Where the Parkers made in the 1890 with Damascus barrels brown and not
black and white

I have owned three D-grades from the 1890's and all were B&W. Honestly, I don't believe Parker ever used a brown finish.

They were all B&W originally. They can wear to a brownish color over time.

The undersides of barrels under the forend can tell a lot about what original finishes looked like. This area is usually protected from wear.

I don't believe we have any evidence, printed or written by Parker Bros. in any of their catalogs or publications, that states all barrels were finished black and white. There are however countless entries in the stock books calling for barrels to be "rebrowned" and while we know this was the term used at the time to indicate "refinish" I suspect some barrels may have been finished in other than "black and white". I had a hammer gun with Laminated Steel barrels in 99+% original condition and the barrels are more "plum" in color.

Yep Dean, the letter on my DHE 16 with fluid steel barrels from 1905 states it was returned for cleaning and to have the barrels "rebrowned".

Harold, can you determine if they were finished in black and white?

Dean, my DHE has fluid steel barrels and thus was blued--the factory letter states that in 1910 the gun was returned to Parker and was "rebrowned", but obviously was reblued, as we would call it today.

a DH- rebrowned according to the letter - 100 years later worn to a faint brown except under the forend - still black and white there


http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/g...w/109_4490.jpg

Just a thought , could the term rebrowned be another term for re-rusting the barrels since its all a form of rust and rust is brown. Just sounds better.

Yes, very well done. Restraint and beauty, all in one fabulous package. They did nice work in my opinion. And you are one lucky person!