I have a few questions about a new to me Parker

[David Livesay]

Just picked this GHE up from the FFL and looking it over had a few questions about some of the stampings on the water table and barrel flats.
1. I'm wanting to find out what the JG in a circle means (probably an inspector initials)
2. What's the 47 on the top right mean?
3. Next there is a 3 over a D.
4. Also, there is a K.
I know what the other markings are, 3 8 unstruck barrel weight, 12 ga. #1 frame

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[Dave Noreen]

The J.G. in the oval are Jim Geary's mark. No one left alive knows the meaning of the one-, two- or three-digit numbers we often see in the area of your 47.

[Dean Romig]

I believe the 3 over the D indicates 3-iron crolle Damascus though we sometimes see the D over the numeral.





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[David Livesay]

It appears that the person doing the stamping was having issues with the grade stamp. Looks like one sideways under the one on top.

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[David Livesay]

Hoping the letter can confirm whose initials are on the stock shield.

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[Dean Romig]

Wondering why the GH would have been overstamped.





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[Gerald McPherson]

David; I have a new to me Gh Damascus gun that is also a 1 frame with the same barrel weight as yours. It is heavier than I expected at 7lbs 9ozs. What does yours weigh? It has 28in. barrels.

[David Livesay]

I don’t have a proper set of scales, but approximately 7.5 lbs. on my bathroom scales.

[William Woods]

What about the "K" mark?

[David Livesay]

What about the "K" mark?

I was hoping someone would respond about the K mark as well.:corn:

[Randy G Roberts]

This stamping (K) has been discussed numerous times and remains unknown. Plenty of info that you can sift through on the forum, below is a start.

https://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=41456&highlight=Charles+King

https://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=35485&highlight=barrel+steel+mark

[Dean Romig]

The K stamp is thought to be that of Charles Angus King superintendant of the Parker Brothers Gun Works until 1908.... but there is disagreement on this and I'll just leave it as that. I may well be wrong because Dave has poster a picture on the other thread that shows both stamps on the same barrel flats. His son, Walter King took over the position following his father's tenure. Walter King's mark was WK in an oval.





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[David Livesay]

I have another question regarding the GHE. It has a small compass about 1/2 in. in diameter imbedded in the top of the stock. If I were to remove it, how should I repair that. It really doesn't bother me that it is there as it is part of the gun's history. Here is a picture of the stock with the small compass as well as a few pictures of the game scenes on the receiver.

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[Reggie Bishop]

A craftsman, such as Brian Dudley, could remove that and correct the stock I am sure. You would have to get with Brian on what that might cost.

[Dan Steingraber]

That's a lovely old G Grade. The compass may be an indication of the guns use by a grouse hunter. I know I sure get lost in a hurry in the grouse woods. What a great insight into the gun's history.

[Bill Murphy]

If I owned that old GH, I wouldn't think of removing that compass.

[Alfred Houde]

As a retired museum curator, please leave that compass intact.

[todd allen]

I would definitely leave that compass alone!

[Dave Noreen]

From my observations, beginning in the mid 138xxx range we see various tiny letters stamped in various locations on the barrel lug, some in the recess like your K --

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and some on the bottom of the lug near the frame size number.

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While K and W seem to be the most common, letters I've observed include V B K O J C X F W and on some Trojans a number. I see plenty of guns in this serial number range, which extends into Remington guns, that don't exhibit these tiny letters on the lug.

I'm sure they have no relationship to the K and Kf barrel steel markings on the early Titanic/Acme and Vulcan barrels.

[David Livesay]

As a retired museum curator, please leave that compass intact.

I had already decided not to remove the compass. It’s part of the history of the gun.

[Mark Britton]

The compass is cool !

[Keith Doty]

Nice gun! Keep the compass, that's history right there.

[David Livesay]

Ok, so I got the letter for this GHE today. It says it was completed in 1921 and was a GHE hammerless, 12 ga. with 28-inch Damascus barrels. Stock with capped pistol grip with LOP 14-1/8, DAC 1-3/8, DAH 2-5/8. Weight 7lbs. Price was $129.00
What would the chokes be if it says it was patterned RH 125 pellets and LH 225 pellets of size 7 shot in a 30 in. circle at 40 yards? I was surprised that it didn't tell anything about who ordered the gun, but at least it is as originally configured.

[Dave Noreen]

From surviving hang tags I've seen a 12-gauge that light was probably targeted with a 2 5/8-inch shell with 1 1/8-ounce of shot. A 1 1/8-ounce load of #7 would go 336 pellets, so 125/336 = 37.2% 225/336 = 67%. About cylinder & improved modified.

[David Livesay]

I am wondering if the price of $129.00 is normal for a GHE in 1921. It seems that the only extra option is the ejectors.

[Mike Koneski]

I had already decided not to remove the compass. It’s part of the history of the gun.

Now all you need is "a thing in the stock that tells time..." and you'd have A Christmas Story Gun.

[Dave Noreen]

I don't have a catalog with a 1921 retail price list, but this Dec. 1, 1920, Retail Price List shows a GHE at $129.

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For Jan. 1, 1912, the GHE was $78.75. Prices started going up fast in 1916, Jan. 24, 1916, the GHE was $84.74. By Nov. 18. 1916, the GHE was up to $91.35. They peaked about the time of your gun, then came down a bit in the on into the 1920s.

By the Jan. 2, 1922, Retail Price List, the GHE was down to $113.75.

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[Mike Koneski]

I am wondering if the price of $129.00 is normal for a GHE in 1921. It seems that the only extra option is the ejectors.

The 1920 catalog has the price of a GHE listed at $129.00. A GH was $106.00.

[David Livesay]

I don't have a catalog with a 1921 retail price list, but this Dec. 1, 1920, Retail Price List shows a GHE at $129.

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For Jan. 1, 1912, the GHE was $78.75. Prices started going up fast in 1916, Jan. 24, 1916, the GHE was $84.74. By Nov. 18. 1916, the GHE was up to $91.35. They peaked about the time of your gun, then came down a bit in the on into the 1920s.

By the Jan. 2, 1922, Retail Price List, the GHE was down to $113.75.

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This is why I love this place so much. There is so much knowledge here. Thanks so much for posting this information.