Damascus Vent Rib

[Joseph Ross]

Does anyone know how many Damascus Vent Rib guns were made ? Thanks.

[Dean Romig]

There is no table of vent rib guns that would tell us how many were installed on Damascus barreled Parkers. Not many, that's for certain.

[charlie cleveland]

i ve never seen one maybe somebody could post a picture of one...this would be a good find...charlie

[Joseph Ross]

Dean, thanks for the information. I have been looking for any information but have found nothing, now i know why. joe

[Dean Romig]

Rich Anderson has one he will probably show us again... Rich?

[Brian Dudley]

I saw one at last year's NE SxS that a member had. A real beauty!

[Drew Hause]

CHE Ventilated Rib courtesy of the 'Gold Towel Guy'

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/19025099/361027812.jpg

[Dean Romig]

And Bernard Steel no less!

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

That is one beautiful gun, and very rare! Gary

[George Davis]

I've been looking to purchase purchase one of several years and that slot in the gun vault is still empty.

[Rich Anderson]

Dean while I have several vent rib Parkers none are Damascus. Pack Puglisi had a DH/DHE I don't remember which several years ago and that's the only Damascus vent rib gun I have ever seen. I thought the addition of the vent rib came long after fluid steel barrels were the norm.

[Dean Romig]

I thought the addition of the vent rib came long after fluid steel barrels were the norm.


You're right Rich. A few must have gone back to have ventilated ribs retrofitted on composite barreled guns.

[Drew Hause]

When did Parker Bros. first catalog a Ventilated Rib on a double?

Hunter Arms introduced the Double Barrel Trap gun in 1920, and the 'Trap Package' included a flat beavertail forend (Schnabel forend available in 1922) with the reinforced barrel lug, Automatic Ejectors, Hunter One-Trigger, standard recoil pad, and two ivory sights. The ventilated rib on the Double Barrel Trap was introduced in 1925.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/17127707/241107963.jpg

Francotte (imported by Von Lengerke & Detmold) and Greener Single Barrel Trap guns were introduced in 1895 I believe with ventilated ribs. Lefever introduced a SBT with a solid rib in 1905, but Baker was the first major U.S. maker to offer a ventilated rib on their SBT in 1909.

The Prechtel SBT first appeared at the Cleveland Cartridge & Target Co. tournament in Cleveland, Ohio June 1897

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/19974446/391112033.jpg

[Dean Romig]

Thanks Drew, for that bit on Prechtel. He was a gunsmith/gunmaker who received his training working for Lefever. He lived in Cleveland and was very innovative in the gun business. I am working on a story of a Parker Grade-6 t/a hammer gun he did some unusual work on.

[Drew Hause]

Dean: I put my Prechtel infro down in the "Other Fine Doubles" section

Prechtel double courtesy of Tom Will

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/19974446/410793666.jpg

[Dean Romig]

Paker SBT's starting in 1917 had ventilated ribs. AHE 204548 was the first double to have a factory-installed vent rib and that was a 1923 gun. The 1923 catalog was the first to offer the ventilated rib.

[Dean Romig]

Now doesn't that look just like a Lefever?

Thanks Drew.

[Pete Lester]

There was a GHE 12ga "trap gun" that sold on the Cabelas website a couple of years ago that had Damascus barrels with a vent rib and they were also stamped overload proved if I remember correctly. I thought somebody on here bought it, it didn't sell for a lot of money.

[Bill Murphy]

The pictured Prechtel is a Lefever with Prechtel tweaking.

[Dean Romig]

Or it may be one of the ones he built from scratch while at Lefever or had Lefever send him parts and components in Cleveland.