Parker A-1 Special

NOTE: this is an example of a previous customer restoration, and therefore the firearm is not for sale. Please browse the showroom for our current selection of restored, pre-owned, refinished and manufactured firearms. SUBSCRIBE to our newsletter to be among the first to learn about new additions to our website.

The Parker Brothers “Quality A. No. 1 Special” was introduce around 1907. The price listed in the Parker catalog was $500, a very handsome sum at the time.

The A1S had extensive engraving and checkering, it had a gold shield and gold grip cap as well as gold plated triggers. Examples showed three or four extra beads around the bolsters on the frame. On many A-1 Specials, the inside surfaces of the water table, the standing breach and barrel flats were jeweled.

The quality of workmanship was superb on each Parker A-1 Special, and had to be approved by the president of Parker and his staff prior to release. Wood-to-metal fit and engraving richly enhanced the graceful lines that made it so pleasing to the eye. The balance was, as with all Parkers, centered for comfort and ease of use. There were very few A-1 Specials produced.

This beautiful example was originally built in 1925. It was an honor and privilege to restore it to its original beauty.

History Restored:

• New buttstock in 4X exhibition grade English walnut, custom dimensions, skeleton butt plate fitted, fleur-de-lis side panels with gold-capped grip cap
• Refinish wood in hand-rubbed oil finish
• Checker new buttstock to match forend
• Polish barrels
• Re-cut barrel engraving at breech and muzzle to original
• Rust blue barrels
• Strip old gold plating from triggers
• Remove all third-party gold additions on receiver, weld cavities and polish flush to surface
• Polish receiver and all other parts for correct finish
• Repair screws
• Engrave repaired areas to match surrounding scroll engraving, re-cut all existing engraving to blend new engraving to original, re-cut trigger engraving
• Color case harden receiver and parts
• Charcoal blue trigger guard and parts
• Gold plate triggers
• Perform jeweling