Calvin,Gutta Percha is the material Parker used back in the day to make their buttplates and grip cap,s. I was an easily moldable form of rubber.A little softer than bakelite.
Gutta percha is a rubberlike gum obtained from the milky sap of trees of the Sapotaceae family, found in Indonesia and Malaysia. Once of great economic value, gutta percha is now being replaced by plastics in many items, although it is still used in some electrical insulation and dental work. The English natural historian John Tradescant (c. 1570-1638) introduced gutta percha to Europe in the 1620s, and its inherent qualities gave it a slow but growing place in world trade. By the end of World War II, however, many manufacturers switched from gutta percha to plastics, which are more versatile and cheaper to produce.
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"Much care is bestowed to make it what the Sportsman needs-a good gun"-Charles Parker
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