Should I buy this? 12 gauge Parker.

[Andrew Duarte]

I would like a ballpark value. I’ve been told anywhere from $300-$1500.
Serial-52440
32 inch barrels. Couple dings no heavy pitting.
Any info on the gun and estimate on value would be greatly appreciated.

Andrew

[Dave Noreen]

Looks like a well used but not abused Quality B (Grade 5) hammer gun of about 1888 vintage. Should be worth all of that. the hammer screws appear to be replacements.

[Wayne Owens]

Worth much more than $1500.

[Tom Brown]

You did not give me your number. Thanks.

[Dean Romig]

Buy the gun.

Worry about everything else later.....





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[todd allen]

Very nice D Grade. If you can get this for $300 - $1500 This is a no-brainer.
I would like to see more pictures, and specs. BBL length, stock dimensions, chokes, etc.

[John Davis]

That's a nice gun. A decent B grade Parker is worth way more than $1500.00. IMHO

[John Davis]

At $1500.00 you could also justify a restoration.

[Andrew Duarte]

Thanks for the info. Tom I sent you my number.

[Dean Romig]

What price is the owner asking?





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[Ken Descovich]

Who ever told you $300.00 does not know there a$$ from a hole in the ground.

[Rick Losey]

Who ever told you $300.00 does not know there a$$ from a hole in the ground.

unless its the seller

in which case tell him he is an intelligent, kind and generous soul :rotf:

[Mills Morrison]

If anyone has pm'd you who the seller is, don't tell them unless you are not interested in the gun

[Drew Hause]

The 'DD' suggests the refinished barrels would be spectacular 6 Iron "Turkish"

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/19025099/353097842.jpg

[Dean Romig]

In the Parker Bros. catalog as "Finest Damascus."

Rarely, if ever, seen on grades below Grade 5.





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[jerry serie]

I have a 1882 Parker lifter Q 2 with DD barrels.

[jerry serie]

Has anyone confirmed whether the DD stamp is associated with upgraded Damascus barrels?

[Dean Romig]

The barrels themselves are not upgraded but a Grade 2 with DD barrels would seem to indicate the barrels had been replaced at one point in time.

Austin Hogan donated seven Parker hammer guns to the PGCA just before his demise. One of them was a Grade 2 with two sets of barrels. The second set added by Parker at a later date were beautiful 6-iron DD barrels... but again, they were added at a later date.

They weren’t an “upgrade” per se, but rather, just a set of barrels Parker Bros. had on hand that were used to fill the request. As I recall, they were short like 26” or 24”.





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[jerry serie]

The letter I received for 23089 from order book 12 does not indicate a barrel replacement and is as specified 30 inches. So, should I assume that these barrels are 6-iron "Turkish" Damascus?

[Dean Romig]

I don’t know in what year Parker Bros. adopted the use of DD (6-iron crolle) Damascus barrels but as I posted earlier, it is EXTERMELY unusual, even unlikely, that PB would have put them on grades lower than 5 (B) and even less likely that they would have been the primary barrel set on a Grade 2 gun.... but anything’s possible I suppose.

To know if those barrels are truly 6-iron crolle they would need to be refinished, at least in part, in order to count the ribbands.





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[Harold Lee Pickens]

Sure hope you have bought it!

[Brian Dudley]

It is a fine gun that many do not ever have the opportunity to buy. I do not know where the $300-$1500 range came from. But even the top end of that range is a steal for such a gun in that condition unless the barrels are junk, but even then it may be worth that.
I hope is works out for you.

[Drew Hause]

Very interesting Jerry. I tried to enhance the contrast of your image without much success, but there is definitely a crolle pattern with smallish scrolls; it could be 6 Iron. Could you post an image of a section of barrel with more contrast?

This is a 1878 Grade 2 with a 'D' and difficult to see large scrolls; likely 3 Iron "Oxford"

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/19406549/396444176.jpg

Another Grade 2 with 3 Iron

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/19406549/268458090.jpg

A 1874 $250 grade with 3 Iron "Oxford"

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/19406549/303255737.jpg

Another 1874 $250 grade with 4 Iron "Turkish"

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/19406549/329230230.jpg

$250 grade with 6 Iron "Turkish"

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/19406549/410730109.jpg

Unfortunately, I don't know if the flats had nothing, 'D', or 'DD'.
For what it's worth (not much) I believe the D3, D4, B, and DD or D6 marks started with the hammerless guns.

[Dean Romig]

Drew, I think that last opinion is worth quite a lot to collectors and historians of the Parker Gun.
As I stated earlier in this thread “I don’t know when the DD barrels began to appear on Parkers” and I examined the hammer gun Austin donated to the PGCA and the second set were stamped DD and were definitely 6-iron barrels. Don’t know what the donor gun was but if your opinion proves correct, which it probably will, Parker Brothers would have necessarily replaced the lug block.





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[jerry serie]

Thanks Harold, this might be the best I can do

[Dean Romig]

Jerry, usually the Damascus pattern and contrast is better seen in the section under the forend where it has always been more protected. It's nearly impossible to see the ribband welds in the picture you posted.

Incidentally, it's on a 1-frame making it even a bit more desirable to some.

In your third picture in your opening post, when enlarging the picture we can see daylight between the barrel breech and the breech face of the frame indicating it is a bit off-face. That is something that should be professionally addressed if doing a total restoration.



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[Drew Hause]

Thanks for trying Jerry, but I just can't be sure as to the pattern.
I think the pattern is similar to this 1877 Quality 2 which is 3 Iron

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/19406549/285440930.jpg

The plot thickens however, as the barrels appear to carry the Diamond P mark found on some c. 1880 Lifters

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/19406549/414457741.jpg

1879 Lifter with Laminated Steel barrels

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/19406549/392092460.jpg

Courtesy of Brad Bachelder 9-2010
The diamond P remains to be an elusive mystery. What we have learned so far is a few commonalities. This mark appears on lifter and top lever guns, made around 1880. We have identified it on laminated, twist, and damascus barrels.
It generally is stamped on the right tube next to the extractor rod cut. In a few cases we have seen it on the forend hanger.
Quite often this mark is partially removed by machining. This leads me to believe it might be an acceptance mark, stamped after the initial barrel and lug assembly. Final fitting of the extractor rod clearance often removes some or all of the mark. The absence of braze in the mark also tells me that it was stamped after the lug brazing.

[Steven Groh]

Very cool!

[Dean Romig]

I honestly don't think we'll ever see see 3-iron Damascus with the DD stamp.





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[Andrew Duarte]

Thanks guys ended up getting it for a good price. I think I’m just going to leave it the way it is.

[Jim DiSpagno]

Would you mind sharing the price either publicly or privately via PM. Thanks Jim

[Mills Morrison]

Thanks guys ended up getting it for a good price. I think I’m just going to leave it the way it is.



Good job! Now you need to join PGCA and get a letter. That is a nice gun!

[Harold Lee Pickens]

congrats, hope to hear/see more about it

[Craig Budgeon]

Andrew, you got a bargain there for a very Parker. The gun is worth more as is than if some amateur gunsmith is allowed to practice on it. I witnessed a B grade hammer change hands in 1974 for $1325 that was a 90%+ gun. Later that year I watch Herschel Chadick walk to the table where the gun was on display and offer $3000 for it without picking it up. $3000 would get you a new Chevrolet in 1974. While your gun is in only fair condition, it appears to be unmolested and with 32" barrels would provide you with a large down payment for any car of your choice should you choose to sell it.