Last hammer
 

When was the last Parker hammer gun made? When was the last American hammer gun of quality make made? Reading some of the posts, here, I realized they were probably made longer than I thought.

I’ve read of one made in 1927 I believe but I don’t remember the grade.





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Not high end, but J. Stevens Arms Co. was still offering their Springfield No. 215 in their January 15, 1931, price list. Gone from 1932.

Ithaca hammer guns disappeared from their catalogs after 1915, but the hammer or hammerless line was still on the order form in the July 1919 catalog. The line was gone from the order form in the December 1, 1919, Ithaca Gun Co. catalog.

Is the 215 the last of them, to your knowledge, Researcher?
Dean, was that 1927 a unique one? Do you happen to know when Parker hammer guns weren't cataloged anymore?

If I knew the serial number I could speak with more authority on it but I will say that it had to be a unique gun in that hammer guns were considered a thing of the past, archaic so to speak.

I’ll try to find information on it.





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In John Houchin's L.C. Smith book he states they offered hammer guns to 1932. I've got no truck with L.C. Smiths, but being an information junkie I do have the books.

Reading through the Hammer Doubles chapter in The Parker Story I find the last recorded hammer gun, a Top Action PT 10- gauge with 32” Plain Twist barrels was started in November of 1917. I thought I remembered a 1927 made hammer gun reported in this forum quite a while back but maybe I’m confusing it with the last Damascus barreled gun....





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Dean, My 20 gauge hammer gun is 171718, 1915 or 1916 do not have the letter in front of me but I think you are right, about a very late hammer gun made by Parker I seem to remember such, would be nice to find that gun and see its specs! Gary

At your convenience would you be up to post some pictures of your gun? I wonder if the last ones were made of older parts or had some of the changes that the hammerless had? Like the plate on the lump that the locking bolt engages or the toplever spring.

My 16 gauge hammer gun #172,xxx has the 1910 combination bolt plate, but it is impossible to tell whether it was there when the gun was made.