QUESTIONS FOR COLLECTORS

mobirdhunter · 12-30-2018, 04:42 PM

Recently I came across an article in a 1935 Outdoor Life by Major Askins. In the article he outlined how he had ordered a Parker 10 gauge with 32 inch barrels that after time and changes in his physique, he no longer shot well on ducks. He wanted the gun lighter and with more open chokes. He wrote that he contacted Parker about cutting the barrels to open the chokes. Parker, according to Askins, told him to purchase another gun. Askins goes on to describe how he bought the equipment and honed the barrels himself after cutting two inches from them. He also cut off the steel butt plate (so, I assume this was at least a DH grade), drilled out some weight in the stock, and added a rubber recoil pad. Apparently he honed the barrels repeatedly and was happy with the results.

Here's my questions: If this gun was available for purchase, would it be more or less valuable than the originally configured gun (assuming condition the same with no changes)? And, a second question is, which would YOU value more: the documented, altered gun owned by a well known sporting figure; or the same gun in unaltered, original condition?

B. Dudley · 12-30-2018, 04:47 PM

Cut barrels = destroyed value. Period.

The ONLY exception to this might be if it was documented as a factory rework.

Kudos to Parker at the time to shoot down the request to cut the barrels back. They believed in doing things right, all the time. I would be surprising though if they did not at least offer to recut the chokes to ones more open.

Reggie B · 12-30-2018, 04:55 PM

Originality appeals to me. Documented alteration is nothing more than an altered gun to me.

Dean Romig · 12-30-2018, 05:30 PM

I have read where a few of these early gun “gurus” held themselves in pretty high esteem. Case in point here - he thought his opinion was more ‘well-advised’ than that of the best gunmaker in America.... personally, I think what he did to his Parker was very ill-advised and simply proves to me he wasn’t such a ‘guru’ after all.

Sure, it was his gun to do as he wished with it, but really - destroy it...???

Further, the (irresponsible) publication of that self-serving article probably served to encourage several more fine old guns to also be destroyed by their owners.

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mobirdhunter · 12-30-2018, 05:31 PM

I want to be sure that I'm clear in my questions. First, from your position of expertise, which do you think that collectors generally would value more? The second question is which do you personally value more? So, I'm looking for two answers, even if they are the same from your perspective.

Thanks!

Opening Day · 12-30-2018, 05:37 PM

He could have sent it back for an extra set of barrels, at the time the cost would not have been that much. He ruined the gun and no just because it was Askins doesn't matter. He could have easily afforded another set of barrels, Parker would probably comp't them to him.

And no it doesn't add any value to the gun because he did it. Just another screwed up Parker!

Dean Romig · 12-30-2018, 06:00 PM

There are some collectors who put provenance ahead of originality and condition but I think there are far more who put condition and originality first. I am one of the latter.

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OH Osthaus · 12-30-2018, 06:00 PM

i only took a quick look, so may have missed it, but without a serial number, how would you know this butchered Parker with cut and honed

barrels -- from any other hacked up Parker

i would not value it above any other parts gun

Researcher · 12-30-2018, 06:03 PM

Well the No. 5E 16-gauge and No. 4E Magnum-Ten Ithaca NIDs that were originally made for Capt. Askins and then used and written about (including alterations) by Elmer Keith for decades, didn't bring a whole lot when the Keith family decided it was "time to monetize."

Capt. Askins did know a good bit about shotgun barrel boring, as he spent a summer at the A.H. Fox Gun Co. factory with Burt Becker and E.M. Sweeley, boring and testing barrels during the development of the Super-Fox.

Opening Day · 12-30-2018, 06:21 PM

Provenance is a great thing for an original gun, like Clark Gable or Gen. Patton who owned the gun etc. but even thoug he was a well known gun writer most of the majority of people probably don't know who he is, and if there is no paper work with the gun it's as Rick said a hacked gun worth for parts. Even if it had paperwork most collectors (unless they collect Askins guns) would view it as a non original gun and worth what a shooter would be worth.