Damascus w Vent Rib questions....

[James Palmer]

I am looking at a DHE with Damascus barrels and a Vent Rib. Not in the book and it doesn't seem as if records are available for the gun. The serial number puts manufacture around 1924. What are the things to look for to check the vent rib for originality?

Would the vent rib add to value? Where there many DHE Damascus with vent ribs?

12 ga

Any help appreciated.

James

[Dean Romig]

Good pictures of your gun's rib - from the top, from the side, at the ramp, at the muzzle, the roll stamp marking on the rib. These are all areas where the rib may or may not be identified as original.

[James Palmer]

Thanks Dean. It may be a situation where I need to purchase on the spot. What exactly am I looking for?

J

[Dean Romig]

Generally, Parkers with factory installed vent ribs or flat ribs had a flat top standing breech.

A factory installed vent rib will not have been installed on top of an original matted rib.

There are at least two types of original rib ramps - one with a wedge cut into the ramp and one without but these both have flawless factory finishes where they are actually an integral part of the doll's head.

Most original factory fitted vent ribs had the last three digits of the gun's serial number stamped on the underside of the rib, generally between the second and third post from the breech end and only visible with the use of a mirror.

There are other identifying features that come only to the practiced eye which are difficult to describe here.

I wish you luck.

Rich Anderson has a 16 ga. GHE Damascus with an original vent rib. Maybe he can show you close-ups of his.

Best, Dean

[James Palmer]

Very helpful. Thank you.

[Scott Janowski]

No roll stamping on top of rib, it will be hand engraved. TPS lists aprox 407 vent ribs guns in all grades and gauges. There are some books missing from the mid to late 20's at the time vent ribs became widely available. Even so it is safe to say any original vent rib is rare, the fact that Damascus barrels were special order after vent ribs were introduced makes them very rare IMHO.

[Bill Murphy]

Knowing the serial number would help. The first vent ribs may have been installed on standard frames rather than flat top frames. Of course, a retrofitted vent rib barrel set doesn't detract from the value very much, if it was installed by Parker Brothers.

[Bruce Day]

CH 12. Its been regularly carried in the field.

[Dean Romig]

Thank you Bruce.

Does that gun have the flat top frame?

[Bill Murphy]

It doesn't look like a flat top frame. Maybe Bruce would tell us what the configuration was when the gun was made.

[Scott Janowski]

BD Thank you for posting pictures of your C Grade! On page 508 of TPS it lists Bernard barrels last Cataloged in 1919, when was your gun made?

[Bruce Day]

While I have several Bernard C's, that one belongs to a friend. That is about an 1889 gun sent back to Parker to have a trap fore end made, reinforced loop added, and ventilated rib installed.

Ventilated ribs started appearing just after World War I. There are a number of Parker Damascus guns retro-fitted with ventilated ribs and/or trap fore ends.

The last known Bernards were made in the early 1920's, however, Bernard barreled Parkers after about 1906 are rare.

[Bill Murphy]

I have guns with ventilated ribs that were full barrel sets installed after the gun was made, but there is good reason to think that sometimes just the rib was installed on existing barrels. Thanks, Bruce.

[James Palmer]

Thanks to all who helped. The rib was hand engraved and the last three of the serial number were on the underside.

...and thanks to the forum for a place to access this information.

Unfortunately the barrels and receiver had been blued but I guess you can't have everything!

J

[Scott Janowski]

Bummer!