doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Interesting Parker

If a misleading description was grounds for suspension from Gunbroker, they would have very, very few sellers left.

I bet this guy knows nothing about Parkers - or about SxSs in general. Someone probably brought the gun in and put it on consignment. Or worse, he bought it thinking it was all good.

Of course, he may know what he has and he was just misleading people to make a buck. That kind of stuff happens a lot in the gun business - less today, but still it happens a lot.

This spring, a 20g Woodward O/U, cased with all the goodies, came on the market. A friend of mine checked it out.

The bbls were scrap - way too thin (.014), dented, etc - and the gun was restocked. The seller was one of the more reputable dealers in the country, someone who has been in the game long enough to know how to measure bbls and spot a restock. This seller never pointed out either one of these problems.

When my friend mentioned the state of the bbls and stock, the seller just shrugged his shoulders and put the gun away. A couple of week later, it was listed as sold. Whoever bought it spent a LOT of money on a gun that needed new bbls - a very, very expensive thing to get on a Woodward O/U - and had a marginal restock on it.

Buyer beware.

OWD

gregsy,
lets not paint the whole group with one brush due to one badly done auction.I strongly dissagree with your 95% "blanatly lacking details".In fact I would go as far to say most individuals and dealers are straight up with what they see as detractions.
If you think you will get screwed by 95% of the people selling guns in this hobby you ought to find another group to buy from or another hobby.I have met and have many friends in my years as gun collecting and found most everyone to be honest fellow collectors ready to share knowledge and deal in a straight forward manner.

I'm not basing my comment on one auction. I'm basing it on most auctions and most dealer's websites. Most descriptions lack the most basic facts a person would want to know when considering a gun costing in the thousands. I would never dream of listing a gun without mentioning the LOP, the drops, chokes, etc.

Let's not forget we are no longer placing classified ads where every word costs the seller money.

Your comment tends to support my position - it's only in dealing directly with the owner of a gun, face to face, that you will most likely avoid something being misrepresented.

I've bought 8 guns in the past 12 months, all of them sight unseen. While I kept 7 of them, every one showed up with at least one notable flaw that I would have mentioned. #8 had so many lies associated with it it went back right away.

Obsessed with Doubles' comment is dead on, IMO.

Italiansxs, if you look in your book at ser. # 78855 it is a 12 ga D2 which makes more sense with this mistery gun. The 1 in the ser# does look fake and the D for damascus looks overstamped with a T. So this is a renumbered, restocked, sleeved, recolored nice looking old Parker, way over priced.

Gunny:
I agree with 99% of your conclusions, however a Parker gun with an early 5-digit serial number was WAY too early for those 1905 and 1910 patent dates stamped on the water table; and they are certainly original in my opinion. That said, the barrel lug does not appear to have the correct removable tapered bolt face (the photo angle is not good)that should be on a Parker gun in the 178xxx serial number range? Also, what is that stamp on the edge of the barrel flats just below the patent date stamp?

gunny:
I had looked and your assessment is IMO correct. I guess my question is what does this have to say about Gunbroker and the firearms trade in general? If a spurious item like this is allowed to be offered and go unquestioned by the operators of this site are there any real standards applicable to this hobby?
Jim

gregsy,
those collectors I was reffering to where met through deals on internet.Your keeping of 7 out of 8 guns proves my point.The fact that you can find a flaw in all of them is not suprising,we are for the most part buying guns that are at least 50 years or more (at least in my case) and not fresh from the factory.I bet if I pulled out every gun I own I could find some minor flaw as well but it does not prevent me from enjoying buying or selling them.Hopefully your not displeased with 95% of the gun deals you do.I and I would bet 99% of the other collector are pleased with the vast majority of ours.Think postive and you will enjoy this a lot more instead of feeling that everyone is out to hide a flaw and screw you.

Dave, you are reading far too much into my post. My comment is simply that the vast majority of gun ads are poorly written. No one said anyone is trying to screw anyone, though it is true that many are shady in general.

Note I said the guns arrived with flaws that were not MENTONED - I never said I expected no flaws in 50 year old guns, only that they be disclosed.

Guns are poorly listed due to stupidiity, laziness, or dishonesty - you can assign whatever percentages you like to those reasons.

I'll go with the 95%, might even go higher.
L.F.

if 100% of the guns you are buying are arriving with unmentioned flaws you have to either

a)change who your dealing with.There are many sellers out there,the vast majority in fact are not dishonest.

b)ask better questions about what you are sensitive about as far as flaws go.

c) don't buy sight unseen like you are.This is the age when pictures can be sent in seconds.When I sell a gun,a rare occasion but I do,I send many pictures and go over highlight as well as flaws.If the buyer does not want listen or seems to be looking for something they will never find I tell them politely "the gun is not for you"never had one come back and still corrospond with many of the buyers

d) reevaluate your expectations.If your the type that is never pleased then perhaps this is not for your.

gregsy I am not trying to sound mean just baffled why someone who is 100% dissatified ( instead of "screwed")and feels 95% of sellers are either lazy,stupid or dishonest continues buying guns.I have been collecting for more than 15 years and have the complete opposite experience.I, now,almost exclusively buy from fellow collectors or auctions that I attend or phone bid on not many dealers but its strickly a price saving decision.