"Fish Tail" barrel release lever.

[Hammer Gun]

Gents, check your hammers I have a couple guns that have the hammer on the right side ground out! but yet they still have "fishtail levers". This work was obviously done at the factory because they are identical in location of the indentation. and several thousand serial numbers apart. I will check further to see the frame size both are 12 ga.

[Austin W Hogan]

Serial Number Frame Size Lever Type Opens When Right Hammer Cocked?

26145 1 Straight Yes

31747 1 Straight Yes

39315 1 Straight Yes

46024 3 Straight No

51702 3 Fishtail Yes

55036 2 Fishtail Yes

59569 2 Fishtail No

69017 1 Fishtail No

159157 2 Fishtail No

Best, Austin

[Austin W Hogan]

Originally Posted by Austin W Hogan

Serial Number Frame Size Lever Type Opens When Right Hammer Cocked?
I often cite the big safety factor of the Parker lifter gun is that it can be safely opened with live rounds in the chambers, and the hammers cocked. It appears that this feature
was continued through early top actions, but ceased somewhere around s/n 40000.

Serial Frame Lever Type Opens With Hammer Cocked?

26145 1 Straight Yes

31747 1 Straight Yes

39315 1 Straight Yes

46024 3 Straight No

51702 3 Fishtail Yes

55036 2 Fishtail Yes

59569 2 Fishtail No

69017 1 Fishtail No

159157 2 Fishtail No

Best, Austin

I will add two notes to the table: 59569 does not have its original hammers; it does not open with grade three hammers, but does open with the hammer from 55036.
There was a change in hammer design and profile around s/n 30,000. 26145 has the same hammers as all lifter guns; 31747 has the later t/a grade 0,1,2 hammer profile.
This table is a small sample but it seems to counter all the rules; the three one frame straight lever guns do open, but the single three frame straight lever does not; Two fishtail lever guns open; three made after the beginning of hammerless production do not. It may be that changes to the bolt retraction bell crank mechanism may acount for the problem, and the fishtail was a partial cure.
I have just re read Charlie's pages 112 -113 and 126. His quote of the C customer's request for a bent lever verifies that Parker owners were aware of the problem and that the fishtail bend was the percieved cure. Get well Charlie; your caveats cover all of the deviations in this table.
Best, Austin