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View Full Version : Meriden Manufacturing T-Latch number 49


Brian Dudley
12-14-2013, 09:46 AM
By request of a member in another thread, here are some photos and some particulars on the T-Latch that I aquired recently. It is serial number 49.
Barrels are just under 28" long. Chambered for 12g shells.

The locks function great. The gun has been fitted with floating firing pins.
The bores are surprisingly in ok condition. Some shallow pitting and scoring, but overall shiny.

The breech is lose as all heck of course. It has no up and down movement really, but a ton of side to side play when closed.

The back half of the stock is not original. One can tell by the filling of old inletting behind the upper tang and in front of the trigger plate, that the stock was retrofitted from an old muzzleloader. Surprisingly, the action and locks sit into it pretty well.

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Brian Dudley
12-14-2013, 09:47 AM
29230

Brian Dudley
12-14-2013, 09:49 AM
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Brian Dudley
12-14-2013, 09:55 AM
Forgive the multiple posts. My I phone will only let me post one pic at a time.

Anyone else out there have T-Latch guns to share?

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Rick Losey
12-14-2013, 10:56 AM
nice find Brian,

I'd love to see it next time I stop by.

David Noble
12-14-2013, 12:19 PM
Here's a picture of my T Latch serial #70. I acquired this gun in the mid 80's. Externally it was in very good condition! The stock and forearm were excellent. The bores were dark but just lightly pitted. Unfortunately, I sold this gun around 2002 to raise money for something else. I never shot the gun because it had decarbonized steel barrels.
The extractor setup was very primitive! If you ever have a chance to examine a T Latch make sure to observe the extractors!
Perhaps Brian could photograph his for everyone to see. :)

Todd Kaltenbach
12-14-2013, 12:36 PM
I love the old T-Latches but they are difficult to find, I've only owned 2 of them although I am always on the lookout for another one. Attached are some pics of #480. For those of you who went to the NRA show at Houston earlier this year it was one of the guns at the PGCA exhibit.

Brian Dudley
12-14-2013, 12:41 PM
Yeah, the extractor are Very precarious on these guns. And of course, mine have been worked on before. Looks like they have been replaced.

Mine is pretty darn beat compared to the looks of the two additional ones posted.

I have debated on doing some repair work to the gun and fixing some of the serious issues like barrel fit and other things. But, given it is a gun that will never really be a shooter, it may not be worth the hassle.

Todd Kaltenbach
12-14-2013, 01:46 PM
I wouldn't shoot mine either, the ejectors fall right out of most of these guns and usually lost. Most of the T-Latch guns are in pretty rough shape.

John Gardner
12-14-2013, 03:33 PM
Very cool Brian, David, Todd. Thanks for sharing

wayne goerres
12-14-2013, 03:43 PM
Thanks for the pics Brian. If these were british guns they would be refured to as bar in wood. Being they are american are they still refured to as bar in wood.

ed good
12-14-2013, 03:55 PM
fix it, but keep its originality...very nice.

George Lander
12-14-2013, 09:06 PM
Very nice Brian: I have had two of these. It is my understanding that the barrels for these guns were made from Civil Way leftover musket barrels by Parker Snow & Co.

Best Regards, George

charlie cleveland
12-15-2013, 10:06 AM
love this thread some mighty neat guns here..what was the last serial no of these guns or close to it...charlie

Brian Dudley
12-15-2013, 10:40 AM
The T-Latch guns had a separate serial numbering system as the "Parker Bros" marked guns.
The highest number mentioned in TPS is 299. But Todd's number 480 has that beat by a bit. I do not think TPS provides any estimate as to how many were possibly made in total. They were only really produced for a couple of years, so I would wager that not many more than 500 or so were made.

And, the PP Parker found section does not address any T-Latch guns.

It is important to remember that there were three separate lines of double guns manufactured with three separate serial number systems.

All started at 1 and went up incrementally.

1: Meriden Manufacturing for Chas Parker T-Latch guns. 1866-1869
2: Charles Parker Maker guns. 1868/69
3: Parker Bros. Guns. 1869 and on.

Todd Kaltenbach
12-15-2013, 02:53 PM
Somewhere I read or maybe I was told that a T-Latch in the 700 serial range is the highest known, but I have never seen one with a higher serial number than my #480. My other T-Latch was in the 180s. I'm sure one of the PGCA members like Greg Schroeder would know.

bruce a lyons
12-15-2013, 04:27 PM
Congrats Brian. Its like and old Purdey. Fix that baby up!

Mills Morrison
12-15-2013, 08:21 PM
Very cool guns

Gary Carmichael Sr
12-24-2013, 09:20 AM
I have looked for a very long time for a decent Tlatch, had the opportunity to buy one in excellent shape in Louisville a couple years ago, but did not want to come off 5 grand for it wish I had now! How many of us have said that! Oh well next time, Gary

Todd Kaltenbach
12-24-2013, 11:58 AM
I understand completely, I sold my first T-Latch at the PGCA event at the Chantilly gun show and figured I'd just go out and buy another one, we'll after 8 years of searching I found my current one at the spring Tulsa show a few years ago, and I won't make that mistake again! My memory from the Louisville show is that you have some really nice hammer guns Gary, so I bet you'll eventually find a nice T-Latch if you are patient.

Gary Carmichael Sr
12-25-2013, 09:10 AM
Todd, I am a patient man when it comes to buying Parkers, but have gotten caught up in the moment a couple times if you know what I mean! Gary