Black or Brown?

[jefferyconnor]

As new, were Parker twist and Damascus barrels high contrast? Were they black and white or brown and white when new? I had Turnbull refinish a PH over 25 years ago and he did them brown and white. I remember seeing a Remington in really mint condition that was black and white. I've never had a chance to see a truly mint original Parker first hand yet.

[Jay Gardner]

Black and white. Plenty of photos posted on multiple thread of original twist barrels.

[Dean Romig]

I will agree that Damascus barrels and probably Twist as well, were black and white but we can’t paint all of Parker’s composite barrels with that same broad stroke.
I once owned an unfired, near mint, Grade-1 T/A 16 gauge hammer gun on the lightened 0-frame and with Laminated Steel barrels that were the prettiest dark chocolate brown and plum brown mix I’ve ever seen.

These pictures don't really do the plum color justice.

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[Harold Lee Pickens]

That is really nice Dean. Would I be wrong thinking most English guns were that brown/plum, as compared to the black/white American doubles.

[Dean Romig]

That's what I've heard and read Harold, but I really try to stay away from most anything but American classics. There's simply too much to know and it's a little late for me to get started learning about them.





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[Andrew Sacco]

Kind of off topic, but I didn't see it (yet) in The Parker Story, but what is a T/A gun Dean? Is that a stamping of makers?

[Dean Romig]

Sorry Andy - it’s a Top Action (top lever) as opposed to a Lifter.





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[Victor Wasylyna]

T/A = “top action” (as opposed to a lifter).

Dean’s third photo, above, shows a top action.

-Victor

[Harold Lee Pickens]

off topic-have a friend with a lifter 10 ga I'm trying to get. Hasnt been fired in a hundred years. Barrels are good, stock has several cracks, 30" barrels. Of course then I'd need a 10 ga loader.

[Andrew Sacco]

Sorry Andy - it’s a Top Action (top lever) as opposed to a Lifter..

Wow...I feel kinda dumb now :eek:

[Jim DiSpagno]

Don’t feel that way Andy. These are some of the nuances of learning about Parker’s that we will continue to learn over time. You can never stop learning

[Dean Romig]

Don’t !!
There are no dumb questions around here.





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[Andrew Sacco]

You guys are awesome, thank you. JUST pulled the trigger on a VHE two minutes ago, will post photos when she comes in and all is proven OK. Will be my first one other than my Repro.

[Bob Brown]

Like Dean I have a very nice laminated barrel T/A hammer gun that lettered as having been returned to the factory around 1903 for "rebrowning" of the barrels. This one also has a nice brown/plum colour. Generally speaking the Brits browned their barrels, but W.W. Greener wrote that a high contrast black/white finish was used in some cases especially where harsh conditons were expected.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

The letter on my DHE 16 Titanic steel, states it was returned in 1910 for rebrowning, obviously they were still using that term for rebluing.

[Drew Hause]

Original black & white Twist colors under the FE with the barrels "plum"

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/17227428/306366701.jpg

Grade 0 Laminated Steel

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/17227428/304215745.jpg

Austin's 4 Iron "Turkish" D4

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/17227428/304169916.jpg

Baker, Lefever, Ithaca & Hunter Arms were all finished in "black & white" unless specified otherwise

Bro. Walt's Crass 4E with "American Flag"

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/20991622/342319658.jpg

[charlie cleveland]

that Ithaca really stands out....charlie

[Harold Lee Pickens]

My Grade 3 Ithaca Crass had plum brown chain link damascus

[Brian Dudley]

All american makers finished in Black/white.

Some will age to a brownish hue.

In regards to the OPs mention of turnbull giving them Brown/white. As far as I know Turnbulls shop has (Maybe not always) subcontracted out their damascus finishing. At that time they were likely using Kearcher, which would fit the Brown/White description as that is how his finishing tended to look.