Factory Straight Stocks
 

Does anyone have information on the Parker factory converting pistol grip stocks to straight? I recently purchased an 1886 16 bore G grade that is listed in the serialization book as having been originally made with with a capped pistol grip. This gun has a straight grip and a trigger guard with a long tang. The tang has engraving, including a serial number that matches the gun. The engraving on the trigger guard is modest, mostly just border engraving with some scroll at the apex of the guard bow.

I've read that Parker would do just about anything for a customer, so I assume this work could be factory generated. I am sending off for a letter, but thought I'd query the group to see what knowledge of such conversions might be out there.

Thanks for considering this.

Get a letter from PGCA I had a straight grip 14 ga. that book said was a capped pistol grip but left factory as a straight grip. Sometimes book is in error. Jim

Thanks, Jim,

I assumed that there might be errors among the listings, but it's nice to know of exact cases. I happen to have another 16 hammer gun that is the serial number just before the one with the straight grip. (I bought them at auction two years apart!). The earlier serial number has a capped pistol grip. The serialization book shows a block of three 16s consecutively numbered, all with capped pistol grips. It will be interesting to see what the research shows.

I appreciate your reply and the information.

Some years ago I read that if the grip type had not been recorded that the person recording the gun's configuration would enter the default of C or CP in that column.
Now, I don't know if this was in reference to the person recording the gun at Parker Bros. or the person transcribing the records for the Serialization book.





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Intriguing. Any sense of how many top lever hammer guns had the straight/splinter configuration? I've been looking at Parkers for a while, though hammer guns are a relatively recent addiction...but I still don't recall many (if any) top lever hammer guns.

Top lever hammer guns? I have several, none with straight grips though.






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The gun could also have been returned for a restock to straight grip. Or altered / restocked after the fact.

That 14 bore serial#64180 is now with Steve Barnett and a copy of the letter is with the gun.

Thanks, Brian. I'm assuming at this point that this gun's stock was altered after it left the factory. I'm hoping the letter might show that it was return for this work, but I suspect it was done "non-factory." Whoever did it knew what he was doing, and it appears to have been done long ago.

I guess my question is really about how often guns were sent back to Parker to have this done, and does anyone have a record of this kind of work for their own gun?

BTW, Brian, I bought a G grade hammer 12 bore from you a few years ago. I had the gun completely restored by Brad B. (who did a great job!) in Grand Rapids. That gun has served me well. I thought you might want to know that it went to a good home and has been well cared for...and continues to take game.

Thanks again for the response

I have a che that letters for two restocks and now has a non factory stock. I have a skeet gun that letters with a straight stock and now sports a Remington pistol grip restock. It was done at times.