Underlifter $80 grade what do you think? .
 

The check is in the mail, it was an impulse buy but I think its pretty darn cool. Seems like it has a bit more engraving than some $80 guns I have seen.

http://www.gunsinternational.com/PAR...n_id=100492514

Call me crazy.

The forend is not original to the gun. You can see a much later S/N on the iron in the one photo and it looks to be a latch type forend from a grade 3 whereas the gun should likely have a keyed type forend.

Other than that, it is a very interesting gun. The locks are the "3 pin" type which would suggest a grade 2 platform, however the engraving and frame sculpting would suggest a grade 3.

The U stamp on the water table would indicate the grade designation.

I disagree Brian.

The sculpting of the bolsters is not typical of the grade 3 guns, but is that of the grade 2.

Grade two or three, one way or the other. I like it.
Good luck with it.
Tom

The U stamp makes it a grade 2 which is what Brian indicated after noting the various differences in mechanics and engraving.
But the engraving makes it a super grade 2 or a stamped started receiver that was upgraded by PB to fill an order for a grade 3.
I like it!
Erick

Allow me to clarify what I was thinking in regards to the bolsters. They are similar to a grade 2, but seem a bit more defined than the typical grade 2 gun. But not as much as a typical grade 3. Given the period this gun was made, I could imagine there being a good amount of variation in details like this from grade to grade at times.

Agreed. There were no specific grades at the time, (pre-1882) and few defining features - just "dollar grades", and if a customer wished to spend more money he would get more embellishments. There are several features on this gun which tend to defy 'grade' identification but which support the 'dollar' theory of embellishments.

According to The Parker Story and the Ser. & ID Book, the U stamped on the water table is "not understood", but it does not represent a grade.... it might even represent "Underlifter" for all we know.

I'm bad and Dean's correct that "U" wasn't a alpha grade until 1882 and then it was a 0 grade twist gun.
In my defense I made a quick reference to Parker grades on our website and got sucked in by the lifter frame photo labeled "u grade frame". I should have known better.
http://parkerguns.org/forums/picture...809490&thumb=1
Maybe the photo title can be corrected for future researchers
Erick

One correction, it is an $85 grade which is a 10 gauge pistol grip, I learned something there. The letter has listed extra engraving which is a nice surprise. More to come when the gun is in hand with the letter.

Also as you may expect I am looking for a complete forend with 1st style release and tip for this gun. Would be willing to trade the one on the gun.

It looks like a nice gun to me. I like the engraving