All Original Grade 3 Top Lever

[Tom Jay]

Took my top lever Parker, handful of RST Maxi Lites and setter Max out this morning for a training session with a few roosters. After training grabbed a few photos of the family heirloom, an unmolested 1887 Grade 3 Parker top lever (fishtail) 12 gauge, 28", Cyl/Cyl. Been in the family since new, 130 years and 4 generations. Some case color remains as you can see from the photos. There is the prerequisite setter on right side and pointer on left. There are 3 what look like turkeys walking/standing or maybe ugly pheasants on the bottom. Had a beautiful time today. Life's good.

[Dean Romig]

That's got to be about the best looking setter I've seen on a hammer gun.

The one on the right lock plate that is.... course Max is a fine looking setter too!





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[Ed Blake]

Awesome gun. Have you miked the bores? I'll bet you'll find the chokes tighter than cylinder and the bores about .750. #1 frame?

[Brian Dudley]

It is hard to beat a gun like that!

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

A fine piece! You must be proud to own it! Gary

[Brett Hoop]

Such a wonderful Parker and 130 years in the same family is fantastic. When I read or hear of a gun like this I can't help but envision something a like an evolution line. Thanks for sharing.

[Rick Losey]

as everyone else has said - gorgeous gun - what a proud piece of family hisstory

and I love that last shot with Max - once again- I am reminded of the title of one of George Bird Evans books that I always thought summed things up succinctly

"A Gun, A Dog, and Time Enough"

[Dean Romig]

And rarely do all three bless us at the same time.





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[CraigThompson]

I am reminded of the title of one of George Bird Evans books that I always thought summed things up succinctly

"A Gun, A Dog, and Time Enough"
Sad to say one NEVER has "time enough" 🤔

[Tom Jay]

Bores mic out at .737. According to the Letter, the barrels came cylinder from the factory on a #1 frame

[Garry L Gordon]

Thanks for sharing the pictures. What a knockout gun!

[Eric Grims]

I am curious about how much this gun weighs with a number one frame? Beautiful gun!

[Tom Jay]

Eric, If you would have asked the question yesterday I could have given you an answer to the gun's weight. However I shipped the frame and a newly purchased set of 30" barrels to Brad Belchelder yesterday to have the barrels restored and fitted to the gun. The unstruck weight of the original 28" barrels is 3 lbs 10 ounces.

[Eric Estes]

I had the privilege of seeing this gun in person the other day and it is even more wonderful than the pictures indicate. 4 generations of family ownership make it priceless IMO. It sure would be neat to see a PP article on it someday if possible.

[Tom Jay]

I mentioned to Dean a few months ago I'd write an article on my great-grandfather and his gun for the Parker Pages and I will, but just can't quite say when. Need to find time to do more research. Since I first received this gun's Letter a few years ago I've been researching more about him, Gilbert deLafayette Jay 1850-1829 (Kokomo, IN). Not only had he ordered this Parker in April 1887 and took deliver in October the same year, he also ordered a 16 gauge G top lever at the same time. But the G was returned to Parker for credit and resold several times according to the Letter for that gun. I imagined he ordered both and kept the one he liked best. He was also was a very active field trial breeder/owner of first generation American Llewellin setters. Breeding his Llewellin's to the likes of Dan Gladstone, Ch. Sioux and a few other Llewellin and Laverack notables. There's a heavy pedigree of breeding to Count Wind'em in his line of dogs. Count Wind'em fathered Count Noble, the premier American Llewellin field trial dog back in the mid-late 1800's. My Llewellin setter Max (a whole separate story), has lines that can be traced back to Count Wind'em as well. Sorry for being a bore but you can tell I'm proud to be the family caretaker of this Parker and Max, and both see a lot of time in the field.