"Kf" or "K" in place of Barrel Steel on bbl flat
 

I'd like to do a survey of the time period when "K" or "Kf" was substituted for the barrel steel symbol on the barrel flat. I've thought that this might be a good subject for "Parkers Found" but we don't seem to have this feature in our fine publication any longer.

So who has a Parker Bros or gun(s):

• with "K" or "Kf";
• without barrel steel marking on barrel flat
• what is the serial number and date of manufature?

A new owner asked "2. What possible explanation is there for the barrel flats missing a mark indicating the type of barrel steel."

My response was, "Kingston to answer Q 2, Kf replaced markings for barrel steel during the time your gun was made."

Dean repectfully disagrees with my statement saying, "Gunner, I respectfully disagree with your explanation of the missing barrel steel stamp.
Thousands of guns produced both before and after 1906 have the barrel steel stamped on the forward end of the right barrel flat. And both Charles A. King's stamp along with the barrel steel stamp appear on most guns of the period, from what I've witnessed."

I don't disagree with Dean in that thousands of guns were produced before and after 1906 with the barrel steel stamp. I'm not certain that both King's stamp along with the barrel steel stamp appear on most guns of the period.
But what is the period? Certainly the majority of PB guns had the barrel steel stamp.

So having been corrected I went to the gun safe and looked at guns from SN 6xx to 232xxx. Very early lifters didn't have any bbl steel stamp on the barrel flat but that is not the period we are discussing.

The Brian Spires gun under discussion is SN 134796. I found the following guns marked as follows:

104906 Kf
112966 K
115154 T with concave radius top and bottom for twist bbls
135105 K

The one anomaly in the above 5 guns is a composite barrel that has the barrel steel stamp on the flats. Also of my other 3 guns only 135105 also has "w.k." in an oval.

I have noticed many other guns for sale bearing the King stamp that did not have the barrel steel indicated.

So I'd like to see this polite difference of an opinion turn into a research project and perhaps we can identify the period and the earliest and latest gun marked with the "K" or "Kf" alone.

I fully expect that there will be overlap with some guns having barrel steel stamps within what otherwise is the K period.

So will you pitch-in?
Please respond with

SN and date of manufacture

K or Kf

Barrel steel stamp on barrel flat if any if K or Kf is present

w.f. in oval if present

Great idea Eric - a great research project!

I too, will look at my Parkers and come up with serial numbers and their respective stamps and post them here.

Might not be for a few days - I'm headed for Vermont at sun-up tomorrow.

Best, Dean





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My Father's old VH waterfowl gun has the Kf where the barrel material stamp usually is. Serial number 106580, shipped July 2, 1902, to Seattle Hardware Co. Looks just like the picture at the bottom of page 252 of The Parker Story.

My NH, 74488, looks just like the picture on page 261, except mine has a tiny J where the H is on 79175. Same tiny A on the left barrel flat.

118298 - 1903 - Marked appropriately with a circled T and some distance away to the right of the barrel type stamp is what appears to be a lone "C". No k/kf

156428 - 1910 - Marked appropriately with a circled V. On the opposite side there is a circled JG. No k/kf

I'll check a few more later, but 95618 has the kf. It's a 12 gauge VH.

Does it have the barrel steel stamp?






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Dean,
Only the kf on the flats. Vulcan steel is on the rib.

Gary is 118298 a DH with Titanic steel?
I'm trying to start a spreadsheet.
Ho-hum everyone lets list some more data points.
Erick

118298 is a P grade with 26" twist barrels and letters as such

Here's my contribution to the project, Eric:

105771 VH 20ga 1901 Kf , barrel weight only no barrel steel marking
140131 VH 20ga 1906 W.K.(in circle), V (also circled), barrel weight and a very small 8 near the end of the left barrel by the extractor
120860 VH 16ga 1903 Kf , barrel weight only no barrel steel marking
119075 VH 12ga 1903 Kf and barrel weight no barrel steel marking
106822 GH 12ga 1901 D (damascus steel barrels), G (grade?) barrel weight and a very small + stamped at the end of the right barrel near the extractor (no WK, K, Kf)
231426 SC 12ga 1929 small H7 with an A underneath, A (acme steel), barrel weight, overload proofed on both barrels and Rem repair codes AD3 (Mar '35 service section received) on left and a small 4 (return as received?)on the right barrel
Good luck!