doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Need help on Parker value

A friend had a 1909 vintage (SN 153,xxx) Parker with twist barrels I would like to buy. We need some advice on value.

It's 12 ga., I assume 2.5 inch chamber but not measured. Top of barrel says twist steel. Action is very tight, lever rests slightly right of center. Safety and trigger work fine. Checkering diamonds are flat but distinct. The stock has a chunk about 1.5"in area broken out of the heel, taking some of the stock wood and butt plate when it broke. It's been crudely repaired with what looks like plastic wood such that removing the butt plate would remove the the repair. The barrels are 28 inches long, bores are bright and not pitted. The right barrel has a slight bulge about 6 inches from the muzzle, hard to see, easier to feel and looks like a wrinkle when you look down the barrel with a strong light. Left barrel is fine. Exterior of barrels shows definite twist steel, but about 10-15% mottled with a brown stain from residual rust, but no exterior pitting. Rib appears well attached. Foreend fits well and has matching SN. Other than the "She's cherry".

She's seen a hard life, but darn it's a Parker! And when you lift her to your shoulder you know it's special. I have a 1901 damascus ithaca Crass and a 1910 Ithaca Flues,so I'm not unfamiliar with old double guns.

I have photos but don't know how to attach them.

Can anyone give me a ballpark idea of value so my friend and I can reach price?

Thanks

Post the full S/N and someone can look it up in the book. My preliminary guess would be that the barrels have been cut from 30". That has a big impact on value, which is probably not going to be very high on this gun. Try to describe the engraving on the locks, in lieu of pictures.

I am going to crawl out on a limb and say this sounds like a PH and would guess it to be around 400 maybe a little more but that right barrel sounds like trouble also the stock problem . I am sure the pictures would help. And if I am not close we will be knocked out of the tree .

I could fix the wood, recut the checkering and refinish the wood and it would pass. There should be a band of unmatted rib at the end of the barrrels if it hasn't been cut, the chamber is most likly 2 5/8, now the big question is it safe to shoot? If it is safe 400 to 450, if not 200 and a set of Briley tubes
bill

I forgot to mention the stock is broken at the wrist behind the trigger guard from tang to tang, but only on the right side. It' been inexpertly repaired since one side of ragged break is proud compared to the other. But it seems to be holding fine.

Engraving consists of triangles around the breech end of the barrels, the adjacent standing breach, fore end iron, trigger guard and sides of reciever. There's a sun of flower pattrn surroundng the receiver screws and on the top lever.

Barrels don't appear to be cut off since the top and bottom ribs as viewed form the muzzle are solidly connected. Also the barrel walls of the right barrel appear thinned at the muzzle compared to the left barrel(chokes?.
Sn is 152268 (earlier number was dredge form obvioulsy faulty memory!

Also, water table is marked "PH" , the serial number and "P".

If it's a Parker that you want I would recommend you pass on this one and patiently keep your eyes and ears peeled for one that you will need to put little or no money into beyond the purchase price. They are out there and there is one that you will know when you heft and swing it is the Parker for you.

I agree with Dam 16 Be patient and a good one will come along.Why buy somebody else's headache?

Broken stock means parts gun unless you are skilled or rich
bill

Agreed, it does have issues!

Frankly, the allure of this gun is that it's in my hands! I didn't plan to seek out a Parker, but this showed up in my life unexpectedly. I normally would not be willing to pay the price even for a better lowend Parker considering teh other priorities on my gun seeking agenda. But I would pay $200 to have it around and speculate on what I "might" do with it "someday". Isn't that the definition of a "gun nut"!If I let it pass, I still need to help my non-gun nut friend sell it, as that was my origianly intention.

Any rough idea of its value as a "parts gun"? The only parts that are really undamaged are the foreend and iron, and the action and internal parts. Surely, those ae worth more than $200 just for the original parts?