K stamp and barrel steel
The Kf stamp has also been interpreted as "King fecit" translated to "King made it" when he was Parker's barrel contractor in addition to being superintendent. I think the meaning is really "OK - King" that is it was his final inspection mark.
With respect to barrel steel the archive shows 15 V3 and two V4 beginning at 82225. These are the first fluid steel that is not Whitworth.There are no V2 shown.
Parker made an average of two D grades a week and 10 V grades a day. A majority of the V's were 30 inch twelve ga guns. It would seem to me that Mr King would have tooled up a separate machine to make all those 30 in V's. This would be a good reason to use a free machining ie faster cutting steel for the V barrels; although not necessarily for all of them.
Best, Austin
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