Ed;
Yes I can & "DO" read. I have been reading about shotguns as well as other mechanical articles for 50+years, starting mainly in my teens. I did read your last book, but have not read the latest. I likely won't unless it should turn up at the local library, Parkers not being my main interest. I do own both of Mr Elliot's editions on the Lefever. Collector prices for collector items are of course totally unrelated to value, other than the old Saying "Anything is Worth What you can Sell it for". Witness the empty Ithaca oil can I saw sell a while back for over $600.00. Now that most certainly does not mean it is worth 120 times a $5.00 (full) can of Starrett oil designed for use on precision tools, including guns, now does it. The fact that when I bought my first Lefever some 40 yrs ago I was able to buy an FE grade for a little less than I would have expected to pay for an equivelent condition extractor Trojan was certainly a Bonus to me, not a detriment. The price when new of the FE was I think about the equal of a Parker GHE. By your evaluation methods an early Mickey Mouse watch is a better timekeeper than many 17/19/even 21 jewel precision made watches. I have nothing per-se against the Parker shotgun, can not really think of anything I ever spoke derogatory about them, I have just settled on the Lefever as my personal favorite. It is noted Lefever preceded Parker Bros with a Hammerless, with an Ejector, with a Single Trigger etc. It could be argued that had it not been for pioneers such as W H Baker, Alexander Brown, Dan Lefever etal Parker may well have continued to build a lifter action hammer gun until he went out of buisness. In all fairness I cannot recall ever seeing a Parker, even the Trojan, which I thought had any poor workmanship in it. The worst I have seen in that regard for a supposed quality gun was an A grade Syracuse Arms Co ejector 20ga I once bought. I have owned a variety of makes over the years to make comparsions.
Last edited by 2-piper; 10/25/08 05:43 PM.
