Variations on "V" grade?

[Sam Hershfield]

What are the distinguishing marks that determine whether a Trojan is a plain "V", a "VH", or "VHE" (Ejectors?)?

Thanks

Sam Hershfield

[Rick Losey]

a Trojan is a grade of its own

completely separate from the "V"'s

Check out the grades link from the home page for photos

[Sam Hershfield]

Thanks but they don't seem to be clear enough to me. And the Parker Gun administrator said I should ask the forums.

Sam

[Mike Shepherd]

The Trojan has a snap on forend. The VH(E)s have a lever release forend.

The Trojan action is sculpted differently than the other grades. They left more metal on the Trojan action.

The V has slightly more engraving.

Those are the differences I know.

Best,

Mike

[Rick Losey]

Thanks but they don't seem to be clear enough to me. And the Parker Gun administrator said I should ask the forums.

Sam

fair enough -

this thread has a very good pictures of a V grade

http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=6440

and here
http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=6219


page 2 of this thread has some good Trojan pictures

http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=6038&highlight=trojan&page=2

[Dean Romig]

The top rib on a Trojan is roll-stamped with "TROJAN STEEL" and a VH or VHE is roll-stamped with "VULCAN STEEL".

The early Trojans, up to the early to mid 1920's, had a rounded rib extension which was eliminated in the later production while the V's had the distinctive "doll's head" rib extension.

The Trojan did not have a hard rubber grip cap and the buttplate was a very simple affair with only the mid section having a series of non-slip lines across it while the V's were the lowest grade (Grade-0) to have the hard rubber dog's head butt plate (DHBP).

The Trojan had absolutely no engraving other than the "PARKER BROS." engraved on each side of the frame while the V's had that feature plus the 'graver walk' all around the sides of the frame as well as a couple of very small flourishes of engraving in strategic spots.

The Trojan, aside from lacking the Deely style of forend latching system also lacked the steel forend tip which was recessed into the wood and held in place with a screw on VH and above grades.

The Trojan was not even considered to be a 'graded' Parker and was simply an entry level utilitarian gun. The grades of hammerless Parkers began with the VH as the Grade-0 and went up from there to the Grade-8 A1-S and then to the Grade-9 Invincible.

[Sam Hershfield]

So if I understand you, there was no V only grade, just VH? If I'm wrong, what's the difference between them?

Thanks for your help.

Sam

[Fred Preston]

Trojan barrel flats are stamped "OV" for the "grade".

[Chuck Bishop]

Sam,

You can think of it like this. The V stands for the grade. It was only made in the hammerless version, hence VH (H standing for hammerless and just an extractor model) and if you wanted ejectors it would be a VHE (the E standing for ejectors.)

The same applies for all the higher grades of hammerless models, the first letter is the grade, followed by the H, and if ejectors, followed by the E.

[Sam Hershfield]

So, I feel like and idiot and am still unclear...my gun only has a V but it's hammerless but has no H and no ejectors. SN is 170026. What am I missing?

[Robin Lewis]

OK, the "grade" is stamped on the water table. Both the "H" and the "E" are implied and not stamped there because you know by looking at the gun, if it has hammer then no "H" and if it has "Extractors" then no "E" either.

Have you looked at the "Parker Identification" link found on the left side of the main web page at www.parkerguns.org (http://www.parkerguns.org)? When you look on those pages you need to know that the pictures will enlarge for you when you mouse click on them.

Check out the other links found on the main page too, they should answer most of your questions.

[Sam Hershfield]

Thanks

[edgarspencer]

Sam, have you figured out whether you have a Trojan or V grade yet?
Your first post led me to believe you thought you had a Trojan, but you referenced a stamped 'V' which would be a VH grade with Vulcan steel barrels. What does the top rib say?

When the Trojan was introduced, several manufacturing steps were eliminated, reducing it's cost to produce. Whether rightly or not, the Trojan has been deemed by many as an inferior gun to the V grade, when in actual fact, it's overall quality was every bit as good, just lacking certain features. As higher grades escalated in selling price, the here to for Trojan began to attract more attention, firstly because of affordability. I think you will find that only the people into Parkers as an investment still think of Trojans that way.

[Sam Hershfield]

Thanks for getting back! I've ultimately figured out I've got a V, not a Trojan. But I'm still muddy on the difference between a V and VH. I've seen water tables stamped VH but mine's only V. Mine's got no ejectors so it doesn't have an E. It's a 12 with 28" bbls in very nice shape, SN 170065. Just didn't want to think I paid too much ($1150). I probably paid what it's worth...whew! My first Parker.

[edgarspencer]

Earlier guns were marked simply V, but I don't know when they began stamping VH. They are, none the less, the same. You probably didn't pay too much, if not a good deal. There are still lots of good condition V grade guns, but finding a clean Trojan is more difficult as they were often the one-gun man's working tool.

[Sam Hershfield]

So, a V is exactly the same as a VH, just older? Thanks

[Dave Noreen]

Yes. My Father's 1902-vintage VH-Grade is stamped V above the serial number on the left watertable. The 1930-vintage VH-Grade my Wife gave me for my 55th birthday is stamped VH above the serial number on the left watertable and V below the serial number. A higher grade gun of that vintage would have had the Quality number below the serial number.

[Dean Romig]

The 1930-vintage VH-Grade my Wife gave me for my 55th birthday is stamped VH above the serial number on the left watertable and V below the serial number.

That's very interesting Dave - I haven't seen one stamped like that.

Not to confuse anyone but, at a small gun show a few years ago an uninformed seller had a 'rode hard and put away wet' VH marked simply with a "V" and he was trying to sell it misrepresented as a grade 5... the "V he explained was the Roman numeral for 5... :rotf: