1905 TA

[Jay Oliver]

Here is a relatively late 12 gauge TA hammer gun with a fishtale lever made in 1905. It has 30” Twist barrels choked IM/F with 3” chambers(I was surprised by that). It’s on a 2 frame with a 14 3/8” LOP and weighs 7lbs 11oz.

It has a “P” on the frame, but the engraving seems more like VH engraving. The letter lists it as a quality “U” grade. It seems used and not too abused. A fair amount of dings in the wood, but a nice hammer gun just the same. Bores are excellent, this may have never had a black powder shell through it, which seems strange for a hammer gun. It fits me real well and I am looking forward to shooting it. This is my "newest" hammer gun.

[Jay Oliver]

A few more pictures. Check out the letter. The person who bought this Parker sent it back to Parker 3 weeks later to "make it new again". Sounds like he dropped it on hunting trip…hopefully...after he got his limit! Sounds like something that would happen to me with a special important brand new purchase...

[Wayne Owens]

Nice one Jay. It is only 44 guns away from one of my TA hammers! It will be a blast to shoot.😀

[Harry Collins]

Pretty Parker with exceptional original finish, good looking wood, plus straight stock.

[Dean Romig]

A very interesting Parker.

A U grade is defined by a straight grip and Twist barrels.
A P is basically the same thing but with a pistol grip.

The P stamp on the frame I would think indicates a Grade-1 but with Twist barrels. Ten or fifteen years earlier than your 1905 gun a Grade-1 would have had Laminated Steel barrels. Yours has the identical engraving that my three 1893 Grade-1 sixteens have. Puzzling... apparently Parker wasn’t using Laminated Steel barrels when yours was made.





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[Daryl Corona]

Pretty Parker with exceptional original finish, good looking wood, plus straight stock.

Ditto. Harry nailed it.

[Jay Oliver]

Dean, I had forgotten all about Laminated steel barrels on grade 1 guns. I was thinking the twist barrels are what would have come on a PH at the time. I may be inferring too much into the letter, but the person ordered a hammer gun(when they far less common) and waited 6 months for it. That made me think it was made with "new" parts/components.

I hadn't thought about it, but Parker must have decided to switch from Laminated steel to Twist steel for grade 1 guns. Maybe for simplicity(with fewer options) as fluid steels barrels were becoming more popular?

[Dave Noreen]

Nice gun!!

In the earlier years the entry-level hammer guns, Grade 0 and 1 were spread across a dozen Qualities -- I, K, L & M with Laminated Barrels; N, O, P & Q with Fine English Twist barrels and R, S, T & U with Twist Barrels. By the 1900 "blue ink" catalog there were only four Qualities -- R, S, T & U. R & S were 10-gauges. The 12-gauge and smaller hammer guns are listed as --

"Quality T.-- Twist Barrels, American Stock, Engraved and Checked, Pistol Grip, Hard Rubber Butt Plate.....$55.00"

"Quality U.-- Ditto, with Straight Grip.....$50.00"

By the "Pine Cone" catalog (1907-12) there are no longer separate
Qualities for 10-gauges or grip styles, just --

"Quality T.-- English twist barrels, American stock, checked and engraved, straight or pistol grip, hard rubber butt plate, 10, 12, 14, 16 or 20 gauge.....$55.00"

[Jay Oliver]

I am always learning something new with this great group. I never realized quality "U" meant straight stock.

[Matt Buckley]

This was a good pick up for you on gb. I was watching it and saw you were bidding.

[Jay Oliver]

Thanks Matt, I couldn't pass this one up. That seller also had a nice early #2 frame 10 gauge DH for sale that was nice as well. I haven't seen many #2 frame 10ga. hammerless Parkers...