Aftermarket ejectors on 1900 DH

[Mike Poindexter]

Gents: I bought a 1900 DH with extensive carving and engraving beyond factory (although the factory stuff is really nice) and found aftermarket ejectors installed. The gun letters as a DH ordered from Washington State, and returned in 1917 for cleanup etc. I shot a round of clays and the ejectors work fine. The question is, who made them? I googled and found no patents or drawings that looked anything like the ones on this gun. Lots of milling, drilling, sawing and fitting to do this installation. Any insights would be appreciated. Best.

[John Campbell]

First, you have a very nice gun there. Be proud. Especially if the ejectors work!

But... to assess which type they may be, we need to see the ejector box (under the forend iron) or the other actuating mechanism. Have more photos?

[Dean Romig]

Lots of interesting and nicely done relief carving on the stock.

The engraving looks to me like very typical Grade 3 engraving for that period, with the exception of the wedges on the barrel breeches.

We'd like to see pictures of the top rib and the barrel flats. To me they look like what has been described to me as 'Belgian fluid steel barrels' using the lug from the original set of Damascus steel barrels. I have seen probably four Parkers, two Grade 4 guns and two Grade 3 guns, with what appear to be the same barrels, wedge engraving executed exactly like yours, and all.

Below is pictured a CH twenty-gauge that originally had 30" Damascus barrels. They were replaced with fluid steel barrels described to me as "Belgian." The wedge engraving on this set is much more elaborate than the other three I have seen. The others were engraved exactly like yours Mike.








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[wayne goerres]

If the barrels were replaced with Belgium barrels would there not be Belgium proof marks on the flats.

[David Noble]

Mike, this ejector system looks very similar to a DH(E) ser# 149011 that I own.
Here is a link to another thread from 2013 where we were discussing aftermarket ejector systems. My gun, which is very similar to yours is on page 2 of that thread. It has a picture of the ejector hammers and springs under the forearm wood.
I hope to find out someday just who's ejector system this is.
http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=12158

[Dean Romig]

If the barrels were replaced with Belgium barrels would there not be Belgium proof marks on the flats.

Not necessarily. If the tubes were imported to the US they wouldn't have been proofed.





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[Rick Losey]

remember that most of the damascus tubes used came from Belgium - and carried no Liege proofs

[Mike Poindexter]

David: Thanks for the link to the previous thread. I think our two aftermarket ejectors are the same design, if not the same installer. Definitely not the Wolfersperger patent. As EM used to say, "investigation continues." My barrels are original Titanic 30" with no strikeovers, and letter as such. Here are the flats. While they do not have a T stamp, they are almost identical to set of Titanic barrels from my C grade only two years later. Those flats are shown in the next pic. Both show the King inspection stamp and unstruck weight, but no T for steel type. A copy of my Parker letter is loaded as a pdf file at the bottom of my original post for anybody to open--it was too large to print out as an attachment. My impression is that, like today, back then there were probably a few dozen master smiths around the county who could do amazing things to guns. Most of their names are probably lost to antiquity. Thanks again, and thanks to all the other commenters for their input.

[Dean Romig]

The 4 stamped toward the breech end of the flats indicate the barrels or, in the case of the possibility of sleeved barrels, the 'breech block' were/was made for a Grade 4 or CH Parker.






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[Brian Dudley]

There was a period where many barrels do not have the steel type stamped on them. Usually when i see them, they are fluid steel.

I am not familiar with any sort of grade stamping being put on the barrel flats of Parker guns.

[Dean Romig]

You should be more observant Brian.
There is no grade numeral stamp on guns of grade 2 or lower but grade 3 and higher most definitely have the grade numeral stamped toward the rear of the right barrel flat. Maybe not on each and every one but certainly the vast majority of grade 3 and higher have the stamp.





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[Brian Dudley]

Yes, it appears that is correct. I did check a few grade 3 and 4 guns here and i did find reference to the marking in the Parker Story.
It is not something i had previously taken note of.