Serial # help please

[John Liles]

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, we sure did!
A friend who is just being bitten by the SXS bug recently picked up a gun from one of the online auction houses. Damascus barreled Parker hammer-gun SN 44844. Wood and barrels appear to have been refinished. Could anyone with a book handy tell us the original length of the barrels? At present they are approx 28 1/4" long. Barrel flats show #2, and a large 4 beside a small 2. (unstruck barrel weight?) also the letter D (Damascus?)
My friend lives in Annapolis, MD. Can someone recommend a person or trusted Smith in that neighborhood that might be able to check wall thickness. He bought the gun strictly as a shooter, and wants to make sure that they've not been polished or honed too much to safely shoot.
Thanks all,
John

[Rick Losey]

44844 left Meriden wearing 30 inch tubes

[Mike Shepherd]

D2, T, 0, C, P, 12, 30

Grade 2 with Damascus steel barrel, top lever, no options, capped pistol grip, 30" barrels

[John Liles]

Rick and Mike,
Thanks for the great information. I'll pass it along to my friend this morning. Given that the barrels have obviously been cut down from 30 inches to 28 1/4, how long would the choke bore transitions be based on factory configurations for guns of that era? I've suggested that he acquire a Skeets Bore Gauge to measure actual constriction, if there is any left, but it would be helpful to know how long the transition would have been when it left the factory.
Thanks again,
John

[Lloyd Bernstein]

Best bet might be Albright's Gun Shop in Easton, Maryland

36 E. Dover Street
Easton, MD 21601
United States

800.474.5502

Lloyd

[John Liles]

Awesome Lloyd, thanks for the insight and hopefully they'll be able to assess BWT and condition. I'll pass it on.
John

[John Liles]

My friend apparently contacted Albrights in Easton last week. They indicated that they would not look at the firearm, nor would they ever advise one of their customers to shoot any firearm with Damascus Barrels.
Certainly understandable given potential liability, especially as they can't speak to the loads that will eventually be sent down range with a gun that they examined. I believe that my friend made it clear that he just wanted BWT measurements. Any other suggestions for a Smith in the Annapolis area that could perform wall thickness measurements? Or possibly a PGCA member with a Hosford or other gauge that could spend a few minutes to check for thin walls? He's not opposed to shipping the barrels out to have them measured, just worried that they might be damaged in transit.
Thanks again to all who have responded.
John

[John Liles]

Turns out that one of the earlier respondents to this thread lives within shooting distance of my friend and has generously offered to meet with my friend and perform the desired measurements on the barrel-set in question. Just another example of what makes this organization all that it is!
Thanks again to all that responded.
John