New Member with Parker PH

[Riley Petersen]

Good Morning All,

This parker was recently inherited and I am trying to find out as much information as possible on it.

Serial Number: 222429
Manufactured in 1927
Gauge: 12
Grade: PH
Frame Size: 1 1/2
Barrel Weights: 4lbs 2oz

Can anyone tell me what the additional markings on the barrel indicate?

O JJ 3
E P 3

[Brian Dudley]

The gun is a PH grade with fluid steel barrels. Which is a pretty rare offering as the PH was discontinued not long after they started putting fluid steel on them. So not many were made.

The gun was original an extractor gun and was later converted to ejectors. And the beavertail forend looks like it may be factory built. Possibly also a later addition. Maybe at the same time that the gun was converted to ejectors.

Being a single trigger, I would bet that was a conversion too. But I cannot see enough of things to know for sure based on physical evidence. But I would doubt that an extractor P grade would have originally been ordered with a single trigger.

The barrel flats have two separate remington repair codes. So that means that the gun was sent back to ilion two times for some sort of repair work. Likely ine of those may have been the ejector retrofit.

The frame on the gun is all blued which is not at all correct for a Parker. Now, it is possible that maybe remington blued it on request from the owner on one of the returns, but I kind of doubt it. The frame would have had to be annealed and re-hardened as part of the ejector conversion. But they would have just left it as case colored finish after that.

[Arthur Shaffer]

I checked on this serial number, and it indicates there are factory records for this gun. A factory letter may reveal further information. It costs less to join as a member and request a factory letter than the cost of obtaining the letter alone. You also gain access to the member only forums such as the various want ad sections.

[Dean Romig]

I seriously doubt Remington had anything to do with blueing the frame as Remington would NOT have buffed it as was done and is evident by the rounded, rather than sharp, engraving. A nice and very uncommon configuration for a Grade 1 Parker.

Definitely join the PGCA and order a PGCA Research Letter.





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[Dean Romig]

E P 3 = June of 1936 3 (service or repair) done in Meriden

O J 3 = July of 1940 3 (service or repair) done in Ilion, NY

P in the circle is the barrel steel. In this case it is Parker Steel -
The Grade 2 or GH guns had PSS which is Parker Special Steel.





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[Riley Petersen]

Thank you for all this new information.

Is there anywhere to find how many of these PH grade guns with fluid steel barrels were made?

Does the conversion of double to single trigger add or take away any value of this gun? Same for the ejectors, I would assume that would add some value?

The beavertail has some damage as shown in the picture below. Is there any indicators to tell if this forend is factory built or swapped out?

[Dean Romig]

Approximately 839 Grade 1 guns in 12 gauge were made with Parker Steel barrels.

All gauges, all barrel lengths, about 1339.

Yours, 222429 is not in the serialization book but if you give the barrel length, presuming the barrels were never shortened, I'll give you the quantity listed for that barrel length.





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[Riley Petersen]

The barrels measure 32" long.

[Dean Romig]

Approximately 113 made in 12 gauge with 32" barrels - NICE!!

Five were made with 34" barrels.





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[Brian Dudley]

The forend looks factory to me, but like I previously said, the gun did not originally leave the factory that way. It was added by the factory at a later time. The fact that the gun was converted does not hurt the value of the gun as it was done by the factory and that fact is clear by anyone looking at the gun if they know what they are looking at. The overall condition of the gun is what would effect the value the most.

[Dean Romig]

Brian - as a point of curiosity, what do you see that would indicate to you that it didn't leave the factory with a BTFE ?

Incidentally, I wonder where the roll joint is...?





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[Brian Dudley]

Brian - as a point of curiosity, what do you see that would indicate to you that it didn't leave the factory with a BTFE ?

Incidentally, I wonder where the roll joint is...?





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The gun started life as an extractor gun. Evidenced by the filled in hole from the extractor set screw in the barrel lug. So, we know that the forend iron was changed at the time of the ejector conversion. So, that would mean that the current forend wood was also part of that change.
I suppose it is possible that the gun was originally a beavertail extractor gun, though I think it unlikely.

[Riley Petersen]

Would anyone mind putting a rough value to this gun?

[keavin nelson]

Brian - as a point of curiosity, what do you see that would indicate to you that it didn't leave the factory with a BTFE ?

Incidentally, I wonder where the roll joint is...?


To Dean's point....

Given the missing roll joint, a visit to a qualified gun smith is advisable BEFORE trying to fire it.