Parker made Laminated barrels?

[Breck Gorman]

I have a Parker hammer lifter 16 ga grade 3 that has laminated barrels. There is "P" stamped on the flats just above the unstruck barrel weight stamp. Is it possible that this is one of the barrels not imported but made by Parker?
Were these originally browned or black&white?
Serial # 18719

[Dean Romig]

Hoorray!!

I have been asking for nearly a year now for anyone to show a picture of the barrel flats of Laminated barrels with the P stamp!

Finally we see a 16 ga. example.

Parker Bros. made their own barrels for a short period in 1877 - 78 - and 79 according to Charles A. King, Superintendent of the Parker Bros. Gun Works until 1910, during a senatorial hearing. The set I have is distinctive in that each tube is composed of three separate sections of distinctly different Laminated patterns welded together during the barrel-making process so there is no discernible "seam" where the sections were joined.

There is no definitive proof that these are actually those made at Meriden but evidence leads to that conclusion.

Thanks for showing yours. If you could post a better picture I would like to save it to my files. What is the condition of yours?

Best, Dean

[Drew Hause]

More information
http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=5520

[Breck Gorman]

Thank you both for all the info. Knew I would get an education. Condition of the gun is extremely promising but rough. Been in an attic for a long, long time. My hands turned orange carrying it to the car. Luckily very little pitting most rust surface only. Cleaning up nicely. Bores are pitted. Wood is sound. Engraving sharp. Screws are good. Terribly neglected, but all there and original.

[Breck Gorman]

serial # 18719.
i am not a photographer, but here are some better pics,

[Breck Gorman]

Serial 18719

[Breck Gorman]

Better photo

[Dean Romig]

Please be very careful how you "clean it up". Use no abrasives. Use Frontier Pads to clean off the old rust and crud... not steel wool or anything else that could do more damage that good.

[Bob Hardison]

Break: Dean gives excellent advice but do not let the Frontier Pad touch the precious wood. Tape the wood or take the stock off. You can google for Frontier Pad. Bob

[charlie cleveland]

fine looking gun you got there..take these boys advise they no what there talking about...charlie

[Breck Gorman]

Frontier pads and kroil is a wonderful combination on rust. That's all I have used so far. I will do no harm. I know my limits, and I respect history and kind advice.

[Breck Gorman]

Frontier pads and kroil are great combination on rust. That's all I have done so far. I respect the history and kind advice. Do no harm.

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Dean these are off a 10 gauge grade 2

[David Dwyer]

Breck
Enjoyed meeting you and examining the gun at Deep River. That is a unique Parker. I would let a professional clean it up if it was mine. JMHO
David

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Dean, Looks like your hypothesis might be right with 5-6 laminated barrels coming to light in the past week or so with the P designation! and in the same time frame you thought, Do you think Parker only made Laminated barrels are do you think other types of barrel steel, and barrels were used by the brothers Parker, Gary

[Dean Romig]

According to King's deposition, Parker Bros. only produced their own barrels in that three year period and to date we have only seen the P stamp on that particular Laminated Steel pattern. This is certainly not conclusive but the only evidence we have to date seems to indicate these Laminated barrels are the only composite barrels they made.

[Dean Romig]

The set I have on my grade 3 gun were definitely made in two segments for each tube... The visible 'joint' being about halfway along the length of the thirty inch barrels... I wonder if the barrels that other folks have with the P stamp also show evidence of segmented tubes?

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Dean, Here are two more guns with laminated barrels,28913 is first, check out all the numbers on the barrel flats, one is the order number, barrel weight, and L for laminated maybe these were not Parker barrels,

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

By the way these barrels are off a Trap gun ordered by Folsom with the pigeon buttplate 12 gauge

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Dean, Here are two more guns with laminated barrels,28913 is first, check out all the numbers on the barrel flats, one is the order number, barrel weight, and L for laminated maybe these were not Parker barrels,

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Please delete the duplicate post

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Please delete the last post , also could not get the other gun to load slow internet today will try tomorrow, got to get to work now, gary

[Fred Preston]

Anyone have any idea where the forge for the production of Parker made Laminated barrels is/was?

[Dean Romig]

Gary, I think that gun, 28913, is too late for the years of Parker Bros. barrel manufacture, which were 1877, 78, and '79.
Fred, I don't believe King alluded to exactly where the forge was located, and I certainly don't know.