#4 frame higher graded hammer guns were generally made at 11 pounds and were made for pigeons, not waterfowl. Later in the life of these guns, they were probably used more for waterfowl than pigeons. The "11 pound ten gauge" era in competitive pigeon shooting was a short one, generally ending in 1889 or 1890 when Parker Brothers provided their company sponsored shooters with the new hammerless guns, for a short time in ten gauge, soon after with twelve gauges. For whatever reason, probably a change in the rules of the game, the hammerless tens were not as heavy as the previous generation of pigeon guns, and the twelves complied with an even more restrictive weight rule. Our flyer expert, Don Kaas, can give us the particulars of the rule changes. Many of the PGCA letters on the 11 pound #4 frame top lever guns of Grade 3 and above will indicate a buyer whose name we may recognize as a competitive shooter, and some will show a substantial discount in price, indicating a shooter assisted by Parker Brothers.
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