No Grade Stamp
 

There is no Grade Stamp above the Serial Number where its supposed to be on the water table. I am Showing a D and 4 10 showing on the Flats (where the weight of the barrel is supposed to be)(the 10 is slightly lower in line with the 4). This piece has been sized with an actual 12 gauge shell which fits perfect,
The serial number puts it at 1879 manufactured but I am still a little in the dark.
I also remember reading somewhere that there is a possibility of no Grade letters such as AH, BH, CH etc. now if that's the case, I wonder how I am going to identify this Parker.
I am reaching out to see if someone would so kindly in guiding me to light :)

Try looking at the grade pictured on this site. On the left side of the www.parkerguns.org page is a link to grades. Click that and then read about each grade and there are pictures of both hammer and hammerless guns. Look that over and see how your gun matches up.

At that time period, the lack of grade stamps is not uncommon. But, at that time, the grades were clearly defined, for the most part. The D indicates damascus barrels, which makes it at least a grade 2 gun.

Some photos would help. If PGCA has records on your gun, you should order a research letter.

Thank you very much , I have been trying to add pictures and it seems to keep giving me a hard time. I will get them on here somehow today

To upload pictures...... look at the FAQ link off the parkerguns.org page and at the bottom of the FAQ page watch the two video links; it should help you.

Thank you, Added pics just now

When looking through books that require a Grade set of letters such as AH, BH, CH, DH TROJAN, etc. to determine the value, and without them is what's got me stumped.

Photos are being added- Thank you

That is a grade 2

I need to find a way to see what it's worth. Any ideas because where I have been looking requires the Grade Stamp?

Not necessarily Brian... and I'm looking at one Damascus tube and one Twist tube. That being the case, I think it would be a stretch to call it a grade 2.... I'd give it a grade 1. A grade 2 of that era should have ducks or prarie chickens engraved on the lock plates and a single bird in a round vignette on the bottom of the frame.





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Mr. Goodman - we need to see a clear picture of the checkering pattern of the forend please. Even very early on with four-digit serial numbers the forend checkering patterns differ significantly between grades (or dollar quality) 1, 2, and 3 Parkers.





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The amount of engraving and the breech ball shaping are right in line with a grade 2.

Lifters of that period did not start sculpting the breech balls until grade 2 guns.

Pictures of Checkering
 

Pictures of Checkering

No Leo - on the forend please. Although it may be worn even more than the grip and may be almost non-discernable now
The LPI of the grip area looks too coarse for a grade 2.





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Forend Checkering

The free space around the forend latch would seem to indicate Grade 2 checkering... but the coarse LPI seems to indicate otherwise. It looks to be about 14 LPI.

These early Parkers certainly are puzzling...





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Thank you very much, this somewhat steers me in the right direction. On to seek the value ��

Thank you all, going to the next step, then it needs a new home.

That's noble of you but a non-member suggesting on this website that a gun is for sale is strictly against forum rules.





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Thank you Dean ����

error when trying to look into a Letter
 

Received this error when trying to look into that Letter

You may find you have received an email or PM from our website administrator.





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Some posters have erroneously indicated that a Damascus barrel gun must be grade 2 or higher. That is not true. There are Damascus guns in this serial number range that are grade 1. However, I can't read the serial number or the rib legend, so I am in the dark. I would guess that this gun is a Damascus grade 1, rare as they may be. Knowing the serial number and the rib legend may shed some light.

Serial is 16875

Further, I don't believe any (never say never) grade 2 guns were produced with roll-stamped lock plates and hammers... hammers maybe, but not lock plates. Grade 2 guns, again, had birds engraved on the lock plates and bottom of the frame. Grade 1 guns had no birds or dogs (or any other animal) engraved. I know this seems like a broad statement but it is as close to factual as my experience tells me.





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Dean, 12083 was listed as a 12 ga D2 lifter and it had roll stamped locks and hammers. See pics in my photos. Jim

In the era that this gun was produced, grade two guns typically had sculpted bolsters, damascus barrels, 3 point checkering patterns and light engraving including knick-dot botders with some flourishes of scroll. The game birds on grade 2 guns came later.

I made my statement about Grade 1 Damascus guns after I thought I had read a five digit serial number starting in #4. There are Grade 1 Damascus guns in the forties, but this gun is obviously not one of them.

Two of the 7 guns I received from Austin which he had bequeathed to the PGCA were Grade 1 Lifters with Damascus barrels. I do not remember the serial numbers of those guns, nor did I record them anywhere.
He had given them to us to serve as examples of transitional features of function only, not barrel steel types, so these can not serve as examples of 'unusual' as regards the barrel steel.





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