Guns with the "O" prefix

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

What is the earliest parker with an "O" prefix, when did they start to show up? I know they used "B" "A" "C" on some guns. This is a nice little 12gauge chambered for the 12-B shell,It has Decarbonized Brls, measures 1-1/8 between the firing pins, Ser # 029, a few photos, Gary

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Couple more

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

three more

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

one more

[Brad Bachelder]

Gary

We are currently restoring #57, no prefix just #57. Same specs except it is 14 Bore.


Brad

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

I have a wild guess about the prefix guns, Were the O prefix done during a certain time period and the A during a certain period, same with the B and so on. I have A1943 which is a 32" Damascus 12 bore Back Action, O Prefix up to Ser# 1000 and A Prefix up to Ser 2000 B up to Ser 3000, give me some feed back, and lets put some numbers out of early back action guns, Gary

[Scott Fox]

I have O1416, Back action W/ Decarbonized Barrels.

[Jim DiSpagno]

serial # 2422 preceded by a B

[charlie cleveland]

i got a 11 ga that is serial no in the 1500 range will have to get it out of the corner to see if it has a prefix of some kind...charlie

[David Noble]

o1248 10ga decarbonized

[Bill Zachow]

Gary, I do not think your theory on the use of alpha prefixes is going to work because Parker Bros intermixed O, A, and B throughout the serial number run data I have from serial 19 to serial O2696. There are Os with 2, 3, and 4 digit serials, As with 3 and 4 digit numbers, and Bs with only 4 digit numbers. These are all back action data and I have info on 51 guns. Hope this is helpful. Bill

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Yes Bill, It puts to bed my theory, Just trying to figure out why? There is no rhyme or reason for the way they did it, Bill what is the highest serial # back action you know off? Gary

[charlie cleveland]

i got the 11 ga out of its corner the serial no is 01500.....charlie

[Bill Zachow]

Gary, the highest back action gun I have data on is O2696. The highest B gun is B1734 and the highest A is A1720. Bill

[Mills Morrison]

This is B1217. This would make a good Parker Pages article, if someone had a good theory

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Bill, I agree with Mills this would make an interesting and ongoing discussion in the Parker Pages, Who know maybe we can get to the bottom of this mystery, I will check all my guns and post any prefix guns, Gary

[Mills Morrison]

Didn't Parker have independent contractors building guns back then? I wonder if each contractor had a different mark? Could it have something to do with frame size? Grade?

[Bill Zachow]

As far as I can determine, back actions were built with frame sizes 1 and 2. I think I have one of each.

[Mills Morrison]

I bet you the letters have something to do with the contractor who worked on the gun

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

I checked my guns today and here are the numbers, B 2349, B 258, 0 29, B 1147 and the most interesting T 4412 The T is in capital letter could be twist but it is inline with the numbers and the same size?go figure, Gary

[Dean Romig]

I wonder if those prefixes could have something to do with how the chambers were cut...?

A and B would make sense and the T could possibly refer to a Tapered chamber.

Unfortunately I can't think of one for the O