If you are a Parker-phile you know the legend of the Czar’s Parker. The "Czar Parker gun," as it is known, was commissioned by Czar Nicholas II, the last czar of Russia. As the story goes, an officer in the Czar’s army ordered the Parker. Whether it was a gift for the Czar or special ordered at the request of the Czar no one knows for sure. And since the Communists’ cancelled the Czar’s and his family’s subscription, that bit of information is lost to history. The dimensions of the gun were clearly designed to fit a man of the Czar’s short stature. The Parker was on its way to Russia, on the dock of New York harbor, when Germany declared war on Russia and World War I rumbled to life. The gun was returned to Meriden, Connecticut—Mecca for all Parker-philes—and Parker Brothers ended up selling the shotgun to Henry Sanford, a New York banker. It remained in Sanford’s family until March 13, when it was auctioned for $250,000 in Fairfield, Maine. The auction set a world record for a Parker shotgun at auction. Similar condition Parkers typically sell in the $50,000 to $75,000 range. Sanford had the shotgun refitted with a stock made to his dimensions. If he had left the gun as is, it would have probably fetched another $100,000. If the Czar had actually touched the Parker, add another $100,000. I think Sanford did what most Parker-holics would do, use the shotgun as Parker Brothers intended. Of course he should have kept the original stock. The buyer, Jack Puglisi, of the Puglisi Gun Emporium in Duluth, Minn., will also pay a 15-percent auction fee, bringing the total price of the gun to $287,500. And what a show piece he has for his shop. Maybe he should sell tickets to offset the cost. Click here to see a video about the auction. If $250K is too steep for your wallet, you might want to order a new Parker being offered by Remington for $49,000. Or you can buy 50 Wingmasters or 111 Remington SPR210.