Here are a few pics of my Parkers...

[Dan Ratliff]

One is SN 9996 and the other one looks to be SN 101. Can that be correct?
Any information on these would be greatly appreciated.

[Dan Ratliff]

If additional pictures would be helpful, please let me know.
Thank you...

[Erick Dorr]

Dan,
SN 9996 is listed as a 0 grade 12 ga with 30" Plain Twist barrels and no extras as it left the factory.

SN 101 is a back action parker and there would be no surviving records. The barrel rib will tell the barrel steel. Probably "decarbonized steel" This would have been the lowest grade gun offered and was probably produced in the first year of production. What is the gauge and barrel length. Speculation aside what is engraved on the top rib? Can you post additional pictures?

Hope this is of some help.
Best regards,
Erick

[ed good]

#101! wow, thats gotta be a record?

[Dan Ratliff]

Barrel rib printing:
SN101
PARKER BRO's MERIDEN CONN LAMIATED STEEL

SN9996
PARKER BROS "MAKERS" MERIDEN CONN "PLAIN TWIST"

9996 looks to be 2" longer than 101

[Rick Losey]

great looking early guns

[Bill Murphy]

That #101 is a screaming Parker, obviously above the lowest grade. Go back to The Parker Story to see if you can find out whether your checkering pattern or engraving pattern appears in the book. We would like to see better pictures of the engraving on #101.

[Robin Lewis]

Parker 101 is indeed a screaming gun! More pictures would be very welcome indeed. This could be a special Parker. Can you give us some measurements too? The chamber size in particular, is it a 12ga or a 10ga or something else. They made some 11 gauges back in the day and I can only hope this might be one? What is the distance between the firing pins? Whats the barrel length? How is its stock butt finished?

Great gun!

[Brian Dudley]

What a great couple of guns. And a nice example of a back action gun in that number 101. And a nice low number! And either way you read it it is 101. There are some early guns. IE: T latch that is in the Meriden Historical Society is either 06 or 90 depending on how it is held.

For anyone not too familiar with Very Early Parker double shotguns. The guns in the current serial number range that we know them as today are made under the name "Parker Bros." These guns start with Serial number 1 and go up from there. Starting in 1869 when the company adopted the name "Parker Bros." However, Charles Parker's Gun manufacturing operation had been making Double Barreled sporting guns since 1866. The 1866 - 1868 guns can be divided into two different groups. Both with their own separate sequences of Serial numbers. Completely unique and different from the 1869 and up "Parker Bros." serial numbers.

The first group (starting at serial number 1) is the Miller designed T-Latch lifter guns. These were marked "Meriden Manufacturing Company for Chas. Parker". The earliest known serial number of the T-Latch guns (according to TPS) is number 27. Possibly number 09 (which was in the collection of Wilber F Parker Jr. and now at the Meriden Historical Society), however it could be serial number 90 since it is not sure fron what direction the number is to be red when holding it. As a note, I own T-Latch number 49.

The second group (again starting at serial number 1) was guns manufactured under the name "Charles Parker Maker". These guns were more like the "Parker Bros" guns in mechanical design. Both front action and back action designs were used, but most known were back actions. TPS states that no higher serial number number has been found than 27 of these guns. But they suspenct taht maybe no more than 40 were made.

Once the "Parker Bros." marked guns were manufactured (a third time starting with Serial number 1), the back action guns were first used and then phased out over the first couple thousand numbers or so. By 1874 the back action was not part of the Catalog offering. As another note... I own Back action number 1500 but also a front action with the earlier serial number of 1219.

An intersting thing about my back action number of 1500, or more specifically the number 1500 itself, is that in 1874 when the stock books were started, the first number preprinted in stock book 1 is 1500. But it is crossed out and an earlier number (1200 something) is hand written in its place. Many of the first numbers in the book were blank since by 1874, they were already up in the 4000's for manufactured guns.

The information of Parker's first guns is detailed in The Parker Story.

[ed good]

here are some pictures of #1079:

[ed good]

and 986:

[Dan Ratliff]

What pictures would be helpful?
I will be in and out today to check messages. I will be happy to provide any pictures that would help.
Thank you, again..

[Dan Ratliff]

Barrel length is 28 7/8".
distance between firing pins is 1"

[Dan Ratliff]

Here are a few more pics..

[Dan Ratliff]

one interesting thing I noticed is how the "s" on "BROs" is offset and smaller..... does this tell us anything about this particular piece?

[Dan Ratliff]

Forgot one other ?? that was asked.
a 12 gauge shell loads nicely. Is there a way to determine if this is an 11 or a 12 gauge?

[Dean Romig]

Dan, please post many more pictures of all aspects of No. 101

[Brian Dudley]

Oooh. Laminated steel. I love the look of those barrels.

[Dan Ratliff]

One of these Parkers has a pin that rises when you lift the lever to break it down, the other one does not. Also one can be snapped shut while the other one requires the "lift to be pressed to close it.
What is the difference between the 2 of these?

[Dan Ratliff]

Will try to add a few more pics of #101

[Dean Romig]

There are many differences between your two Parkers. The opening mechanisms are similar and are based on the same original design but the higher serial number gun has 'improvements' incorporated in its operation.

[Dean Romig]

Parker No. 101 is much more desirable to collectors both by its superior condition as well as by its originality and somewhat higher dollar grade than a basic Parker with decarbonized steel barrels.

[Dan Ratliff]

I am finding that out as I investigate each of them.
I am excited to learn about both of them.
I have seen that there is a vast wealth of knowledge on this site, concerning the Parker shotguns.

[Dennis V. Nix]

Congratulations on 3 wonderful Parker shotguns. The hammer checkering on the third gun does not appear to match. Do you know if one of the hammers has been replaced and if so, which one is the original?

Dennis

[Greg Baehman]

Regarding 101, look closely at the 2nd pic on pg. 1. Is that a crack through the wrist just behind the top strap?

[ed good]

101 is such a cool gun!

[Dave Suponski]

Parker 101 is a wonderful example of the deluxe grade backaction. I have seen and owned several backactions but I have only examined one other deluxe grade gun and its condition was no where near as nice as yours. Congratulations.

[Dan Ratliff]

Dennis
Thank you, however I have 2 of them... SN9996 and SN101..... I may have made it a bit confusing with the number of pics that I posted.

[Dan Ratliff]

Autumn Daze,
Thank you for the kind words. I have owned the other one for a few years but recently picked up the 101. It is in much better condition than 9996, but they are both works of art, in my opinion.

[Dan Ratliff]

Wild Skies
I took a close look at 101. It does not appear to be a crack. If it is, someone did a wonderful job to repair it.

[charlie cleveland]

i have a back action gun would have to look up the serial no i know its in the 4 thousand range serial no.its one of those guns marked plain steel on the barrel i think tps said these guns were made in 1875 with this type steel....mines a 10 ga bought it on gunbroker for a 12 ga....charlie

[Dan Ratliff]

with what we have seen on these 2 Parkers..... What would an honest value be on them? I know it is impossible to assign an exact $$ amount without a solid appraisal but a general idea?

[Jeff Bonadurer]

Hi Dan,

Very nice shotguns. There is a wealth of knowledge here on the PGCA forums.
I once knew a Dan Ratliff, he worked in the aviation maintenance field. Same Ratliff ? Thanks for posting the photos.

Best regards,

Jeff Bonadurer

[Dan Ratliff]

Jeff,
I am finding that out! Many helpful people with a wealth of information. It is MUCH appreciated.
Certainly not the same Ratliff. I was in the Military for 6 years but I was an Electronics Tech at NAS Norfolk then on board USS Abraham Lincoln.

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

A lot of the early back action guns are chambered for the 12b shell, Those are nice guns Dan you should be proud of them, Gary

[Bill Zachow]

Not meant to be a negative, but has the wood been refinished on 101? The reason I ask is because it looks too good, compared to the metal finish. By the way, I own back action 286 that I purchased from Austen Hogan around 15 years ago.

[Dan Ratliff]

I know very little about 101. I am under the assumption that everything is original, however I can not assure this. I was hoping that someone here would be able to shed a little light on this.
No negativity is perceived in the question. I thought the same thing. Being SN101, I was/am concerned about the authenticity.

(Edited by John Dunkle to conform to the rules of this forum. Thank you)

[Erick Dorr]

Dan, The 101 back action is a smashing gun. If "a 12 ga shell fits nicely," It is most likely a 12. This would make it a $110 Dollar Grade in the initial catalog which listed both the 11 and 12 ga at $110 in laminated or Damascus steel.

For $125, it listed the same gun in a 10 ga.

Below this grade was a decarbonized steel back action gun which was listed for $75

The fore end metal tip is plain without the raised lip. I have SN 1274, a later gun that has the raised lip on the fore end tip but with decarbonized steel barrels and much plainer checkering. My gun is more of a relic.

The checkering on you gun is surprisingly intricate and well executed but I am no authority.

You asked about the superposed "s" in "Bros" on the top rib and this is typical and in no way unusual.

Sorry, I can't help you with values on your guns and frankly I don't think you can expect any realistic evaluation on the internet. It would be necessary for someone examine the gun in hand and to know values to be of any help to you. If it were an 11 ga. it certainly would be more valuable and as a laminated steel back action this is a big plus.

Best Regards,
Erick

[Robin Lewis]

If you can, measure the nominal bore size of the barrels. A 12 ga should measure .729 and an 11 ga should measure .750. If they measure something else don't be to surprised. Just one test to try.

[Bill Murphy]

Many early 12 gauge Parkers have bores as large or even larger than .750. The bore is not a test for 11 gauge. The test to determine an 11 gauge gun is in the chamber. Since the chamber can be enlarged, that is not a reliable test. The order book or stock book is the last word and they are not available. If your gun's chamber measures 11 gauge, then the assumption would be it was built that way.

[Erick Dorr]

Bill, I'll bite what is the chamber size for an 11 gauge Parker?
Erick

[Dan Ratliff]

I am I Central, Ohio. Would anyone on here happen to know of a reliable source to have these 2 guns evaluated? Obviously the SN 101 is the main point of interest but I would like to have them each valued. I have been getting offers on them and would like to have an expert look at them.
As before.... THANK YOU for all of your help.

[Ray Masciarella]

Dan

If you are looking for a value and really want to sell them, why don't you send photos to the folks at Julia's auction house. I think they can give you an idea and let you know what they can do to help you sell them. You can then try to sell them here ( but you need to become a PGCA member) or sell them at auction. Hard to say which place would be better to sell. Could try here first and then put them in the fall auction if you have no luck. If I had any idea of what they are worth, I would give you my opinion but I can't help. Good luck.

Ray

[Dan Ratliff]

Once I am able to find out what I have here, I will join and post them. Right now I am hoping to accomplish 2 things. Determine the value and condition of these and, mostly share with you 2 more Parker Brother shotguns. I knew nothing about these when I bought my first one and still know very little after the second purchase. The more I learn, the more I WANT to learn. You all have been so helpful and I truly appreciate it.

[Harry Collins]

Jaqua's in Findlay, Ohio might be able to value your Parkers.

Harry

[Dan Ratliff]

Jaqua's... I will have to look them up..
Thank you for the information.

[John Dallas]

Agree with Harry. Ask for Nick,who is the owner