“The Parker Story,” a two-volume work of the 1990s that provides a history of the company, devotes a chapter to clearing up the many mysteries surrounding the Czar’s Parker. Remington Arms bought the company in 1934. It grew and began making shotguns after the Civil War. The Parker company got a modest start in 1832, when Charles Parker set up a small stone shop on land between Elm and High streets in Meriden.

Some Parker guns can still work as well as the day they were made, he said, which is among the reasons they’re so coveted by collectors. He also aims to replicate the company’s dedication to quality craftsmanship that led to such high-profile customers as Annie Oakley, Gary Cooper and Clark Gable. “For years, people questioned whether this gun even existed,” Julia said.Įrnie Lazor, a Southbury resident who has been trying to resurrect the Parker Brothers name and its Meriden location, said there has always been a mystique surrounding the gun. So does its “literally legendary status,” he said. The historical connection adds to the value, said Julia. The Czar’s Parker is an A-1 Special shotgun, among the best Parker Brothers made. “They’re highly esteemed in the collecting trade.”

“Parker today is recognized as making shotguns equal to anything in the world at the time,” Julia said. Similar Parker shotguns in good condition will generally sell for $50,000 to $75,000. It’s possible the gun could elicit bids of no more than $100,000, he said, but it could also bring bids at twice its estimated value. “To the Parker enthusiast, this is a very important shotgun,” said Julia.

Parker shotgun collectors