Serialization Check

[Joe Graziano]

Gents,

Would someone mind do a check of the serialization book on SN153964? I purchased recently at auction.

Much thanks!

Joe
PGCA Member

[James Brad Rhodenizer]

It is not listed in the book.

[Dean Romig]

But there are surviving records for 153964 upon which to base a research letter.





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[Joe Graziano]

Thank you for your replies. I bid on this on a lark and won. The receiver is prominently engraved on both sides with a gentleman’s name. Dean, I will order the research letter. I did a little initial digging myself and found information about the gent in the 1940s and beyond. It appears he and his wife were competitive shooters and raised setters for competition, and he obviously valued the gun quite a bit. I will order the letter and post pics when I have 153964 in hand. The auction site listed her as a VH with 30 in barrels with C and IC chokes, which seems odd. More to follow!

[Joe Graziano]

I now have the VH in hand. I honestly wasn’t sure if I had made a great purchase when I bid and won, or if I was buying what would be a wall hanger. Boy was I happy to pickup the Parker from my FFL today! I will post pics below. It is a 12 ga and the first thing I noticed as I shouldered her, it’s quite heavy. Disassembly revealed it’s built on a #2 frame. It has 30 in Vulcan Steel barrels which are uncut with a brass mid bead and ivory or plastic end bead. Serial numbers match on barrels, frame and end iron. From what I can see, everything works as it should. From the reference tables, it seems to have been made in 1910. I assume it has been restocked and sports a fairly nice piece of wood in excellent condition with sharp checkering and very nice modern shooting dimensions. The fore end wood is a gawdawful beavertail, certainly not original. The barrels will need to be polished and reblued as it appears someone put the gun in a case wet, likely long ago, and left it for a very long time. Chokes are C/IC, which I assume was a later modification, though I don’t know why anyone would make a skeet gun of a #2 frame gun 12 ga with 30 in barrels. Case colors have long since disappeared on the frame. It has gone silver with minor freckling. Both sides of the receiver are prominently engraved “D.J. Hasinger”. The only restoration I plan to do is reblue the barrels and replace the rotten rubber recoil pad. What would be the most “correct pad”? I will also replace the beavertail with a splinter fore end, when I can find one. I will also order the research letter to find out more. More to follow

[Joe Graziano]

[Joe Graziano]

https://imgur.com/a/8ik9ttF

[B. Dudley]

Yes. Restocked. Butt and forend also.

[Dean Romig]

Oddly the comb on that gun looks almost exactly like an original Parker Bros. 'trap comb'.

Makes me wonder if it hasn't simply been recheckered and a pad replacement in the 30's 40's or 50's.

But then it has the wrong escucheon and the cheeks aren't contoured correctly.


And I will add that the checkering on the grip looks very much like Remington era checkering but there is no Remington code on the barrel flats.








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[Joe Graziano]

I compared to photos and the checkering is exactly as on an original Parker and nearly perfect. In fact, the entire finish on the stock is near perfect. Good eye on the comb. I compared to photos and it looks identical. In researching Mr. Hasinger, he was already a senior manufacturing executive during WWII in Pittsburgh. It makes sense he would have purchased and updated the gun in the 1930s or 1940s. He obviously was quite fond of it, having his name engraved on both sides of the receiver. Ouch. Obviously, it affects collector value but takes away nothing from the gun as a shooter. In fact, all of his modifications make it a darn nice shooter today. I’m thinking a red Silvers pad on the stock. Mr. Dudley, thank you for the information. I will contact you regarding barrel reblue and pad replacement.