Brad Bachelder's thoughts regarding the 'Diamond P' stamp 9-2010
“The diamond P remains to be an elusive mystery. What we have learned so far is a few commonalities. This mark appears on lifter and top lever guns, made around 1880. We have identified it on laminated, twist, and damascus barrels.
It generally is stamped on the right tube next to the extractor rod cut. In a few cases we have seen it on the forend hanger.
Quite often this mark is partially removed by machining. This leads me to believe it might be an acceptance mark, stamped after the initial barrel and lug assembly. Final fitting of the extractor rod clearance often removes some or all of the mark. The absence of braze in the mark also tells me that it was stamped after the lug brazing.”
Laminated Steel barrels produced by Parker 1877- c.1879 are in the 10,000-16,000 serial number range.
Note both the Diamond P and P on the flats
This is the gun Breck linked and the diamond P may have been lost when the repair work was done
