G 16/30

[Bruce Day]

So we know this gun was special order only at an extra $15, plus $80 for the base gun, for a total of $95, a lot of money in 1885. Why it is uncheckered is unknown, and not in the gun's order records.

Following are photos of the appropriate level of disassembly .

Several matter are apparent, and I'll be over explanatory for Parker people so that novices might be helped.

Note the SN on most parts including the trigger guard bow and stock inletted channel. That is a factory mark and if not there, they are probably not factory.

External hammer Parkers are easier to disassemble than internal hammer Parkers.

I was able to pull out very little oil from the stock head using a hair dryer. Because of this I conclude there is little oil soaking and no need to immerse the head in a solvent. Nothing is soft, I cannot dig a fingernail into the wood, everything is solid. There is a tiny crack at the end of the right lock, turns out it is a surface crack only....I'll put glue on it and leave it alone. I was able to get out less oil than expected.

There are two cracks on the grip , one on each side emanating from the internal step in the frame tang inletted channel. I can't get these to spread open, they do not extend laterally across the channel, so I 'll simply glue these on each side without trying to dig out the crack line, and let it go at that.

Of some puzzlement are the locks. Look at the sear arms, the half round pegs that extend laterally and contact the top of each trigger block. The left sear arm is considerably worn. The trigger felt normal, the hammer locked fine, but the left sear arm is worn although normally the right gets more use. I think I'll just leave it alone but watch for inadvertent doubling.

The rest of the frame components are fine, photos are shown, I'm not going to completely disassemble them, and they are sufficiently cleaned and ready to be put back together.

[Mills]

Was it originally uncheckered or has the checkering worn off?

[edgarspencer]

Originally Posted by Bruce Day

Parker Bros 1882 Catalog:

Thanks for that Bruce. I wonder how long the policy was held that 8, 16 & 20 guns were only special order.

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

I just disassembled a 20 ga. lifter with serial no. 10165.

And a 16 ga. lifter with serial no. 23243.

Both have lightening cuts.

Are you parting them out because you've run out of room for these. You really are a bum, ya know.

What is the highest known serial number of an 0 frame with cuts?
Also, it would be great to find two guns, close in SN, where one has them, and the other does NOT, and then see if the order book information suggests that the customer may have made the decision whether to have the gun built either way.

[Bruce Day]

Occasional examples of uncheckered Parkers can be found in both hammer and hammerless eras, although uncheckered Parkers are more common in lifter action guns.

Uncheckered Parkers are common in lifter actions, uncommon in top action hammer guns and rare in hammerless ones.

I have never seen an originally checkered Parker with severely worn checkering that did not have some remnant of checkering left . Sanding off checkering will also always leave a depressed surface that is particularly noticeable on the forend.

[C.O.B.]

Angel our guns are very close together does yours have the lightening cuts? Does anyone know if it (the lightening cuts) was a special order. I believe my lifter is in the 13000 serial number range and has the cuts.

[Angel Cruz Ortiz]

Rich, mine does not have the lightening cuts.

[Richard Dow]

Great find Bruce.

[Dean Romig]

Lightening cuts were not an option for special order, however, if a 16 or 20 gauge gun were ordered to be "light", or some other adjective with that meaning, Parker Bros. would most likely machine those cuts in the water table for the weight reduction specified. I believe 16 and 20 gauge guns of this description must have been relatively common and were probably kept in stock for this reason.... No, I have seen no evidence of this being done but I have letters on three of mine which were ordered and shipped within only a few weeks of the order date.

I have never seen lightening cuts on a 12 or 10 gauge Parker... has anybody seen an example of this?

[edgarspencer]

These guns are a pleasure to own and shoot, but there are so many variables, It's a little difficult for me to make any assumptions about Parker's thinking. We've been talking about 0 frame guns, but I assume there were also 1 frame 16ga. guns. Also, there were Grade 1 guns in 16ga, so were there the same lightened vs unlightened examples? I know there were grade 0 guns with lightened receivers, since I had one, now in Dean's care, but that one is a lifter.
I wish someone could determine why one gun may have been lightened and another not. Was it Parker's decision, or customer ordered. Are there sufficient records, either from the order book or stock books to give us a hint?
There are two guns out there that I may be able to buy (one or the other, but probably not both) One has 28" barrels, and the other has 30" barrels. Oddly, the 30" barrels have a lighter unstruck weight than my 26" gun, and, no, my 26" is not bobbed.
Questions, Questions.

[Dean Romig]

Edgar, I also have or have had three Lam-1 16 gauge T/A hammer guns on the 0-frame with the lightening cuts.