1906 Parker
 

Hi Everybody!

I'm not only new to this forum, but I'm new to Parker, too. I grew up on a farm in Virginia, but have lived in SC for over 30 years. As a kid, I had a little Fox 20 ga. double barrel, but my dad "traded" it later for a Browning 12 ga. for me

I haven't actively hunted for a number of years, but still have lots of friends and relatives who live to hunt!

My dad died about two months ago at age 88. Right after he got home from Europe after WWII, he and some fellow farmers founded a hunt club in Southampton County, Virginia. Indiantown Hunt Club is still VERY active, and has been for 67 years. About two months before dad died, I took him on a hunt on the last day of deer season in the county. I got my vehicle in position where he could hear the dogs run, and we actully saw three bucks that morning. I'm so glad he was able to get in that last "hunt" with his friends. His TRUE love, however, was "bird hunting". Over the years he had a dozen or more bird dogs ... English pointers, English setters, Boykin spaniels, and a few that were of questionable lineage! As a young man, he'd buy two case of shells each year. He shot No. 9's before Christmas, and No. 8's after Christmas. This was back when there were more shells in a case than there are now, and he NEVER had any left over at the end of the season. I don't know how many quail he shot in his lifetime, but he was a hell of a shooter!

But I digress. Dad gave me a gun a few years ago that belonged to my great-grandfather. My great-granddad was a businessman and avid hunter. He founded a club near Como, NC in the early 1900's. I hope to find out if this gun that I have was bought originally by him. In any case, it has been hunted by him, my granddad, and my dad. I plan to do a bit of shooting with it, and then eventually pass it on to my grandson. When he gets it, he can say it was used by his great-great-great grandfather!

I've looked the gun over carefully, and I've done a bit of reading about Parkers. I'm going to cut and paste a document detailing all the markings I've found on the gun, and I'm attaching some photos I took of it this morning. I'm hoping to find out a lot about my new treasure from some of you more "seasoned" guys! (Hey, I'm 66 years old. That's pretty seasoned, but I'm don't know much about guns!)

Thanks for any help you might give me. I'd love to know what I should do to properly take care of the gun, and what ... if any ... precautions I should take before shooting it.

Keep up the good work on this forum. It's REALLY a good source of information and entertainment!

Parker Bros. Hammerless Double-Barrel Shotgun
Mfg. In 1906


12 Gauge
26” barrels
Choke(s): ??? (I'm guessing Imp Cyl and/or Mod)

Markings on gun:

Serial number: 139925 (Found on tail of trigger guard, underside of forestock, on side of barrel “lug” steel, and on watertable)

Patent dates:
Mar 26, 1878 (on forestock “key”
May 7, 1901 (found on underside of forestock)
Jan 18 – Aug 16, 1887 (found on watertable)
May 7 – Oct 8, 1890 (found on watertable)
Aug 15, 1905 (found on watertable)

Other markings:
Numeral “2” found above serial number on watertable
Letter “G” found below serial number on watertable

“Parker Bros. Markers Meriden Conn Damascus Steel” found between barrels upper side
“1 1/2” and letter “K” stamped on barrel lug

Stamped on flat of barrels, on one side of lug:
Letter “D” with a number “3” above it
Letter “C” by itself
Number “3” with superscript “13”

Stamped on flat of barrels, on opposite side of lug:
Oval with letters “WK” inside

Pistol grip with plastic cap saying “Parker Bros Meriden Conn”
Butt plate with “Parker Brothers” and dog and bird

Brass shield on underside of stock

Game scene engraving on receiver and trigger guard
(Left side has ducks with “Parker Bros”)
(Right side has grouse ??? with “Parker Bros”)

Finish on barrels and receiver seem pretty good. Barrels seem to be chambered for low power shells. No cracks on stock or forestock. Checkering on stock and forestock in good shape.

A "G" grade - the 1 1/2 is the frame size, the 3 13 is the unstruck barrel weight. The "D" in the barrels tells us they are damascus.

the gun is not is the serialization book, however a search on the serial number says there are surviving records on 139925.

you may want to consider joining as a PGCA member and ordering a letter to see what you can find out about the gun.

could you add a picture of the muzzle end of the barrels from the front and the top?

Thanks for your interest in your great treasure she appears to be just borke in and ready for her second wind.

Great story and an nice gun showing honest wear and the wood looks simply outstanding. (Good luck finding wood that nice today). If only the gun could talk - I bet there are some great stories to be told.

i hope you find some anwsers on your gun...what a family history this gun has... charlie

Muzzle pics
 

I tried to get some pics for the muzzle. Two are attached. Quality isn't the best, but ... let me know if they'll suffice. Thanks so much!

Looks like the barrels have been 'bobbed'.

Is that lead solder in the triangular spaces beneath thr ribs or is it steel keels in there?

In taking a hard look, I see nothing that would tell me the barrels have been altered. Knowing the personalities of all those who have owned the gun over the years, I doubt seriously that they would allow that. My great-granddad was a man who knew exactly what he wanted, and he went out and got it! I'm sure the gun is "as ordered".

Without any supportive data on the gun you may be correct... but keep in mind that with the rib matting running right off the end of the rib as yours does, the only thing we know is that if Parker Bros. had cut the barrels they would have installed steel keels that would show in the triangular area between the ribs and the barrels. If there is only lead solder in that space it is pretty unlikely that Parker Bros. did the work.

This is not meant to disparage your heirloom gun in any way, but simply an observation you may or may not wish to explore.

Best, Dean

No offense taken at all, Dean! There is no solder at all in that area that I can see, and under magnification, I can't really see evidence of "saw marks". I'm no expert, but just saying what I see. What leads you to believe there's solder?