Unfinished Barrel (in the white)

[toddbaughman]

I got this 3-4 years ago. Supposedly, the original owner worked at the plant and bought it / took it home when they closed down. I know these "in the white" barrels have been discussed, but I haven't seen photos of one.

It is a 1 1/2 - frame, 26 inches long, 3 lbs. 12 oz.
Chokes are .690 and the chambers have not been cut - currently .715".
Rib is super wide, going from .552 at the breach to .362 at the muzzle. No matting or beads on the rib. Dolls head has not been fit. Ejectors are in place but not completely fitted and no retaining screw-hole has been drilled.

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p159/baldferd/16%20Ga%20Sterlingworth%20Barrels/Unfinished%20Parker%20Barrels/DSC_0108.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p159/baldferd/16%20Ga%20Sterlingworth%20Barrels/Unfinished%20Parker%20Barrels/DSC_0106.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p159/baldferd/16%20Ga%20Sterlingworth%20Barrels/Unfinished%20Parker%20Barrels/DSC_0107.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p159/baldferd/16%20Ga%20Sterlingworth%20Barrels/Unfinished%20Parker%20Barrels/DSC_0105.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p159/baldferd/16%20Ga%20Sterlingworth%20Barrels/Unfinished%20Parker%20Barrels/DSC_0103.jpg

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p159/baldferd/16%20Ga%20Sterlingworth%20Barrels/Unfinished%20Parker%20Barrels/DSC_0102.jpg

[David Noble]

That was a great find of Parker barrel making history.
Is there a stamping on the barrel flats as to the type of steel?
Concerning the ejectors, there would not have been a retaining screw in the lug area like there is with plain extractors. The ejectors were contained by the dovetailed plate in the end of the yet to be installed doll's head. It's interesting that the rib is laid all the way to the end of the breech and is notched. That doesn't jive with my understanding of the attachment of the dolls head. The latest Parker Pages has an article about Parkers barrel manufacturing process, perhaps it will explain the method. I'll check on it tonight.

[toddbaughman]

No other markings on the barrels. They are definitely fluid steel of some kind. Obviously no overload proof mark, as there are no chambers. Only marks are the B, 1 1/2, and #3 12 stamps.

The barrels and the rib are both rough with light, almost pebble texture as you would expect from raw unfinished steel.

It does not have the "short rib" that goes for 1-2 inches from the breach and then meets at an angle cut with the rest of the rib. Did Parker continue to make ribs this way or did they change later in production?

Could it be for a Reproduction? I think they were made with a full length rib and a screw-in doll's head. But how would it have gotten to the US unfinished?

A Repro wouldn't fit the story I was told of the original owner having it for 40 years, but without an eye witness it is just a story. All of the stamps look like my original parkers.

[David Noble]

Reproduction sounds plausible. There was an unfinished, in the white set of Winchester/Parker barrels in an auction a few months ago, so some must have made it over here.

[Paul Ehlers]

I just got out an early Remington era VHE-20ga but still made in Meriden. The barrels still have the short rib and the reinforceing rod that can be seen through the matting.

I then looked at two repro's one a 20ga the other a 28ga. Both of these have the top ribs that look to be solid one piece all the way to the breech face. Similar to the pictures shown of the barrels in the white.

I'm wondering if Remington changed the manufacturing process on the ribs after they moved production to Illion? It's always been my understanding the repro's were based off of late Remington era made guns. This may explain why these barrels look similar to repro barrels. You did state in your story that a factory worker brought the barrels home at the end of production.

Who has a late production Remington gun they can look at?

Just an idea!!

[Bill Murphy]

The unfinished barrels like the original poster's set mostly came from Frank Lefever and Sons, who bought them from Remington. The reason they have no "steel type" marking is that Remington barrels did not have those marks. Different steel types ended with the Remington takeover. Repro barrels were not marked with weights. These are Remington Parker barrels, not Repro barrels.

[Dave Suponski]

Here is a set of unfinished 12 gauge Meriden barrels for an extractor gun for comparison.

[Dave Suponski]

Couple more....