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03-10-2015, 09:49 PM | #3 | ||||||
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Okay, now I see in your title line that you are discussing 10 gauge guns of Grade 5 hammerless. According to the tables at the end of the Grade 5 (B) section in the Grades area in The Parker Story, twenty-five were made.... that we have records of.
But this is a far cry from the counts of 2 and 6 - totaling 8 guns so there is still a qualifier that I'm missing. |
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03-11-2015, 08:17 AM | #4 | ||||||
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Stanley, I am having a hard time getting my arms around Mark's supposed comments and your research. You would do us a favor by posting a scan of his letter. There are not only many more B grades than you mention, there were 3 hammerless B grade tens, just at the 1893 World's Fair. What is the serial number of yours? Would it possibly be 74,613 or 67,971?
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03-11-2015, 05:45 PM | #5 | ||||||
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Thank you for your kind reply.
The serial is indeed 67971. I apologize about the use of "could" vs. "would". The provenance I received from Mark Conrad was both detailed and appreciated and I, being a new member, Mr. Conrad kindly provided me with the ground rules under which he operated and suggested I "use the links on your website for dealers who deal with parkers". I have not yet done this, but did call one dealer some years ago who was not particularly helpful - hence my addressing this question to the "Forum". My interest is not in overall numbers of BH and BHE's made (and indicated by yourself that the quantities are in the hundreds); but simply numbers of BH Grade 5's made. If there is reference material you can direct me to, I would greatly appreciate your advice. I am an amateur in the business of collecting Thank you and best regards, Stanley Kellogg |
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03-11-2015, 05:52 PM | #6 | ||||||
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Ps to the above:
Mark Conrad did not comment on my research on the above. My efforts at research came years later. For Mr. Conrad, I bundled up some pictures of the Parker, with the serial and his reply is dated July 28 2011. The time frame for the disparity is that I work primarily overseas. |
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03-11-2015, 07:59 PM | #7 | ||||||
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Stanley - So as to avoid any confusion as to "BH Grade-5" guns - such a term of identification is redundant. The Grade-5 Parkers were first made in the late 1870's and they were lifter-action hammer guns. These progressed eventually to the top-action hammer guns and finally to the top-action hammerless guns such as yours.
First the Parker guns were entered into the ledger books as "dollar quality" guns and priced according to the level of engraving, quality of the wood used in the stocks, barrel steel, and checkering intricacy. This was a confusing way to record the quality of a particular gun because so many varying discounts were given by Parker bros. and this was entered in the books often as the price at which the gun was sold.... so how does one determine the level of quality by a sale price after $XX was subtracted from the retail price? Hence the number grade was adopted.... and then the letter grade became the way a Parker was identified. But the Grade-5 gun would also carry the letter grade of B. In referencing the hammer guns it was simply a B but in referencing a hammerless gun it would be BH - the "H" identifies it as a hammerless gun. So, you see, a "BH Grade-5" is a redundancy in terms. All Grade-5 hammerless guns, excluding SBT guns, regardless of gauge, barrel steel, number of triggers, stock configuration, etc., etc. are BH guns.... unless it is equipped with ejectors, whereupon it will carry a BHE designation - the "E" of course identifies it as an ejector gun. |
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03-12-2015, 07:21 AM | #8 | ||||||
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Any gun built for an Exposition, let alome multiple exposition me, is surely a looker.
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B. Dudley |
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03-12-2015, 08:35 AM | #9 | ||||||
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Brian, you have that right. By the way, Stanley, the two serial numbers I posted and also #74,614 were the three BH 10 gauge Parkers displayed at the 1893 Columbian Exposition. I sent you a Private Message with some additional information. The lists of Parker guns at various "shows" is available in Volume 2 of The Parker Story. Do you have pictures of your gun available to post on our forum?
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03-12-2015, 09:29 AM | #10 | ||||||
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I don't think anybody can give you a reliable figure for what someone else would pay for your gun. In my experience, there can be a wide range of prices for similar guns. The only reliable number anyone can give is what they would be willing to pay for that gun. Just my .02
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