second Parker and not for comparison. Supposedly the second Parker also belonged to Ruth and not used like the one that's being offered now.

Angel- I loved the Bambino, although my favorite Yankee is the also late Joe DiMaggio. But what's to keep some gun hustler from switching the trigger guard to try to authenticate this well used Parker. Babe was pitching for the Red Sox when this gun was given to him circa 1919-1920, right? Any paper trail by serial number from a Boston sporting goods dealer who handled Parkers- A 12 gauge GH with 30" barrels, whether Damascus or Parker Special Steel, would most likely have been an standard inventory item I would think back then--

I won't disparage the seller, but I have seen his multi-page ads in Gun List- Executive Buying Service- as compared to maybe - Blue Collar Buying Service-and his trade mark line of "Because I buy, sell and trade I can pay more"- sorta like the P.T. Barnum approach in my viewpoint. I once wrote him about a 12 ga. DH no. 2 frame frame that supposedly had been restocked by Remington in about 1940- asked him for documentation and any stamped code to verify that claim- I never received a reply from him, you can draw whatever conclusion from that as you see fit-