(Original fluid steel barrels replaced by new Damascus)

[StubTwist]

I’m posting in the form of a question to the group in the other extreme. I have been reading on some of the old postings original Damascus replaced by fluid steel barrels. Below is a quote where Don is helping explain to the original poster why his GH manufactured in 1900 has Parker Special Steel. The whole thread can be found here http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthr...light=supplied


As I stated, Parker Bros introduced Parker Special Steel barrels for the GH in 1908, a full 8 years after your gun was made. It doesn't take much "out of the box" thinking to realize that the gun most likely went back to Parker Bros and the original (likely damaged or severely pitted) 1900 Damascus barrels were replaced by the then current fluid steel barrels some time after 1908. I own (or have owned) no less than 6 Parkers that this happened to (original Damascus replaced by new fluid steel barrels) and the factory records bore these conversions out. Send for a Research Letter on your gun and if this happened before 1919 there will likely be a record of it. I will also show your gun left the factory in Meriden, Conn. as a Quality D2 or GH with Damascus barrels. Anyway, those are the facts.

So based on what I have read thus far is that the factory in Meriden would supply new fluid steel barrels for the customer for an older gun that was originally ordered with Damascus. I have no idea but based on Don’s comment of owning or have owned Parkers with this conversion; it may have been a common practice to do this.

Now to my original question with a couple of scenarios. We are in the mid 1920’s and a customer wants to buy a new GH Parker but wants it ordered with Damascus barrels instead of the Parker Special Steel. Customer supplies the barrels. Second, a customer in the mid 1920’s has a fluid steel gun, say a VH or a Trojan whose barrels got severely damaged. Money is tight and can not afford “new” fluid steel barrels for replacement so the customer supplied the factory with his own Parker Damascus barrels to repair.

I may be off on how to hypothesize different scenarios but I think everyone gets the idea – I hope. Anyhow, how often do we see Parkers that are supposed to have been ordered only with fluid steel barrels and have Damascus barrels instead?

Frank

[Dollar Grade]

Frank,
Check out Bruce Day's posting of the 1924 AHE with damascus bbls. Parker still had some damascus barrels available at least into the 1920's. I have a DHE 12ga built in 1928 with damascus bbls (which is the latest known). By that time period they may have charged a premium for the damascus barreled guns. I don't have any of the catalogs from the 20's but some of the other guys do. Damascus bbls may have not been listed in the catalogs but could have been special ordered. One of these days I will get around to ordering a research letter on the DHE.

Also, I have seen a VH with non original damascus barrels (that gun may still be on Leroy Merz's website). They may have been fitted at the factory. Can't remember if the serial numbers matched.

Kurt

[Bruce Day]

Jim's Trojan ordered new with Twist barrels instead of fluid steel.

Iver Johnson Gun and Bicycle Company ordered about 25 in this configuration.

Another friend has a VH ordered new with Twist barrels.

Frank, your question was specifically about Parker replacing fluid steel with damascus barrels. I am not aware of any such guns, but I am aware of guns in which composite barrels were requested when the gun was normally supplied with fluid steel. My unawareness is not determinative to your question.

[Double Play]

Originally Posted by Frank Cronin

Now to my original question with a couple of scenarios. We are in the mid 1920’s and a customer wants to buy a new GH Parker but wants it ordered with Damascus barrels instead of the Parker Special Steel. Customer supplies the barrels. Second, a customer in the mid 1920’s has a fluid steel gun, say a VH or a Trojan whose barrels got severely damaged. Money is tight and can not afford “new” fluid steel barrels for replacement so the customer supplied the factory with his own Parker Damascus barrels to repair.

Frank

Frank,
It is my belief that Parker would install customer supplied or Damascus barrels they had in house at a customers request. Below is a picture of an AHE that was ordered with 30 in fluid steel barrels but came to me with the original barrels as well as a set of grade 7 Damascus barrels. Look closely at the fit at the breech and how the barrel wedge engraving matches that of the frame and tell me this work was not done in the PB factory. Here is a link to the forums archive section to a post I made a while ago that has more pictures and information about the gun.
http://parkerguns.org/archive/parker...rum1/6990.html

[Dean Romig]

WOW, Bruce, a single trigger too...

[Jim Kucaba]

Larry ... What a MAGNIFICENT piece ... With Acme steel and Damascus barrels to boot ! It's a gun to be proud of ... A gun I'd never part with if it was mine.

Jim Kucaba ... AriZOOna Cactus Patch ... Email: JimKucaba@aol.com

[Autumn Daze]

He won't if Debbie has anything to say about it!......