Parker Shotgun Question

Newby said:
canvasback, your response came in as I was posting so I never saw it till mine went through
Click to expand...

You know this is a really good thread Newby and I'm glad you started it and are continuing to poke away at the subject. It's worth discussing and having the thread as reference for others.

Besides yourself, most of the posters on this thread have been here a while and I know from private correspondence they have a vast knowledge of SXS. I don't presume to advise about mausers or lugers or the latest accessory for your black gun. But like the others here I have spent a good long time specifically immersed in the world of old SXS. Each of us are happy to share our knowledge but at the same time I'm sure each of us finds it a bit annoying, having been solicited for info and judgement, to have someone dispute our COLLECTIVE advice.

I bet I'm like the others to a degree in that I'm so careful about what I do say that I won't even comment on, for example, modern SxS because that isn't an area of interest for me. Additionally, as knowledgeable about my area of interest as I may be, I KNOW there is still tons to learn. I regularly solicite advice and when I get it, I pay attention.

In the final analysis, a gun is worth what someone will pay you for it. Sometimes a seller gets lucky and a gun will sell for more than the normal range for that gun in that condition. But that's the exception. Everyone who has posted on this thread is using years of following the Canadian market for older SxS shotguns. There is a real consensus to our opinions. If you want the gun to sell in a reasonable period of time, the advice you asked for is probably worth following.
 
Photos would be helpful. Sadly it's not the most collectable gun but if it's in shooting condition it deserves to find a home where it can go out in the field to scratch down birds. My Mom's gun is a 16ga Trojan. Not sure when was the last time anyone used it but it's still a good old gun. Hopefully the OP finds a good home for his gun, or gives it a good one himself.
 
In addition to canvasback's post, I might add that there are many gun nuts who really love the Parker guns, some go crazy on the Elsies, still others love the older Tobins, etc. .
Personally like older English guns, and have owned 5 different Parkers, one of them a 16 on a 20 frame, but cannot seem to like them as much as an L.C. Smith .
Just something about a particular brand that a some people will pay more for.

However, with that being said, I still would not turn away from a brand of gun - even if I didn't like it, if it was missing a butt plate if the money was right.
I would more than likely get a plate for it of some sort , especially if the gun was not pristine, and get it back into working order to keep it shooting for someone to enjoy as a hunter.
To me, that is where my tastes lie, in "shootable" guns.....
Cat
 
Newby said:
I don't think I am, a high number of collectors build/repair guns. Why do you think collectors and dealers buy parts guns ? As long as the parts are right then no one will know the difference. Almost every collector on this planet has guns with replacement parts in them that they know nothing about. I get what you are saying mentally but realistically it does not hold water.
Click to expand...


People who buy lots of guns may be fooled. People who use their guns may be fooled. People who don't know much about the subject gun may be fooled.

Serious collectors looking for all original guns won't be fooled.

But the serious collectors I know couldn't care less about a field grade Parker that has been used normally.
 
Cat, I'm like you. I don't think of myself as a serious collector. I shoot all my guns and I coukd care less about "originality". As far as American brands go, I like Fox, Remington and LeFever. I wouldn't cross the street for a Parker. But I know that's my own problem. Haha.

My main interest lies in finding a great gun that has been neglected and bringing it back to life. Nothing like hunting with a gun that is 120 years old.
 
At some point, any given gun will break if it has seen use. I think what Newby is saying ( I may be wrong) is that if a vintage gun did have work done at some point, and original parts were replaced with original parts, the gun is still original and one wouldn't really know. This would be true in many cases. Where it might be apparent that something was replaced is if the replaced part should have numbers on it that match the gun. But if that ends up being an internal part that cannot be seen without disassembly, then yes one wouldn't know at the time of purchase. Or if whoever worked on the gun left evidence of sloppy work such as buggered screws, then it would be cause for suspicion that maybe the gun is no longer original.
 
Replacing something like an ejector on a vintage gun and doing it properly will not affect the value if it is collectible, especially if the repair bill is with it.
However, replacing an ejector and messing up screws or not indexing them properly certainly will.
As far as lower grade guns go, I cannot see anyomne taking the time to try and fancy up an entry level gun then trying to get big bucks for it- it is far more profitable to repair the gun as needed and simply sell it for what it is worth as a used gun in decent shape.

I have seen ssome great repair and alterations down on vintage guns , an original Ballard match rifle comes to mind .
This particular rifle was owned by a member of the Marlin Firearms Collector's Association and he explained to me that although the barrel had been re- lined, the original bill for the re- lining was with the gun as was the name of the gunsmith who did the job.
In this case the gun actually fetched more money than if it was left untouched.
Cat
 
I agree with Canvasback, this is an interesting and educational thread that Newby has started.

I remember being in a high-end antique shop in Stratford, Ontario and on the wall was an ancient and unloved clunker wall hanger that was deactivated (welded). It was the kind of SxS that, if in working condition and on-face, might fetch $150. But for the well-heeled yet uneducated who wanted something over the mantle, the hang-tag price for that "19th Century Belgian-made Gentleman's Gun" was $995. LOL!!!
 
Newby said:
the spank, I think you missed one of my comments as well the intent of my post, could care less about this gun. I am trying to better understand firearm values, not bump up a gun that I have. I never thought this gun was worth much, although admittedly I thought high ($600.00). It was just a gun which seemed to be a good example. This how I learn, I don't just jump on the first band wagon that comes along, I like to hash things out...

The only point I had had issue with was the missing part which I stand firm on, to me having to replace a missing part with the correct piece does not scare me off... I know I have bought guns this way and had no idea, and so have many others. No one is special in this regard.
Click to expand...
I was thinking about this post this morning Newby, in regards to replacing the butt plate.
Personally, I would likely be inclined to install an aftermarket plate or recoil pad, and sell the gun like that - as a shooter, not a collector, depending on the condition it's in.
You may just realize a higher mark up that way!
I have several guns that I shoot often that are worth far more in operating condition that they were if they were unaltered and non operational.
Here is my Grand father's Lafeachaux under lever.
This was a pretty expensive gun in its day, but the wood needed a whole bunch of work, as did the action .
As it sits now, I can enjoy it as a shooter with black powder and shoot some birds occasionally with it.
Cat
 
I think Cat makes a really good point. IMHO there aren't that many true "collectors" out there. Most who buy these guns want to use them. So making a somewhat rough gun more "useable" by repairing or upgrading in some fashion has little effect downward on price and probably improves what can be gotten.
 
Every gun I have that has had work done on them is worth more now than when I bought them. They may not be worth all the money I have spent because fixing up old SXS is not really a good way to make money, but they are better guns than when I found them. For shooters! And the Canadian market consists primarily of shooters, not collectors.
 
canvasback said:
Every gun I have that has had work done on them is worth more now than when I bought them. They may not be worth all the money I have spent because fixing up old SXS is not really a good way to make money, but they are better guns than when I found them. For shooters! And the Canadian market consists primarily of shooters, not collectors.
Click to expand...

This is all true. The majority of my vintage doubles have been around or under the $500.00 price at the time of purchase. They are now worth more (or will be when I'm done with them) than when I bought them. Will I get the money back that I spent on them. In most cases it is a definite NO. Some I may break even on come selling time. But like most who own and refurbish these vintage guns, my intent was not to worry about resale at some point down the road. If resale is a big concern, then do not purchase any vintage gun that will require a fair amount of money spent. Your biggest reason for having a gun restored hopefully will be because of your passion for the firearms at hand. If your intent is too make money, then find something else to invest in unless you are capable of doing necessary work yourself.
 
A well used Trojan 12 ga is not a collector's gun. A serious collector might buy it for parts but that would be the extent of collector interest. There will be interest to some upland hunters.

If it's in excellent shape mechanically and still looks decent,, wood is tight with no major bruises and no cracks then it might go $500 in Canada. Really hard to imagine it would be worth a lot more than that but without pictures it's pointless to speculate further. Might be worth a bit more in the US, but after you pay the FFL transfer and shipping then you'd probably have no more in your pocket than selling it in Canada.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom