Grade 2 "Parker Bros"

[Kirk Potter]

Anyone ever see "Parker Bros" in this area on a grade 2?

[Dean Romig]

Not me. Usually Parker Bros. is engraved in an arc inside the curve of the game scene oval.





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[Dave Suponski]

Kirk, This gun must be an early G Grade

[Brett Hoop]

I think Brian Dudley posted a D grade that had Parker Bros. in the same location, but that one was raised if I my recall functioning. That must have been a year or so back.

[Dean Romig]

This example is how 98% of grade-2 hammerless guns with oval game scene vignette were engraved.

I would say the subject gun is one of the earliest grade-2's engraved with the oval-bordered game scene vignette. Notice it is a smaller oval and does not include the front screw within its border.


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[Kirk Potter]

No serial number shown or given but seller says 1891.

www.gunbroker.com/item/736832027

[Mills Morrison]

Very interesting gun! I remember Brian Dudley's example too.

[Brian Dudley]

I saw this GH on gunbroker and it is a different and very intetesting placement for the name.

There are some real oddities out there. One gun that i regret not buying when i had the chance was a GH that had the bottom motif inside of a ribbon bordered hexagon type shape instead of a circle. It was, so far, the most unique GH i have seen.

[Dean Romig]

I know of only one Grade-2 hammerless with roundel engraving vignettes. It is very likely to be a unique gun. I had offered to buy the gun but the owner chose to keep it.

If the owner is reading this, the offer (or a better one) is still on the table.





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[Kirk Potter]

Every time you think you’ve seen everything with these guns.. You're provern wrong. I love the early hammerless guns.

[Mills Morrison]

Even on the "standard " GH's, no 2 are exactly alike. Similar, but not identical. One reason I like GH Parkers.

[Brian Dudley]

Wow dean, that gun is interesting. It looks like a gun that was a VH, and then got turned into a GH at the last minute.

[Dean Romig]

Except that it has Damascus barrels, it does Brian.





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[Mills Morrison]

Well. . . Many of you know my affection for grade 2's. This gun arrived at my house today and I could not be more pleased. Gun is in great shape for its age. Heading over to shoot it at our gun club in just a few and then turkey hunting tomorrow morning. I will get some photos too.

[allen newell]

Dean, on these early parkers, how much latitude did parker give their engravers. Was there a standard engraving per grade gun and only exceptions were on special orders?

[Dean Romig]

The standard engraving 'patterns' or motifs were generally true to the grade up to the grade 4 guns. After that, grades 5, 6, 7, and 8 were often engraved to order, within reason and good taste.
Up to the early 1890's the engraving motifs through grade 3 and into grade 4, changed a few times from the beginning of the hammerless guns. The changes were often the decision of the chief engraver with the approval or direction of the superintendant of the gun works. But keep in mind that the chief engraver was rarely the one who worked on the lower grades but in some cases he would do the game scenes while the journeymen and apprentices would do the borders and simple scroll.






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[Jay Oliver]

Mills I am glad you got that and it was in good shape. I was surprised that lasted as long as it did on GunBroker. Hopefully, you had a good afternoon shooting it. That is a very nice gun and the unique engraving is icing on the cake.

[Mills Morrison]

Thanks, Jay. I am very pleased with it. It is one of the best condition grade 2's from this era that I have seen. Going turkey hunting with it next

[Mills Morrison]

Here are some pictures. I plan on bringing it to Sanford if there is room after all the other stuff I need.