Tom, the ad says one set of damascus, and one set of steel barrels, and says that they think the damascus barrels are factory add ons...wonder what quality steel the original barrels are, and why they arent pictured?

Perhaps, but the wedges are plainly not if the same hand as the receiver. I’d like to see another example of documented Grade 6 Damascus barrels with engraved barrel wedges.



**edited to add Grade 6

Tom...

If you buy said gun...just don't take it ptarmigan hunting!

Again Edgar, I beg to disagree with you. In my opinion the wedges are very likely to have been engraved by the same "hand" as the rest of the gun. Just look, for example, at the band of engraving encircling the breech end of the barrels and see that its execution is exactly the same as the corresponding band of engraving on the breech balls. Consider also that engraving Damascus has its own set of problems to overcome that are not present in homologus fluid pressed steel, very likely requiring a different approach or practice of execution than the fluid pressed steel. And there may also be variables we're not even considering in the level of difficulty presented by the Damascus barrels.

Again, I believe this is the only known set of Damascus barrels with such engraved wages. Highly respected Parker collectors agree with this premise regarding this gun.




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Many years ago when visiting Chadicks Ltd I saw a set of Damascus barrels that
had belonged to a AAH grade gun. They had the barrel engraved wedges. The gun at one time had been returned to the factory for fluid steel barrels to be added. Herschel said the gun had both sets of barrels when he purchased it. The
gun was sold with the steel barrels only as according to Herschel the buyer did
not want the Damascus barrels as he believed them to be unsafe!! I have always
regretted not trying to buy those barrels. They were beautiful. This incident occurred in the 1980's well before we started researching and writing The Parker Story.

Dean and Bill, Doesn’t Larry’s AA Damascus barrels have the wedge engraving?

Yes, Dave they do. I was merely pointing out that there could be more than one set of Damascus barrels produced with wedge engraving..... AA or A grade.

Many thanks to my buddy Bill and all the others who have responded. You guys are great. It's so good to have you guys out there before deciding whether to pull the trigger on an expensive gun. I am also looking at another early high grade and I'll make my decision in a week. I truly appreciate you guys. You guys are the best!!!

I won't Shawn. I know what can happen to a gun on the high peaks. My next trip out there is in November.

Dean, all of the floral terminations on the receiver are tightly wrapped, and yet none are nearly so tightly wrapped on the barrel wedge.
Since barrel wedge engraving was almost exclusively a grade 7 feature, one could assume that if the wedges were original (to the barrels, not to this gun,as stated by the seller) then these barrels were from a grade 7 gun. However, there were only three grade 7 damascus barrelled guns. There were nearly 200 damascus barreled grade 6 guns, and while others here have spoken of seeing grade 7 Damascus barrel wedges, they are not speaking of grade 6.
As you have seen the gun in hand, and shot it at Ernies, were you shooting the cylinder bore cut barrels? Did you notice the quality of the restamped number on the barrel?
Restamping of serial numbers on barrels is commonplace now, and,as is being done now by Batchelder on a gun for me, the original number is ground off, probably using a carbide ball end mill, or burr, followed by either TIG, or more likely laser welding, and, finally restamping.
None of those welding processes were available back when this barrel was purported to have been mated up with the gun.
I haven't held this gun in hand, but others have and questions remain.