Got my letter on 59683--let's talk!!

[Bill Davis]

I received my letter the other day on PH # 59683. It's an early 12 ga. PH shipped in Feb of 1890. It has the early unslotted one piece hinge pin. It meets all the letter specs except the barrels and ejectors--and that is what prompted me to purchase the gun. It's got 30 inch Vulcan steel barrels that are correctly serial numbered. It was also converted to ejectors, I assume when it was re-barreled. The forend latch has the patent date of March 26. 1876. The ejector forend iron--also numbered 59683--has the patent date of May 7, 1901--which I understand from the Parker Story is the correct date for the ejectors. The gun has a number 1 frame and weighs 7lbs with the 30" Vulcan barrels. I was hoping that the Parker records might have shown the gun coming in for these modifications. It seems pretty evident that these are factory changes to the gun. Everything else seems as it was when it left Meriden in 1890. The grip cap looks correct and original to the gun, but is not marker Parker Brothers and is brownish in color! I'd love to hear from others who have updated/factory altered guns. Are there any earlier guns with ejectors out there? I plan on chasing birds with it come this fall and have a nice supply of Gamebore shells to put through her! I hope to see many of you at the Southern SxS. Thanks for any comments you deem appropriate.

[Bill Murphy]

Yes, I have a comment. Your ejector and barrel replacement modifications are probably factory, although a picture would give more proof of that. There are other ejector retrofits that are not Parker. The grip cap without logo is proper for that era of Parker. I could have sworn you were going to tell us about the letter, but I guess I was wrong.

[Fred Preston]

Bill, I have BHE 64887, not much younger than your gun. Its letter shows it was delivered with 30" Damascus tubes and a couple of years later was sent back for 28" Damascus tubes. That's it, no more gun specs info. The gun now has 30" Acme tubes with ejectors; serial numbers all match up, and no doubt, all Parked made. It does have Remington repair code stamped on the barrel flat indicating that it was worked on at Meriden in 1933. I am going to assume, without evidence to the contrary, that it received its Acme barrels and ejectors at that time. Does your gun bear any Remington code?

[Bill Murphy]

Fred, what is your actual full repair code, letters and numbers? I have not heard of a repair code from 1933 on a Parker.

[Fred Preston]

It's PD3. Sorry, I was going from memory; I guess that means March 1935. Not sure what the P means.

[Rick Losey]

There is a link to the codes on the home page

The "P" is the month code

[Bill Murphy]

PD is June 1935. The 3 indicates a repair.

[Bill Davis]

Bill M---The letter reads as follows:
"Parker shotgun serial number 59683, was ordered by E.K. Tryon in Phia;delphia, Pa. on January 25, 1890 and shipped on February 27, 1890. According to Parker Bros. Order Book No. 26 it was a PH hammerless, 12 gauge. It featured Twist steel barrels with a length of 30 inches. Its stock configuration was a capped pistol grip. The chokes were patterned RH full(180 #8 pellets in a 24 inch circle at 45 yards) and LH full(180 #8 pellets in a 24 inch circle at 45 yards). According to Parker Stock Book No. 21, its specifications were: Length of Pull 14 1/4", Drop at Heel 2 3/4". Weight 7 pounds and 4 ounces. The price was $65.00"

That was the body of the letter with no mention of any upgrades!

[Bill Murphy]

Thanks.

[Bill Davis]

I should add that I purchased this gun only 20 miles from Phila, so it's likely it has spent the last 120 plus years close to Tryon's!!

[Bill Murphy]

Many Tryon Parkers are found in the Philadelphia-Baltimore-Eastern Shore area. A disproportionate number of eight gauge Parkers were sold to Tryon, probably for use on the Susquehanna and the Upper and Lower Chesapeake Bay. Not so many eight gauge Parkers were sold by William Wagner for use on the Potomac River.

[charlie cleveland]

interesting testing on the guns shooting....being shot at 45 yards and 24 yards and both barrels full choke...ive never noticed this before...can some one shed some light here.... charlie

[Bill Davis]

I can explain it Charlie--I MADE a mistake. Both barrels were tested at 45 yards. A typo on my part and I have corrected it. Thanks for pointing it out!

[Mark Conrad]

Our repair records end December 31, 1919. If the Vulcan barrels were installed from January 1, 1920 forward , we do not have records. Study the marks on the Vulcan barrels. The rib inscription, HT, HTA and Parker Overload Proved marks can help identify the age of the barrels. The Parker Story helps with this as well.

Mark

[Bill Davis]

Mark--thank you for the clarifying info. It's just what I was looking for. The rib marking are PARKER BROS. MAKERS MERIDEN. CT. U.S.A. VULCAN STEEL The barrel flats have minimal markings on them. It looks like a patent date that reads PATD. Apr 11 1876. There is a K and the number 3 in two places on the right barrel flat. There is a "+" marking on both barrel flats 3/8 of an inch from each ejector. There are two small punch marks on the left barrel flat 1/2 inch from the front of the flat next to the lug. The rear lug is stamped 12 and 1(frame size). That is it! No HT, HTA or Parker Overload markings. Thanks again for taking the time to respond. See you in Sanford! BD

[Dean Romig]

The "CT" address stamp on the rib might date the barrels as post-WWI

[Fred Preston]

Thanks Mark for suggesting looking for the Overload Proved mark on the flats. I went and looked at my BHE flats again and found them marked with "Parker Gun Works" overload proved which would support the notion that the Acme ejector barrels were installed at the time of the Remington code mark, June, 1935.