Your intro to Parkers and your first Parker

[King Cobb]

Thought it would be interesting to hear how people first got acquainted with Parkers and what there first Parker was.

My first intro was at a little rural gun club in central Texas back in 91. I was shooting skeet with the old timers who taught me. I was shooting my 1100 12ga and they were mostly shooting Superposed. One of them brought an A grade Parker. To this day it is one of the most beautiful guns I have ever seen. Definitely the most beautiful case.


My first and only Parker was purchased about a month ago. Made in 1921 VH 12ga 32" barrels.

[charlie cleveland]

i was at a tradeing post in the 80 s and i found this old parker ph grade 10 ga 32 inch barrels..traded for it and its been my main turkey gun for some years..since theni have added a few parkers to it...charlie

[Roundsworth]

My first Parker was a 0 Grade Lifter made in 1877. I got a letter for it that even listed the purchaser's name and hometown. The 32" 'Twist' barrels were quite pitted and the top rib had some issues. Brad Bachelder did a nice job giving the barrels a new lease on life. I bought the gun a few years ago from John Puglisi. It eventually went back to him in a swap for something else.

[Jean Swanson]

I lived in Keene ,NH next to a retired New England telephone repair man named Louis Goland---my mentor. At the age of 7 (1946) he gave me a Parker, VH, 20 bore of which I still have today along with other guns that he willed to me upon his death . Louis also gave me my first Brittney ---Belle---.

Needless to say I have been hooked on Brits and Parkers ever since .

Allan

[Pa SxS]

When I was old enough to shoot trap, I used my grandfathers SC SBT. He always shot a LC Smith Olympic SBT. When I moved to Harrisburg, I wanted to start shooting trap again. He gave me the SBT. Later before he passed away I bought his 12ga PH with Parker Steel barrels. It was his hunting gun. I still have both guns.

[edgarspencer]

For my Dad's sixteenth birthday, his father's cousin took him to Meriden and bought him his first, a VH 16. He also had an uncle, still living in Meriden, who gave him a T Latch Lifter. I traded that for a First Model S&W .22 when I was 16. I still do stupid stuff, all the time.

[John Hancock]

1964 picked up a vh 32", I suppose F&F. Took out back and fired it 4 times at an empty hulls on the ground. Had shot trap for 3 years and knew to check POI. Was my first double trigger gun. Went duck hunting the next morning and killed a double with it first two shots. Thought it pointed better than the Mod 12 I had used for ducks till then. Kept it a few years and traded it for a vh 20ga. that's still around here somewhere. In my town in the 60's, 20ga's weren't sought after much, think I gave mabee $10.00 boot on the trade. Don't get out for quail much anymore but when do, I shoot it. It is all beat up but still can hit a quail with it. JH

[Bill Murphy]

This story has been told before, but here it is again. In 1960, when I was 14 years old, I was shooting skeet at our local Izaak Walton League range. Another young man the same age was shooting a 28 gauge VH Parker. We traded pleasantries and I asked if the gun might be for sale. He said he would like to trade it for a Savage Model 99. When we determined what the price of such a gun would be, I discussed the deal with my Dad. My Dad would not get involved, but fronted me $130 to close the deal myself. I had been searching for a suitable 12 gauge Parker for some time, preferably in a similar price range. However, the little 28 ended up being my first Parker. Yes, I still have it, 54 years later. Some weeks or months later, I visited a local gun shop and looked at a very nice DH 12 gauge. The shop owner told me that he had been offered a 28 gauge VH a while back, but was hesitant to deal with the young boy who offered it. Oh, well.

[Opening Day]

My first Parker was a 12 ga Trojan that I bought when I was 17 out of an estate sale for the sum of $50 (1972) I knew even then it was a steal............... But I sold it when I was in college to pay some bills, and I made a huge profit on it, sold it for $400 two years later, Man I wish I still had that gun....

[Hammer Gun]

Well we all do stupid things, This might top them all, I was in a gun shop looking to buy a shotgun for a customer of mine for Christmas, Bought the Ruger, and was looking around and the store owner ask if I liked 20 gauge guns, I told him I did not own a twenty, He went to the safe and brought out a CHE 20 gauge with 26, or 28" barrels I can not remember now, they were Acme I remember because I thought that was a very generic name, took the gun home and for some reason just did not like it, took it back to the dealer and traded even for a PHE with Steel barrels in 12g a this gun was in very good shape with case and barrel black, I parted with the PHE a fews years ago when I sold the P grade collection, Sure wish I had that little 20, I have the serial number somewhere will try to find this gun by posting the number should be interesting, Gary