Frame size

[Kirk Potter]

I don’t have my copy of TPS handy, are the hammer gun frame sizes equivalent to the hammerless?

I’m thinking about a top lever/fluid steel project.

[Jim DiSpagno]

Yes but to be sure, measure between firing pins center to center

[Kirk Potter]

Another question.. Are 1.5 frame top lever guns at all common?

[Dean Romig]

1 1/2 frame guns are very common after about 1900 or so.

All Parker frame sizes are measured primarily by the firing pin spacing and all other frame dimensions follow that primary measurement.

Hammer and hammer less guns don’t necessarily share the secondary measurements but the firing pin spacing always does.





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[Jim DiSpagno]

I’m not sure but I’ve never seen a 1 1/2 frame top lever Hammergun made by Parker

[Dean Romig]

That’s correct Jim. I hope I didn’t give the impression that hammer guns shared the 1 1/2 frame size with the hammer less guns. It is strictly a hammerless frame size.




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[Jim DiSpagno]

No not to me Dean but less informed could misconstrue it that way.

[Kirk Potter]

That’s correct Jim. I hope I didn’t give the impression that hammer guns shared the 1 1/2 frame size with the hammer less guns. It is strictly a hammerless frame size.




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Thanks, that’s exactly what I was wondering.. I was thinking that if I could find a grade 3 top lever project with cut or badly pitted barrels, that a lighter 12 with fluid steel barrels would be an interesting project.

[Dean Romig]

“The Editor’s Gun” is just such a Parker. It is a 2-frame top lever hammer gun with a 30” set of Vulcan Steel barrels expertly altered and fitted to it. It was Austin’s favorite clays gun.





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[Kirk Potter]

I was thinking a 1.5 frame to keep it on the lighter side, and was hoping for 28” barrels. And 1.5 frame fluid steel barrels seem easy enough to find. Oh well, just a thought.

[Dean Romig]

The 1.5 frame barrels at the breech may be close enough that only minimal amounts of steel need be removed for a proper fit.





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[Brian Dudley]

1-1/2 frame hammer guns were not made. Therefore 1-1/2 frame barrels are not able to be used for this sort of project. 1 or 2 frame only if you are wanting to go 12g. Or even 3 frame could be an option.

If you want a fluid steel hammer gun, you can put hammerless barrels on the Top-Lever action frames OR the check-hook lifter transition frames. NOT on standard early lifters.

It does take some work to get the barrels fitted and the check-hook installed not he barrels and make everything work as it should. But it is what it is.

I do have a 1 frame check-hook lifter action and 1 frame Titanic barrels for it hanging around.