Parker Engravers and Their Tenures

[Dean Romig]

I know I’ve posted this before but we still see questions like “Who engraved my Parker?” so I hope this can fill in some blanks and help out some newcomers to the world of Parkers.



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[Joseph Sheerin]

Has there ever been any information posted about the # of man hours per gun by grade sort of thing?

It's amazing to me that one guy could be responsible for so many nicely engraved guns.... And still not go insane. :D

[Dean Romig]

Maybe look in The Parker Story for that information...?





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[Dave Noreen]

These masters likely designed the patterns for journeymen to follow for the lower grades and only actually worked on the Grade 5 and higher guns.

[Dean Romig]

I agree Dave.





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[Bill Murphy]

Where does Robert P. Runge fit in? I guess he was considered a Remington engraver, not a Parker engraver.

[Dean Romig]

Where does Robert P. Runge fit in? I guess he was considered a Remington engraver, not a Parker engraver.


I was asking myself that same question yesterday.
I think I should look at TPS again and if necessary make a correction.


Okay, I somehow missed mentioning Robert P. Runge; this straight from page 454 of The Parker Story, “Master engraver Robert “Bob” P. Runge who began employment at the Gun Works in 1934…” when the Gun Works was under the ownership of Remington Arms and eventually retired from Remington.




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[Dave Noreen]

For Robert P. Runge one wants to see Kevin's The Double Gun Journal article, "When I Paint My Masterpiece" Volume Eleven, Issue 3, page 41.

[henderson Marriott]

Did not William Gough at the end of his 1911 Parker tenure-eventually
go to Fox at the beginning of the Godshalk ownership era? The deep-chiseled
Teutonic engraving of the XE-DE-FE Grades seems to be the Gough trademark
through the 1920s, starting about 1913. Also a Gough spent time with Winchester.

[Dean Romig]

Yes, same fellow.





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[J. Scott Hanes]

Dean,
Can one tell the difference between Anschutz and R.R. Runge’s work? Did they sign their work?

[Dean Romig]

I believe so but it takes a trained eye.

It was generally againstthe policy of Parker Brothers but some chief engravers got away with it, most notably Harry Gough (H. Gough eng.).




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