New D hammer gun

[Bryan Selz]

Since I left the dark side in 2010 (sold the LC Smiths), I have been borrowing a Parker from Carl for the vintager shooting. No more borrowing. Early Christmas, its a lifter action hammer from 1881, #19112, 12g damascus grade 3, frame size 1. It has a gold shield and sports a gold dome grip cap. Skeleton butt. The research letter says it left the factory with the gold shield, (then a $5 upgrade on a $125 gun). Either the gold grip cap was part of the original upgrade or was done later, I don't know. The chokes were ordered as: RH 135 and LH 160, #8 pellets in 24" at 45 yds. I don't know what that works out to, but it was sent back to the factory in 1888 to have the chokes opened up to cylinder in both barrels. Barrels are the original 28" uncut. On face and locks up tight. Nothing left in the case color department, but the wood and engraving are nice. I'm not a collector, more a shooter, so it suits me. Now I suppose I need a hammerless, too.

Here's the odd part for me: the trusty bore gauge says the bores measure .765 in each barrel and the chokes measure .014 and .015. Did someone ream the barrels and recreate choke constriction? The trusty wall thickness gauge says, at three inch intervals out from the chamber: .072, .055, .047, .044, .045, .042, .038, .041, .046. I'd say all my measurements are +/- .002. That's about like sending a 12g wad down a 10g bore? My plan is to put some 2 1/2" RST paper-lites through it and see if it patterns like a light mod.

[John Truitt]

Bryan,

Great to hear from you. Bring her out to Old Forge. Let me or Carl know you are coming out and one of us will measure your wall thickness. A second opinion is worth it for this.
The early 12s had some larger bore diameters than the standard .729
Given the chokes it is likely she was opened up. But as long as the wall thickness is good you will be golden. You will like the 2 1/2" shells. Less recoil.
Sounds like a cool gun.

John

[Bruce Day]

The latest issue of the Parker Pages on p. 30 addresses these issues and states that almost all 12ga guns less than SN 70,000 have bore diameters of 0.750- 0.760.

My guess is that the barrels were reamed to "clean up" and the reaming stopped short of the choke area, leaving some choke. The wall thickness on these black powder guns is substantial, significantly thicker than the tapered, thinner barrels for the smokeless powder era.

Bruce Day
Parker amateur beginner

[Jack Cronkhite]

Very nice lifter. Heck of a starter gun :) When it comes to nice doubles, I've decided there is no dark side - just more to enjoy.

Cheers,
Jack

[Eric Baker]

Beautiful lifter, congratulations, especially like the way the checkering pattern parts around the gold dome. Very classy. Agree when it comes to fine doubles there's no dark side. Have only owned one L.C. Smith, 16 ga Grade 3E. Couldn't part with it because of the gorgeous chain damascus and the fact that this woodcock has a worm in it's beak! Variety is the spice etc.

[Mark Ouellette]

Byran,

That is a very nice gun! I love those ball grips! I agree with John and Bruce about the bores and choke constrictions. The good part is that your barrels are plenty thick to withstand some heavy loads. The remaining barrel constrictions should produce effective choke patterns that will be great for most SxS sporting clays courses. You did well...

I also thinned out all of my post-12 LC Smiths. All that remain are those numbered grades to include more that a few with chain damascus barrels. If only Parker had offered chain damascus it would have made a perfect gun in my not-so-humble-opinion...

Mark

[Bill Murphy]

Eric, now everyone in the Parker and Smith world will be dragging out their woodcock engraved guns to look for worms. Thanks for the heads up.

[Eric Baker]

Bill, seriously who engraves a worm? Must have been a slow day at the L.C. Smith engraving shop! Don't forget Ithacas, 16ga Flues grade 2E, nicer woodcock, no worm.

[charlie cleveland]

at least one snipe got a meal.... charlie

[Richard LaMendola]

This scene was done many gun makers. This is a Lefever Optimus circa 1887

[Richard LaMendola]

Resized Picture hope its better

[Bruce Day]

Richard, let's see the rest of that Optimus. I know the barrels are nice but lets see the whole gun.

[Carl Brandt]

Brian,

Nice gun! Definitely let us know when you plan to bring her out to OF. That gold oval looks to be original based on the checking pattern.

Carl.

[Bryan Selz]

Carl, John, it is back wrapped up for Christmas, but I will have it out to Old Forge in early January, weather permitting.

[Dean Romig]

Bryan, that is a very nice and somewhat unusual Grade 3 Parker. The engraving and checkering bespeak a higher grade as well as the gold shield and gold grip cap (not usually seen on Parkers lower than Grade 5) but the sculpting of the bolsters (and research letter, of course) tell us it is a Grade 3. A very nice find indeed.

[John Truitt]

Brian,

Come on unwrap her and let her loose.

Back in 2000 my dad bought me a very nice Beretta DT 10 for X mas. I came home early from dental school ( I was about 24 or 25 at the time) and saw a gift under the tree that looked like a gun box. No one was home so I carefully unwrapped it, took out the gun, cleaned off the cosmolean, put it together played with it for an hour or so, cleaned it and wrapped her back up.
No one ever knew until I ratted myself out moments after offically opening it on X mas morning. Man was my dad mad. It took at long time before he got over that one.

That is a nice gift to give yourself.
Happy holidays.

[edgarspencer]

Is that the 1 frame Lifter that Ivory Beads had on their website?

[Bryan Selz]

It is from Ivorybeads, yes.

[edgarspencer]

I thought it looked familiar. Nice gun! I was close to 'pulling the trigger' (sorry) on it when I located my grade 2 16TL hammer.

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Brian, The gun is unusual in several ways, A PGCA letter would be well worth the money I believe, It would be nice to know who ordered the gun and to what spec's Gary

[Bryan Selz]

Gary, I did get the research letter: Ordered by E. Van Derwerken in Stamford, CT for Harry Bull on 3/11/1881, shipped 5/24/1881. Order specs were Quality 3 damascus hammer 12g with 28" barrels, pistol grip stock with gold upgrade, LOP 14", DaH 3 1/8", weight 7 lbs, 5 oz, $130. Chokes ordered: RH (135 #8 pellets in a 24" circle at 45 yds), LH (160 # 8 pellets in a 24" circle at 45 yds).