Some of you may have read "Burt's Gun" written by William G. Tapply of hunting with his dad, "Tap" Tapply, and Burton Spiller, the "Poet Laureate of the Ruffed Grouse" and of how Burt Spiller passed his little Parker twenty-bore VH so unceremoniously yet permanently along to young Bill. It is a very moving story and exemplifies what a great old gentleman Spiller was.
To my mind, as Buckingham's "Bo-Whoop" is legendary in all circles of shotgunners, so is Burt's Parker the legendary 'magic wand' of the grouse covers of the uplands.
Now you have a chance to own this little Parker. I only hope that if you, rather than me, cast the winning bid and take this precious Parker home, you will cherish it and care for it forever and not debase it by using it as a vehicle to profit. . . that is my wish but it is up to the new owner.
Visit http://www.thecobbs.com and mark your calendars for October 13th of '08 and I'll see you there.

Good Luck, Dean

Well, I'm a simple man descending from ole' ploretarian stock so this festive gala is not for me. Frankly I could not afford frame on them ole' folk paintings or top lever on that Parker. That's ok, because I much prefer "meat and potatoe" 'Sterlingworth' that put meat on farmers table during the great depression.
Best wishes and good luck.

It does not do much for me.

It's a shame someone would sell something entrusted to them.

I am surprised it is for sale,Dean! As I am not a "celeb chaser", owning any shotgun, even a Parker small bore, previously owned by anyone remotely famous is not "my cup of tea" but I do hope that whomever buys this fine old grouse gun will use it in a sportsmanlike manner as did both Burton Lowell Spiller and Bill Tapply. I bought a Fox HE 12 3" about 14 years ago- 32" tubes marked "Barrels Not Guaranteed" at a reduced price due to a stock extension and a similar "mashed out recoil pad,as I like "Big Un's" and am a die-hard 12 gauge man- fezzants and ducks are 12 ga. birds in my book-I'd probably pass- Guns are not to make a profit from, they are to be used, treasured and handed down to the "come-afters" as T. Nash B. once said--and I agree- in spades!!

This is a bit more direct
http://www.thecobbs.com/parker.htm

Some of you may not know that Bill Tapply was diagnosed with leukemia in January. I only know Bill peripherally, but my guess is he either needs the money, or this is his way of putting the gun out there for others to enjoy. I wouldn't judge him too harshly.

Yes Drew, it is a bit more direct and cuts right to the crux of the matter however, it skips over the two other close-up pictures of the gun.

Thanks, Dean

P.S. It is understood that this is not everyone's "cup of tea" however there are many who would go to great lengths for this Parker.

He kept the gun for what, 40 plus years? Not exactly a fast buck. Heck he is as old as we are, older than many here. It is time to pass the gun on to another. I guess in a perfect world he would sell the gun and give the money to the Ruffled Grouse Society. But the world is rarely perfect. Maybe he needs the money to buy gas or pay his taxes. We drool over guns, but the rest of the world knows we are crazy. I like it that way. Fewer others trying to buy guns I like.

It should bring a decent dollar but not an extreme price. It is a very desirable gun to many and has a history that few others can match. At least this way the history of the gun will be well recorded and passed on. How many here have wished that they knew who owned the guns and the history of their use before they bought them? I have several that I would love to know about and am sure that many others here have others.

Sorry to hear of Bill's illness. All the best if you're here, BILL!

Followed Grandpa Grouse, William Harden Foster, Burton Spiller and the Tapplys through their writings for many years now.

Burton's old VH is simply a gun of incredible heritage for whoever choses to bid on it. Me? I'd love to own it!!!

Although the idea that provenance does not enhance the value of a Parker is yet another Parker Myth, in this case I'd have to say that it adds no value to me. A gun used by a hunter such as WDM Bell might hold sway with me but (sorry) Bill Tapply is just another guy who had the good fortune to be born at the right time and place for shooting.

I don't think any added value will come from Bill Tapply, much moreso from Mr. Spiller. If the funds were in place at the time I would find space for a piece of history like that in my safe in a second, and it would get to go hunting from time to time even though I have other guns way more desireable to hunt with from a pure firearm perspective. If you don't feel something for the nostalgia of the past when out following you're dog I think you might be missing out on something, not sure just what but there has to be more to our passion than just killing birds. Has to be some reason I haven't carried a gun at least 80 yrs old for a long time now and if I had the chance to carry Mr. Spillers old parker around some it would work for me......

Indeed, the Spiller provenance adds value to that gun. Looks like a lot of drop in the stock, which isn't unusual for old Parkers. My bet is Mr. Tapply has some very good reason to be putting it up for sale, perhaps his illness mentioned earlier.

I would guess that Tap never found a young man to follow him through the woods like Burt found in him.I would bet if he had that the young man would now be carrying the little Parker. Many of us followed our fathers or grandfathers through the woods and field but how many of us have had a young man follow us through our older years.

One can't blame folks for wanting to own and fondle this piece it is nice piece of ole' Americana.

Larry, I corresponded with Mr. Tapply back in the mid-90s about the gun. He said that it didn't fit him very well and he didn't hunt with it anymore. He also said he would never sell it so I am sure he has a very good reason.
When you lose your health, material things tend to not matter, no matter how much sentimental value they might hold.
He probably just wants to see it go to someone who will appreciate its' provenance. What kid even knows who Burton Spiller was? My stepson likes deer hunting well enough but would rather have his 12 gauge 870 than a 20 gauge Parker, no matter who once owned it.

I just wish I had some old man to take me hunting. So far I've managed to make it on my own and just got my first bird dog a few months ago at age 24. I'd love to have have someone to take me hunting and teach me the things that I've learned/am learning by trial & error.

A sweet little Parker would just be a BIG added bonus for me.

If I win it, I'll restock it.

And get that shiny action blued !

Heresy! Heresy!

( I might replace the butt pad... )

The above post was just an off the top of my head reply based on the story of the gun.

I'm truly sorry to hear about Mr. Tapleys cancer and his forced sale of the gun....

Here's what my buddy Ted had to say about my above post in another thread.



Teddy you need to stop this forum stalking that you do...these kind of comments are not very funny...I just lost my brother to cancer this year and my buddy's dad this past week.

Off the top of your head, without knowing the guy or his situation in life.

jOe, you need to start thinking before you type. Which, come to think of it, would eliminate about 90% of what you post.
Ted

Ted yOu need to get a life and spend less time trying to put meaning into what I post.





go polish your mOssn'bergs Terdy.

Joe, I gotta admit, that made me LOL (as they say). Jake

No-one can put meaning into what you post-least of all, you.

Anyone who reads a jOe post will never get that time back. Lost, and, wasted.

A pity, really.

Pathetic." All is fair in love and gun buying", until it is a guy stricken with a life threatening illness, who was left with a famous friend's gun. If that friend were around to offer insight, I bet he would help to sell the gun for his buddy, if there were a chance, however slim, it would help the situation.

I also know who would criticize him. You already did, after all.

I don't need to call names here-the simple truth will do.
Ted

To get back to the subject of the thread . . . we ought to get up a pool, each guessing at what the "hammer price" will be. Spiller is pretty darned well-known among grouse hunters who have read much in the way of "classic" literature.

Joe will do his best to ruin any interesting thread on this message board, it's just a fact of life here in DoubleGunLand. I'm teaching myself to scroll over anything he says, it's pretty easy really.

Destry

Thanks Destry, Ted and L. for getting this thread back on track.

Dean

For what it's worth- not being a (1) collector (2) grouse hunter (3) small gauge man- I'd expect it to be "hammered" in the low five figures- the single trigger if original would add to price, ditto the 26" barrels if uncut or re-choked, the raggedy (pink-ish red?) pad can be replaced- is it VH or a VHE Dean- and on the std. size 0 frame? I think the elite RGS should bid on it and place it in their museum along with their copies (DerryDale) of Burt's great books on "Ol Bonasa Umbellus"__wonder if we'll here a "Big noise from Duluth" to paraphrase a 1940's tune- and where is this Cobb Auction held- any relation to the Steven Cobb? Just curious!

0-frame, non-ejector and the stock book mentions nothing about the single trigger or the pad. The 26" barrel length is original.

I can swallow a pad on a larger bore gun but if that pad is not original it would really detract from the value. If it is original, I think it helps the value but I still wouldn't like it. I think I've even seen pads on .410's - if you need a pad on a .410 you don't need to be shooting.

I'm going to just guess on this, but, the value of this particular Parker isn't going to be decided by it's grade, condition, or originality.

It was Burt Spillar's gun. William Tapply owned it most of his life. The gun has a history of use by one of, if not "The" high priests of ruffed grouse hunting, during the golden era of ruffed grouse shooting, in the Mecca of ruffed grouse hunting.

I'm going to guess that we will be stunned by what the gun sells for. I'd guess in the middle of five figures.
Best,
Ted

I agree with Ted. I have no clue what the price will be but I think that condition of this gun will be a moot point.