doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Perazzi question!

I have a SC3 listed over at Gunbroker. The gun was my Helice and Pigeon gun and has a very nice re-stock. I have had a question by an interested party," Does the serial numbers match?". Well no they don't, all the guys I know swap barrels around on their P guns and as long as they are properly fitted by a gunsmith I never thought it would be an issue. I have been asked this before on another P gun and no the numbers did not match.
As long as they are fitted properly what would be the issue? If you liked everything else what would that issue matter. Can anyone answer that question for me?

Mike:

From a practical standpoint it doesn't matter. Perazzi's aren't like Smith's or Parker's where there is a collectors value for all parts being original. Whlie they have "game models" Perazzi's were designed as competetion guns. I think it's as common to see a gun without matching serial #'s as a gun that has them.

Very few of the guns Andrew Litt imported had matching serial #'s. He bought up the excess inventory at the end of each years production run and pieced the guns together.

I have seen Perazzi barrels where I know the old serial # was erased, and a new one stamped on to match the receiver. I couldn't tell the difference, and I don't know what it really matters. There are only a handfull of collectible Perazzi's, most of which are referenced in Karl Lippard's book.

My best guess is that the seller is trying to beat you down a few bucks.

Just my humble opinion

Gary Hackney

ps - I promise you will have your gun back in time to practice for doves.

Well I'll hop on the other side of the coin and say that matching numbers are desirable, esp. in engraved guns. I've seen mismatched Perazzi's that were fitted by an unskilled craftsmen. They opened and closed, but it was not perfect. It may be a mental game, but I put a premium on matched serial numbers and I think most of the buying public does also. They don't shoot any better, but folks just like to have a gun the way it left the factory-in my opinion. I think any dealer would tell you that a mis-matched gun brings less $$$ then a factory original. They will offer less in trade--knowing the retail resistance they will encounter. And in practice--a Litt gun is harder to sell and brings LESS $$$ then a Perazzi USA gun. That's my sense of it after many decades of gun fun!!!

Bill, I certainly agree that if the barrel wasn't fitted properly it's going to hurt the value. Also on the Litt guns, at one time (and probably never changed) if Perazzi USA didn't import the gun they didn't warranty it. That certainly would affect resale.

My take on this would be that an additional barrel fitted sometime later would certainly be OK depending on who fitted it of course. Not that it makes any practical difference - just sorta the "feel" of things. Nice to know that the big pieces were meant to be together kinda thing. Having said that, my fave pigeon gun has a non-original factory fitted barrel, and I recently scored a primo like new barrel that I fitted to an older Mirage that I like a bunch. And the new barrel just fits and shoots killer.
And even tho Perazzis may not have any real collector value the number of butchered ones is boggling considering the market value, and unbutchered ones get a better price. I would wonder why an SC3 would have needed a new barrel?
but that's just me

Dr. WtS

Mike - don't check the serial number on the trigger unless you have a strong heart! Yes, in the shooting community where people are looking for things to be "right" with the gun as far as performance, it doesn't matter, unless they themselves are concerned with when the day comes to sell as well. Just the reality of Perazzi's.
V/r
Maxey

Not that it matters, but on this side of the pond non matching serial numbers would be a big issue.
Gun register on a national database is mandatory, so numbers must match.
When going for a extra set, they would be registered alongside the receiver, or if buying a new set from the factory the original serial number would be stamped.

Regardless, it doesn't affect your gun in any way, but I can see why a buyer would hesitate on that issue. I would.
Perazzi's, like all guns, are supposed to have matching numbers.

Litt's composed guns wouldn't find a buyer here, unless they were a bargain, and would be hard to register in any EU country.

I compete with two old MX-8's, one imported by Ithaca, one by Winchester. Both have all matching serial numbers. I would certainly not mind using a mis-matched gun in competition, if it shoots good it shoots good, but I would not pay as much for it as I would a matching numbers gun. The difference in value? To ME, about 20 percent less for a mismatched gun, all else being equal.