The last Lifter

[Jack Cronkhite]

Hi: Does anyone know what the last lifter sn would have been? Thanks, Jack

[Jim DiSpagno]

Jack, best I could do was serial# 57645, Laminated barrels straight grip 12 gauge, 32" long Jim

[Jim DiSpagno]

Parker Story,page 111 lists last known lifter as 144937 32" twist 10 ga. capped pg

[Jack Cronkhite]

Thanks Jim. I need to spend a bit more time in the Parker story. I was looking for the exact info given on p. 111. The Serialization book does show the U action at 57645 with laminate barrels and the U action at 144937. Apparently there are 25 lifters that may exist between 1890 and the last one at 1907.

I am looking at one with only email pics. The SN is illegible on the trigger guard but, after asking, the seller reported SN to be 666XX. I ran through the book from 66600 to 66699 and found not one lifter.

The pictures are clearly of a 0 grade front action lifter with plain twist barrels, exposed hammers and ball pistol grip.

If it truly is 666XX then the book has an entry error. The gun would also place among the 25 after 1890 as 666XX for all 100 guns is 1891.

I have asked the seller to double check the number on both the frame and the trigger guard. Of course, the gun also has some issues, as many do at that vintage.

Even so, I may scratch the "itis" as it is getting itchy again.

Cheers,
Jack

[Bruce Day]

Ah, to be picky it's not really a lever on the under side of the action, like a Jones under lever is a lever. Parker termed the action "lifter action" and that's really what it is, a lifting bar.

Similarly it's not an under lifter either, since Parker made no side or top lifters.

I know, picky picky. Just using the Parker terminology.

[Jim DiSpagno]

Jack, 68315 is a 12 ga gr3 lifter w/26" bbls and pg

[Jack Cronkhite]

Thanks Bruce. Don't know what happened with lever. Must be a techno-gremlin on the keyboard. Good to be picky and use the terminology. Lifter is the correct term. The U in the serialization book shows Lifter (Under lifter opened). I will stick with Lifter. I do also like the under levers. Another interesting system. I have shot a few pheasants with an under-lever Boswell hammer gun. I have yet to shoot one with a Parker lifter, which will have to be remedied - maybe this season. Cheers, Jack
http://parkerguns.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=11300&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1319774450

[Jack Cronkhite]

My eyes are giving up for a while. Very tedious to run through column after column of H and T looking for an elusive U. Wouldn't a digital spreadsheet be wonderful for all the data in the serialization book. Anyway, here are the lifters I have found so far with only about another 150 pages to go to get to the last lifter. After that, a nice shot of scotch should be in order.

Starting with 57645 that Jim found (I did not go backwards and there may well be others before you hit the columns of U)

57645 58647 59858 61902 63424 64340 68315 70721 70722 71172

I'm sure there is something else I should be doing right now.

Cheers,
Jack

[Bill Murphy]

#104043 is Austin Hogan's old clay target gun, a 32" #3 frame 12 gauge lifter. Did I say ultra rare? It may not be the last lifter, but it has to be close. It isn't in the serialization book, but it exists. Sent to Shoverling, Daly, and Gales in a group of guns. Daly bought groups of closeout guns for $25.00 and similar prices. I would like to see the letter on the 144,XXX gun.

[greg conomos]

I sure wish I could buy a nice new Parker lifter .... 28ga. 30" straight grip. Just sayin'....

[Bill Murphy]

You would rather have Austin's old gun.

[Jack Cronkhite]

Okay, might need to visit the optometrist now. Eyeballs went pretty fuzzy scanning hundreds of columns for the last lifters. Or was it the scotch causing that. Parker Story speaks of 25 lifters after 1890. I did find 25 starting in 1891 and ending in 1907. Definitely have to add Austin's gun, since it exists in hand but not in the serialization book. The last 26 are an interesting bunch of lifters. (There is also 666XX yet to be double verified with seller)

Here they are. Eyes too fuzzy to fill in factory specs right now but maybe tomorrow. Cheers, Jack


Okay, here is tomorrow's edit. When saying "last", we know we can never be conclusive due to the occasional error and the missing entries in the serialization book. Anyway, here's what appears to be the case until proven otherwise by a gun in hand, like Austin's.


1891

64340 D3 U 0 C 10 32
66611 NIB - no that means not in book
68315 D3 U 0 P 12 26 Last 26" barrels

1892

70721 PT U 0 C 10 30
70722 D3 U 0 C 10 32
71172 D3 U 0 P 12 30

1893

77461 PT U 0 S 12 32
77462 PT U 0 S 12 32
77463 PT U 0 S 12 32 Last straight grip stock
78381 D2 U 0 C 10 32
79415 D2 U 0 C 12 32
79491 D2 U 0 C 12 32

1894

79578 PT U 0 P 10 32
79582 PT U 0 C 8 34 Last 34" barrels

1895

81280 D3 U 0 C 16 30
81882 D2 U 0 C 12 26
82435 PT U 0 C 16 28 Last 28" barrels

1899

90584 D2 U 0 C 16 30
91641 PT U 0 C 12 30
92135 D2 U 0 C 12 30

1901

102226 D2 U 0 C 12 30
104043 XX U X X 12 32 NIB (Austin's gun) Last 12 ga BILL, could you fill in the blanks?

1902

111658 PT U 0 C 16 30 Last 16 gauge

1904 (monster gun for 8 ga Charlie if he doesn't already have it)

127333 D2 U 0 C 8 36 Last 36" D2 barrels Last 8ga (sure would like to see this one)

1907

141222 D3 U 0 P 10 30 Last 30" barrels Last pistol grip
144078 D3 U 0 C 20 26 Last D3 barrels Last 20 ga
144937 PT U 0 C 10 32 Last known Lifter Last 10 ga Last 32" PT barrels Last capped pistol grip

[Bill Murphy]

Very interesting. I would like to see a letter or two on those late guns. Austin's gun is a real horse. It was his favorite skeet gun.

[greg conomos]

Thanks for posting that list.

[Jack Cronkhite]

List updated with specs and the known last this or that. If I screwed up any of it, point it out. Cheers, Jack

[Jack Cronkhite]

Okay, I bit the bullet. Internet is good or bad depending on point of view. The actual SN on barrel and frame and trigger guard is 66611.

The description of 66611 in the serialization book is not this gun. Is anybody keeping track of errors in the book for future update or publishing of an "errata" page?

The book says 66611 is D2 H 0 C 12 30

Gun in hand is 66611 PT U 0 B 12 27

A bit of a suspect length but it looks okay (barrels touching). Under magnification, the keel solder doesn't quite look right but if trimmed it was reasonably done. Factory 27 would be a rare length I imagine.
Right hammer is a replacement and poorly fitted.
Click on image for enlargement

[Chuck Bishop]

Both the order book and stock book show this gun as a hammerless 12ga. GH with Damascus steel barrels. The gun shown in the picture just doesn't make sense. It's got the pintel joint and keyed forend. The pintel joint came into being about S/N 5500 (1875) and the keyed forend was replaced by the new forend latch. The keyed forend ended about S/N 16222 (1879). This gun was probably made between 1875 and 1879. Show us pictures of all the S/N's and if you can, check the S/N's on the buttstock and forend wood.

[Jack Cronkhite]

Thanks Chuck. Interestingly 66611 can be viewed as 11999, also not in the book. Normally, the orientation of the numeral 1 can be determined by the horizontal line at the bottom and the serif at the top. Based on that, I have found the 11 stamped mostly in a manner to be read as 66611. But, in two instances, it is stamped to be read 11999 which would be from 1878, fitting the date range you gave. Here are the pics. What would you conclude? Regardless of SN, it is fairly decent and a 1 frame 12 to boot. Locks up tight and opens easily. Cheers, Jack

[Chuck Bishop]

Jack, the gun matches 11999. I think we had a drunk German stamping serial numbers that day! The barrels were originally 28".

[Jack Cronkhite]

Thanks Chuck. Nice that this little mystery is resolved. I will find a proper right hammer and live with 27" barrels. It is a light weight gun so should be an easy carry in pheasant habitat. Might not be this season, as I have others yet to be broken in. Cheers, Jack

[Bill Murphy]

To answer the question about Austin's #3 frame on the chart, it is a Twist gun marked as a true P grade. I must have missed Jack's comment that Austin's gun is the last 12 gauge lifter. It is really a great gun. I shot our last sporting clays league shoot with this gun. I can't see out of my right eye and always use a crossover gun in competition. Oddly, I shot my best score of the league year with the old lifter, even though it is choked a tight full in both barrels.

[Dean Romig]

Jack, the gun matches 11999. I think we had a drunk German stamping serial numbers that day! The barrels were originally 28".


The only correctly stamped serial number (11999) is on the forend key and the trigger guard strap.





.

[Kirk Potter]

Saw this lifter on GI and thought to myself, wonder what the latest # lifter was. Surprised when I searched on here to find their were some even made even later. Interesting.

https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/shotguns/antique-shotguns-cartridge/antique-rare-parker-bros-lifter-action-damascus-sxs-12-ga-shotgun-no-ffl-.cfm?gun_id=103002134

These old threads really are a valuable resource.

[Jay Oliver]

I have Lifter# 77463 that is believed to be the last straight stocked lifter. I is a 12ga. 3 frame 32" 12 gauge that weighs 10 lbs. It's one of my favorite Parkers that I shoot and hunt with.

When I first saw it on GunBroker, I knew it was a late lifter and went through the serialization book to see if there were any later straight stock lifters. Then I found the documentation on this or other threads.

This organization and forum is such a great resource!