POW grip

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Did Parker make many guns with the Prince of Whales / half grip? I dont recall ever seeing any. The reason I ask is that at a small gun show Sat., there was a 12ga. VHE with 32" FxF barrels and the half grip. The side panels were also checkered as in a C grade or higher. Dont know if that was the original stock and the seller was miffed that I asked.

[Dean Romig]

I have seen about two stocked that way.

[Kevin McCormack]

That would be Prince of Wales, as in Great Britain; I don't think there has been a Prince of Whales since Shamu died.

[edgarspencer]

One man's opinion: http://www.sportinggun.co.uk/shootinganswers/126365/Posh_Prince.html

My opinion is that it's just what the English call a half-pistol grip.
Some smaller bore Parkers had half grips. I'm pretty sure I've seen several .410s stocked that way.
Checkered side panels on a V grade tells me it's either been restocked, or it's hiding a pin that was put in to repair a split head.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Thanks Kevin,
I guess that is what we get for not reviewing our posts before submitting. Actually, my Grandmother Pickens came to the US from Wales as a young woman, and her father was a Welsh sea captain who sailed the Atlantic--the ships log is still in the families possesion. Edgar--that is what I thought!

[George M. Purtill]

What is the difference between a Ball grip and the POW?

[Dean Romig]

A "ball grip" differs from a "pistol grip" in that it has a pronounced swelling at the knob of the grip where a pistol grip (not to be confused with a "capped pistol grip") does not have that swell. A true Prince of Wales grip generally has neither and has a much more gradual (almost non-existent) radius to the tang area.

[Bill Murphy]

A true Prince of Wales grip is not a ball grip, but a gradual pistol grip, usually with cap at less of an angle from the horizontal than a normal capped grip. Look at the "stock grip styles" on the Hallowell site. That is a classic POW grip, probably pictured on a Woodward shotgun. Woodward used the classic POW style stock on many of their pistol grip guns.

[John Taddeo]

Harold, I saw the same gun at Washinton show. Is that not the same grip as seen on page 40 of the S.I book? Or code "B"

[Chuck Bishop]

Why don't we have some posters show pictures of different style grips. Capped pistol grips, pistol grips, POW grips, ball grips, etc. for comparison.

I see many entries in the stock books that are abbreviated CPG and many that are just P.G. What's the difference? Pictures of all would help.

Maybe a good short article in the PP's is in order by Dean:bowdown:

[Bruce Day]

Chuck, in answer to your question, we have a principal collector who won't post here anymore. I post sparingly, much less than I did before.

However, if a person wants to see ball grips, he could search under the title "Balls" for a whole thread on the subject of ball grips and what Parker called half pistol grips, abbreviated in the records as 1/2 PG. Ball grips and 1/2 PG's are different.

In your records, PG should refer to Trojan grade guns, CPG to the capped pistol grip of V and higher. As you know, the pistol grip of Trojans were not capped as standard.

[Chuck Bishop]

Bruce,

What you indicated as far as the records show is not accurate.

The Order Books just show P.G for all grades of guns from Trojan to A1-S's unless the guns were ordered with straight grips, 1/2 pistol grips, or ball grips. When you look at the Stock Books, those grips that were labeled as P.G. in the Order Books show up as either CPG or just P.G. in the Stock Books. I've found many P.G.'s in the stock books for multiple grades of guns. Some that I found were V's, G's, and D's, all with P.G. listed for grip type. I looked at some Trojans in the Order Books and they were listed as P.G. In the Stock Books, I found many Trojans listed as CPG's. Go figure!

[George M. Purtill]

"Never say never and don't say always either."

[Fred Preston]

Here's my 1878 10ga, 0 grade handle. I don't think it is unusual for that era.

[Bill Murphy]

Fred's picture shows a Parker grip that is as close to a POW as Parker ever made. The POW, if you will look at the Hallowell picture, is really just a slightly bent straight grip. The reason a cap on a POW grip is installed on the horizontal is that it won't fit if it is installed at the end of the normal grip curve.

[calvin humburg]

1881 G 12. What would you call this one?
21580

21581

[Dave Purnell]

1901 DH 12 pistol grip.

[Bill Murphy]

Any round knob grip used to be called a ball grip. Not long ago, we started getting particular and calling a round knob grip with a pronounced bulge at the end a "ball grip" and one without the bulge was just a round knob. I admit there is a difference.

[Chuck Bishop]

So would we call Calvin's a ball grip and Dave's a non-capped pistol grip?

[Dean Romig]

Please go to the thread "Just got my first Parker 12 gauge" and in the last set of pictures you'll see about the closest Parker Bros. ever came to producing a "Prince of Wales" grip.

[Dave Purnell]

Any round knob grip used to be called a ball grip. Not long ago, we started getting particular and calling a round knob grip with a pronounced bulge at the end a "ball grip" and one without the bulge was just a round knob. I admit there is a difference.

To clarify, I'm not making up names of grips, just reporting what is listed in the I&S Book. As usual I should have explained further. The 1901 12 ga is serial number 103929. It is described in the I&S Book as "P", for pistol grip. I'll try to take better pictures after daylight.

Dave

[calvin humburg]

Well I tried Dean put title it in search box and can't find it.

[Dave Purnell]

Calvin, go to "New User Introductions" forom, about the second thread.

Dave

[Jeff Kuss]

Here is a remington gun with a prince of wales.

[Dean Romig]

Jeff, does the letter say anything about that grip?

[Jeff Kuss]

Here are some guns with a half pistol grip.

[Jeff Kuss]

Parker ball grips.

[Jeff Kuss]

Dean,
The letter says a capped pistol grip.

[Bill Murphy]

Several years ago, Kevin McCormack and I examined a very high condition DHE 28 gauge with what we thought was an altered pistol grip stock. Its ball grip was very abbreviated with the ball half buried in the main part of the stock. It was an exaggeration of the POW that Jeff pictured. Now I'm not so sure that the grip on the 28 gauge was not factory. Maybe Kevin knows more than I do about the fate of that great little gun.

[Chuck Bishop]

Jeff, give me the S/N of that Rem POW gun and I'll double check the books

[Rick Parker]

that is the exact same stock i have on my 1876 10 gauge plain twist. But I have been informed mine came with a straight stock. mine is in fair condition, until some jackass sanded it on one side. I have camo-ed the damage with brown shoe polish.

[Jeff Kuss]

Chuck,
The serial # is 238564.

[Chuck Bishop]

Jeff, the IBM card is no help and the Stock Book lists it as a CPG.