P grade serial 90###

[legh higgins]

I have a gun with markings on the barrel flats + + one on each side of hold down lug. Whats this mean?? Damascus steel.:shock:

[Brian Dudley]

I do not know if there is any consensus as to what the + stamps, found on various places, on parts means.
It does not mean the barrel steel. A "D" would mean Damascus. But a PH grade would be either Twist (T) or Parker Steel (P). With a number in the 90,000 range, it would be twist.

[Bill Murphy]

Damascus Steel?

[Dean Romig]

The meaning of the + stamp is unknown. It may be an inspector's mark as we see it on various places on Parker guns encompassing hammer guns as well as hammerless all over several decades of production.

There is more to the story of Legh's PH. It is a really nice-handling 12 gauge on a 1-frame but the real story is in the barrels and the Research Letter that supports those barrels. A short Parker Pages article with pictures would do it justice but first Legh needs to kill some pa'tridge and woodcock with it for a photo-op.