Generally speaking, grades up to D (Quality 3) were routinely produced and inventoried to provide quicker turnaround for individual as well as 'bulk' orders. The higher the grade, the fewer were warehoused for obvious reasons of cost of production and individual gun specifications routinely ordered. Quality 4 guns (C grade) were generally produced only on specific order, although there are always exceptions, such as exposition guns made up specially for exhibits and samples taken on the road by salesmen such as DuBray, Stice and others.
The Quality 3 gun (D grade) was universally recognized as Parker's "break point" gun; that is, the profit realized from the sale of this grade made up for the expense of producing it and left a comfortable margin of profit at its offered selling price. The more expensive higher grades' return on costs of production fell off rapidly as the grades ascended, e.g., more expensive wood, stock carving and checkering, and extensive and more detailed engraving all combined to make delivery of the higher grade guns longer and more expensive to the maker.
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