Book: Parker-America's Finest Shotgun

[Spin Drift]

First off, he wrote a book on a subject we hold dear when nobody else was inclined to do. I have all the books (and two copies of Mr. Johnson's). Have read them all and appreciate the effort it takes to write on a subject before the internet made every one a Dewey Decimal Card Catalog Ranger extraordinaire. So he waxed poetically on the Parker, BFD.

The gun stands the test of time on its own merits and is respected by the collecting community. The Works did something right because creating a
"Brand" in the late 19th century required having the goods to support the claims made in the advertising.

As an example of the "cachet" that Parker has, I was at Audley House a few years ago looking at the small bore doubles. I was with my boss and the Salesman was a little snooty until he asked what I used back in the colonies. When I told him Parkers his demeanor changed completely and we ahd a nice discussion on SLE's, BLE's, thoughts on why Parker never made a sidelock, the future of "Best" guns and other sundry topics. Interesting afternoon all because I used Parkers. So Peter J, spoke highly of the guns and took the time to write a book that started many of the members of this organization to learn about their own guns.

[Bruce Day]

Parker sidelock, this one an external hammer sidelock but we have previously posted photos of a Parker internal hammer sidelock.

The other Parker hammer sidelock is my light open choked 12 from 1881 that I use for a lot of hunting. This was made five years after Custer should have gone fishing since a stream was so close but didn’t. Where are all the other guns made in that time period? Still functional and in use?

[John Davis]

Peter Johnson is a member of the Parker Gun Hall of Fame, not because he wrote the definitive book on the Parker gun but rather because of the substantial contribution his book made to the Parker collecting world.

[B. Dudley]

Thank you Garth

[Grouse28]

Thank you

[King Cobb]

I'll just say that when I got interested in Parkers about 10 years ago, the Peter Johnson book was by far the 1st and easiest to find book out there.

His facts are a little off and his research leaves a bit to be desired, but take a look at any other gun books out there? George Madis is considered The Resource on Winchester Rifles but his book is still full of inaccuracies that have come to light since it was written. Colt? There are so many errors and inconsistencies in the resources out there that it makes your head spin, especially in the books that try to cover more than one small time period. Browning? Schwing wrote a heck of a book on the superposed, but is still often derided by collectors for mistakes he made. Heck even the Parker Story, a very heavily researched book, contain errors/mistakes/omissions.

However, I will say Johnson wrote what to me is probably the most enjoyable and easy to read book on Parkers that is out there. Are his facts perfect? No. But his passion is there, and an easier to read cover to cover book on the subject of a specific gun (one that doesn't include talk of gun theory or hunting stories) you will never find. I have the Parker Story, and have read it twice through(both volumes) and while I love the gun section and the info it provides, it is still a very good but dry read. Ed's books are very good and have great illustrations and photos and Ed's experiences, but at the same time Ed has a tendency to try to beat the reader over the head with his opinions as facts at times. That isn't a criticism, Ed wrote well and I enjoy all copies of Ed's writing I can find. His work is much more researched than Johnson's but it isn't as quick or easy of a read, at least to me. Larry Baer is another good resource, but of the 3 I have mentioned so far his work seems the least necessary to me. I just enjoy the other 3 sources better. I am a huge fan of Michael McIntosh and enjoy his writings on fine guns, unfortunately when it came to Parkers he was brief but well written so he isn't really a prime source of info. Buckingham speaks of parkers from time to time but is more in the context of hunting than any true breakdown of the gun or it's history.

As for the discussion of quality of the Parker versus other American Made shotguns... I will refer you to the quote in my signature by a gentleman who would have had way more knowledge on the subject at the time than I ever will.

[Craig Budgeon]

Peter Johnsons book didn't just start the interest in Parkers, rather it was the catalyst for the double craze beginning in the 1960's. He was the single author and had few contributors providing knowledge for his book. The Parker Story has a long list of authors, and even longer list of contributors, and access to Remington's records.Peter Johnson is a saint to me since reading his book in 1971.

[Bill Murphy]

I owned, shot, and studied Parker shotguns before Peter Johnson's book ever hit the market in 1961. Many collectors and dealers were buying, selling, and studying Parker shotguns long before Johnson's book hit the market. Whatever information we were able to put together "by ourselves" was assisted by Johnson's book because we didn't work as hard at the research as Peter did. I knew Peter Johnson before he sent the book to market and found him to be an extremely curious person who knew how to ask a question about a shotgun. Garth's comment about Johnson's wardrobe would not have bothered him. He was an odd bird and he relished that reputation. As English instructors (professor, maybe) go, he was as odd as they come. He didn't own or drive a car, never married, etc. etc. However, he met and interviewed Parker people, from a distance, by mail, not in person, and came away with a bunch of information that we would not have if he had waited just a few short years to do his research. Larry Del Grego Senior and Robert Runge had much more information, but no one ever interviewed those guys for a book, then or later. That is one of the weak points in Parker research, but a few researchers or non researchers have the Runge and Del Grego tidbits in their brains and may share it some day.

[Craig Budgeon]

Bill, I wonder if Larry DelGrego would have found Johnson's book to have a positive influence on his business?

[Bill Murphy]

It got Parker people talking to each other.