Tell me about lifters

[John Truitt]

I have never really been into lifters before or 10 bores either. But one on the internet caught my eye the other day.
IMO she is an early gun with the cross pin for the forearm and the squarish breach face to barrel flat angle (90 degrees).
For those into these guns please share your thoughts on the guns of this era. Serial # is 11372. I think she is dated about 1879.
Thank you,

John

[Autumn Daze]

John, Lifters are wonderful guns and I think they are more comfortable to open then a top lever gun. Just my opinion but if I was going to buy one to shoot alot(And I know you are..) I would buy a later gun with the radius breech and longer frame with a check hook.

[John Truitt]

I have not seen many available with the longer frame and check hook. (only one I have seen for sale is listed at about $6000 or better)
I agree and think the radius is probably a better design. But the gun I am looking at does not have that feature.
Has anyone ever had one crack at the 90 degree area?

[Smoothebore]

John, I've read that the square frame was a weak point, probably explaining why Parker changed to a radius corner in later designs. I've never seen one cracked, but I suppose it's possible. I used to have many Lifters but am down to only two at this time. One is 4054, 12ga with the square corner frame. I only shoot light reloads that are easy on the gun and me, both. Also typical of the early guns, it has offset firing pins. The original offset pins were prone to breaking. I learned how to make them so I could keep all my guns shooting. If you break an offset pin I have plenty. Plus these will not break. My other remaining lifter is a 10ga, with the check hook and radius corner. With the introduction of the top action hammer gun, Parker still offered the Underlifters, but modified with the longer frame with check hook. This is where the firing pins also changed to straight, like on the top actions. I guess the straight pins could break, but they rarely did.

Dave

[John Truitt]

Mr. Purnell,
I have broken one of the straigth type firing pins.
My thoughts are that I figure the frame would have already cracked at this point in her life. I plan to only shoot her at two shoots a year. So she will not see the use my 12 ga see. I also plan to shoot some lower pressure loads ( I usually do not care about this).
Thanks for the heads up on the offset firing pins.

[Hammer Gun]

John, I have seen one square frame that was cracked, no telling how many thousand loads have been thru her, I personally would not worry about it, shoot low pressure loads, My two cents Gary the gun I saw was owned by a friend, I could not see the crack unless you looked close

[edgarspencer]

Had the barrels not been cut, I never would have sold my 16 ga. lifter. It was a lightened frame gun and very sweet to handle. That gun did not have the check pin, but did have the radius between standing breech and water tables.
I agree with Dave that the lifter is a nicer action and opening is very easy. Given the choice between a top lever hammer gun and a lifter, gauge for gauge, I'd much prefer the lifter.

[Bruce Day]

John, may I suggest you contact Gary Carmichael and see his collection? If you are interested in potentially acquiring a lifter action Parker, Gary's advice would be invaluable. There are some highly desireable, others not so. The lifter action is exceedingly ergonomic.

[John Truitt]

Bruce,

Thank you. I am not doing this for collecting reasons. I am interested in obtaining a D grade 10 gauge hammer gun to enter the ten gauge events at the Vintagers/ Southern/ etc events.
I am partial to D grde hammer guns. I perfer the looks of top lever guns. However I found a lifter D for a very reasonable price with long barrels in an overall weight that works for me.
Again I would much rather have a top lever but finding a 32 or 34 inch d grade at 9 and a half pounds can be difficult without spending more money than I want to put into it.

I am still on the hunt for a D grade top lever in #1, #2, or #3 frame with ruined barrels.

[Smoothebore]

John,

When you have it in hand and on your bench, you will be impressed with ingenious simplicity of the Lifter design. It only has a handfull of parts.

Dave


Other than screws to get her apart, this is all that's inside.