Hi Bob,

I expect that you will not be able to discern the difference in Damascus pattern between the G and the D grades.

The letter designation and the numeral designation of the grade are seperated by the serial number but only on the water table, not on the barrel flats.

You are correct that the "D" on the barrel flat is the stamp for Damascus on grades 2 through 4 and sometimes 5 and 6 but usually a grade 5 and 6 are "Finest Damascus Barrels" as indicated by a "DD" or double D stamp on the right barrel flat.

As I understand it, the numeral stamp toward the breech end of the right barrel flat is the grade designation, e.g., 3=D, 4=C, 5=B, 6=A, 7=AA. Again, I have never seen a 2 in this position indicating a grade 2 gun. These numeral stamps hold true for fluid steel barrels as well on nearly all the guns I have examined.

As an example, take a look at this CH grade (4) with Bernard barrels. On the water table is the grade number above and the letter designation below seperated by the serial number. And on the right barrel flat is the B for Bernard forward of the numeral stamp of 4 for the for the grade of the gun.


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Damascus Identification
 

About 85% of all damascus barrelled Parker guns were grade 2 , so the D was sufficient most of the time. The added letter or number separated the few higher grades. The reason for the stamp is that , prior to finishing and bluing, the rough barrels looked alike to the workers in the shop.

Best, Austin

I'm not sure if this is what you meant, but there is a definite difference in the damascus pattern of G grade (D2) and D grade (D3) barrels. The pattern on the D3 is smaller, and tighter. It is also a much bigger pain to refinish (harder to get good contrast). Perhaps you meant if you didn't have the two together to compare along side each other? But even then you can IF you are familiar with the difference. Forgive me if I misunderstood the statement. I DO know that YOU know your Parkers!

Jim

Jim,

I will say that every set of grade 2 and grade 3 Parker Damascus barrels that I have examined have been '3 iron crolle'. I have never seen '2 iron crolle' on a Parker hammerless but I have seen a distinct difference between early and late 3 iron crolle patterns. In my experience, I have not been able to discern any difference between the barrels of a grade 2 and the barrels of a grade 3 of the same manufacturing period.

I hope that we have determined that the gun in question, Fred's GH, is a GH or Grade 2, and the book agrees with the grade of the gun, D2, which is a Damascus, Grade 2.

Couldn't be righter. D2 in the gun listings of the Serialization and Identification Book is explained on p.62 of the same book in the explanation of the grade codes as a "Grade 2 guns ( grades E,F,G and H) with damascus steel barrels".

If there is confusion about the meanings of terminology in the Serialization Book, the same book contains pages of explanation in the front. Charlie Price also included many photographs of barrel flats and frame water table markings with explanation.