I have an 0 grade 4 frame , when I get home I’ll have a look .

Craig, after looking at the 1895 Showroom catalog, I noticed that the AAH pigeon gun was shown with bolsters and no other HAMMERLESS gun was pictured that way. The same catalog shows bolsters on lower grade hammer guns; both top lever and lifter. However the beads do not extend around the fences on the grades below grade 3. Based on the AAH hammerless gun pictured, I believe the bolsters were added for strength because they add nothing cosmetically.

Dean, its a Grade 3 top lever

Also have a Grade 3 10 Ga top lever #2 frame with 2 beads and a 3 frame 10 ga, #1 grade lifter with one heavy bead.

I have a D grade top lever 10, beads same as OP's

Here is 23243 which is a Grade-0 Lifter. It is a 16-gauge on the lightened 0-frame and it has the radiused frame. Notice the two beads which do not go up and around the bolsters but end just a bit behind the vertical line of the standing breech.This leads me to firmly believe the beads were designed for strength and the beads that run up and around the bolsters on the higher grades were designed to enhance the appearance of the frame.


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Here it is.

Thanks everyone who replied. Grade 3 hammer guns are a sweet spot in the Parker collector categories. Lots of special treatments and still available to the average collector.

Dean my grade 1 looks like your pictures. I Didn't consider short one a bead since it didn't sweep all the way to the top.