Kind of Cool
 

I am in the process of restoring a thoroughly worn 12 gauge GH on a 1 1/2 frame. The barrels are a bit off face, the stock dark with oil, the checkering almost smooth, and the surface finishes all but gone. But other than the loose action, it is fully functional, in original configuration, never had a screw turned, and it has nice bores, making it a candidate for restoration. When I pulled the butt plate off, I saw this. The last three digits of the serial number written with some sort of marker...back in 1896! And still perfectly legible today. One hundred and nineteen years ago, before the world wars, before the advent of communism and fascism, before the Titanic was launched, before the Spanish American war, before the airplane and automobile became common, and before this gun shot countless shells and traversed endless miles in the hands of generations of hunters--perhaps all from the same family-- some long dead and forgotten worker at Parker Brothers in Meriden, Connecticut picked up a marker and wrote the last three digits of the serial number of this gun on the butt of the stock to make sure it would be fitted up to the right frame.

I just thought that was kind of cool.

www.classiccasecolorsllc.com

It is cool, but Very common. Seen it several times. Usually the digits are on both the wood and the plate.

Why dose every ones work bench look better than mine? Those nos are on a lot of parkers. They are well protected under the but plate.

Justin's work bench is new. Give it time.

Wayne, don't despair...the truth is that I spent hours organizing it before snapping the photo just to impress all the fine members here! (-;

www.classiccasecolorsllc.com

The worst problem is I have three work benches. As soon as one gets messy I move to the next. When you run out of benches than you really have a mess.

Hershel House master gun maker check out his bench on his videos or you tube him. I dream of one of his iron mounted flint locks.

Justin:

Well written. Our Parkers are US history, held in our hands. I wish each Parker letter was over five pages long, filled with stories of great hunts, as many could be.

I just keep hoping to pull off a butt plate and find a Thousand Dollar bill...OK, I would settle for a neat old hunting license.

Best wishes,
Patrick Butler

his rifles are masterpieces -his woodbury school of rifle building ( a school in the longrifle world is a style) was a revival of many skills
http://contemporarymakers.blogspot.c...hel-house.html

a younger maker following in his footsteps is Ian Pratt- I've was lucky once to work a long side him, trying to build mine as his rifle flowed from his tools

http://contemporarymakers.blogspot.c...att-rifle.html
http://www.blackpowdermag.com/ian-pr...atured-artist/

I have not seen his bench- but heck - i have not really seen mine for a while