A Question

[Dave Suponski]

Does anyone have good photos of the top tang of a Parker with a factory installed safety and also the top tang of a known factory gun with no safety.I am interested in the differences observed in the top tang profile.

[Bruce Day]

I have a 1905 C that has a rounded top tang and was originally without a safety, then went back to Parker where the tang was partially ground flat and a safety added. Is that of interest?

[Dave Suponski]

Bruce,Thanks..... That would be a start.

[Bruce Day]

Here you go, and in keep with our wood conversation, a couple pictures of the stock. I've researched and determined that the wood came from a small Turkish village on the Black Sea 60 km north of Istanbul and was seasoned in a goat yard for two years.:)

[Dave Suponski]

Thank You Bruce, That is great start. We can very clearly see the modification for the safety slide. Now for a factory gun with no safety. I am gathering some research for a possible PP article on little discussed Parker nuances such as this,the flat topped frame found on vent rib guns etc. If you would like to contribute that would be great.

PS...Do you have the phone number for that goat yard?

[Larry Frey]

Dave ,
This is a 1902 DH 28 gauge with no safety.

[Dave Suponski]

Thanks Larry!

[Austin W Hogan]

This 136683, a DHE live bird gun ordered by DuBray, with several lines of specs.


Best, Austin

[Dean Romig]

Austin's example looks rounded in the area where the safety switch would have been.

[Dave Suponski]

Exactly what I was looking for! Thank you Austin. Please notice the difference between the profile of Larry's gun and Austin's gun.

[Bill Murphy]

Yeah, what are the conclusions about that so far? Are all flattened tangs for safeties? Are all rounded tangs for "no safety"?

[Dave Suponski]

Bill, Thanks to Bruce,Larry and Austin we have photos of three distinct top tangs. Bruces C had the safety added and the tang was milled flat to accept it. Larry's gun has the flat tang and I would bet that there is a filled slot under that engraving. Austins gun was built for no safety right from the start. I think the rounded tang is attractive. Just one of those little things Parker Bros. did that unless you put some guns side by side may go unoticed.

[Jeff Kuss]

Dave,
I just checked, both of mine are the rounded top tang with no dolls head.
Jeff

[Dave Suponski]

Thanks Jeff, I wonder if there is a correlation there. Rounded tang(No safety) No dolls head. Ordered as a competition gun?

[Bruce Day]

I suspect all rounded tangs are for "no safety" but not all flat tangs are for safeties.

Notice how Parker installed the safety on my round tang gun....they milled the slide area flat and engraved SAFE. No annealing, no re casecoloring. Kept it simple.

Anyway, I'm no expert. I have no broad experience seeing thousands of Parkers. Hundreds maybe but not near as many as some have seen.

[Dale Zywina]

Well to put my 2 cents in my 1911 dated DHE non saftey 12ga is very similiar to the DuBray ordered "Live Bird Gun" in all respects with flat tang. Guns factory letter state no saftey ordered. I notices on the nice little DH 28ga that the engraving near the bottom tang is differrent from mine and the Dubray gun?

I am still trying to determine if my gun is a Live Bird Gun, it is a DHE, Straight stock,no saftey,splinter forend, 30" Titanic steel barrells bored full/full, ser#156359. Any observations from fellow enthusiasts?Dale Z in Canada!

[Bruce Day]

I think these no safety guns configured as Dale's and mine are were used for targets, whether they be live pigeons or clay pigeons. And they could be used on game as well. There are some hunters that don't like safeties.

As I suggested above, I believe the rounded top tang guns were made for no safety but the flat tang guns could be either.

[Dale Zywina]

I know my gun was used for jump shooting ducks/partridge and geese in Manitoba where it was ordered , but never found out if mine was used for target events, but I imagine the well heeled individual who could aford the $100 + 25 for a ejector gun in 1911 went to a few shoots for social standing if nothing else.

Bruce is your gun also straight stocked, no saftey full/full 30"ers?Also bruce was your choke set up for a certain type of load, mine was very specific as to drams and oz's and # of shot of a certain manufacturer?This I beleve would indicate the fellow shot alot, meaning he took it to the range as well as the field. Thanks for your reply, and how can you definately say your gun was ordered as a Live bird Gun? cheers Dale Z!

[Dean Romig]

I believe that if a Parker was originally ordered without a safety; straight stock; full / full chokes; no doll's head extension and various features of lesser significance it will most likely have been ordered as a competion gun.

[Mike Shepherd]

I wonder what the perceived advantage in deleting the dolls head was? Perhaps there is an advantage with an extractor gun in removing the empties?

Thanks,

Mike