How Rare is This ??

[Jack Cronkhite]

Sometimes one encounters a gun that has to come home no matter what. There is more to the whole story than just that but my curiosity is getting the better of me. Here is the rib that was factory engraved as a presentation piece to an early Canadian politician - Sir Frederick Borden. Research letter verifies the engraved rib. I wonder how often a rib was "personalized" at the factory. Hmmmmm......

[Brian Dudley]

Would have just been a special order with the factory.
I have a CH in the shop now that had a personalized engraved makers mark on it. And the gun letters that way.

However, what is interesting about the gun you posted Jack, is that the name looks Roll Stamped. Not hand engraved. If that is the case, that would be very unique.

[Jack Cronkhite]

Brian, the lettering looks exactly like the Parker Bros. Meriden lettering. So, not "engraved" then but "roll stamped". I thought it to be highly unusual. And if that's not enough, it has a Skeleton Butt Plate - first in my humble collection. Here's Mark's letter.

[Bill Murphy]

Regardless of its appearance, I would guess that the inscription is engraved. Brian, whose name is on the gun in your shop? It may be someone that can be identified.

[Jack Cronkhite]

The letter did say the order specified "engrave". Regardless of how it was accomplished, I'm thinking this to be a fairly important "Canadian" Parker. It has seen use and will take a few wild pheasants for me and then get tucked away for the next custodian.

[Rich Anderson]

What role did Frederick Borden play in Canadian politics? It would be interesting to research him. Either way it's a very unique Parker, congrats on your new adoption.

[Brian Dudley]

The name has a nearly identical font to the makers mark. And both match the style of font used on the Parker Roll Dies. However, if you look closely, the name has a few irregularities in the letters that may suggest hand engraving. It very well may be hand engraved and the makers mark roll stamped. If so, they did a heck of a job engraving the name.

Other examples of hand engraved makers marks, such as on vent ribs and Pigion Guns usually show a depth of cut and style that is clearly hand done.

The gun I have in the shop is a CH Bernard barreled gun that has or should I say HAD a fully engraved makers mark that has "Expressly made for J E Lawson" before the standard makers mark. All that is left now is the tail end of the makers mark since someone at some time did not like the personalized engraving and wiped it out along with half the makers mark and some of the rib matting.

I only know what it did say because of the factory letter.

[Dean Romig]

The B in Borden is different than the B in Bros. I agree with brother Murphy.

[Jack Cronkhite]

Borden was an important federal minister (also a cousin of Prime Minister Robert Borden) He had also been a doctor, an entrepreneur, a militia officer and finally a politician of considerable note. Sir Frederick moved Canada from a British commanded militia to a free standing army. Here is a link to a lot more info on Sir Frederick.

CLICK (http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/borden_frederick_william_14E.html)

[Bill Murphy]

My now famous "Jack Cronkhite" CH reunited Parker has two sets of Bernard Steel barrels with engraved names on each set. A local Parker collector and friend has a CH 34" Bernard Steel ten gauge with name engraved on the rib. When an extra set of 3 1/2" 34" Acme Steel barrels were built for this gun later in life, Parker Brothers engraved the name of the son (or grandson) of the original owner on that rib. I have not seen a letter on this gun and the owner is not much of a letter guy. Kevin McCormack wrote a DGJ article about a name engraved gun, a VHE 12 gauge. Alex Papp from RST had a name engraved pigeon gun at one time, if I recall correctly. The Seward Webb eight gauge B Grade hammer gun is name engraved. The assumption is that the two matching waterfowl guns built for Webb also have his name engraved on the ribs. So name engraved guns are out there but they are very scarce and are usually guns of character, name engraved or not.

[Dean Romig]

I am working on an article centered around a Grade-6, 12 bore, 1-frame hammer gun with a couple of very unusual features, one being the famous original owner's name nicely engraved on the smooth rib (no matting) along with the usual engraved logo. The letter discusses this feature along with the gun being returned to Parker Bros. a few times for 'this and that'. There is another undocumented special feature that the gun may even have been sent to England to be done.

[Bruce Day]

CH 12ga rifled bore:

" Mfg for C A Winship Palms California by Parker Bros"