Dean, barrels are choked MOD and FULL

I do not have the serial number yet but I was told it was made in 1918 or 1919

Charlie, you are correct that normally only Grade 4 & 5 guns were fitted with Acme Steel barrels - earlier ones of course were fitted with Damascus or Bernard (Grade 4 almost exclusively) barrels.

If a Parker were upgraded by a prominent gunsmith who was very well versed in how an original graded gun was appointed, he would generally change the rib inscription to reflect the proper barrel steel for the grade of the upgrade.

Generally speaking, the cleaner pallette of the VH would be used for the better upgrades and there may possibly have been a miniscule number of Parkers sent back for 'upgrades' but only in wood, checkering, butt treatment, or engraving special touches or embellishments but rarely (if ever) would a Parker have been sent back for a total upgrade... To the best of my knowledge....





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Charlie,
I sent you a PM.
Bob Jurewicz

That maybe helpful if the number is in the serialization book, unless you don't care what your buying and just like the gun and price for what it is

I would say that the 24" barrel length is a little more common in 28g. guns that it is in larger gauges.

In looking at the tables in TPS this can be said about 28g guns with 24" barrels.

In the "Short Barreled Shotguns" table in the back of the book which lists specific serial number for barrel 24" and under. There are 119 numbers listed in various gauges. 30 of them are 28g. So, basically 25% of them. And 28 of those 30 guns are 24" length. Keep in mind that this is not necessarily a complete list of all short barreled guns.

In the grades tables, where 24" lengths are listed for hammerless guns (fluid steel), there were 38 VH grades, 4 DH grades and 3 CH grades that were 28g. guns with 24" barrels.

In the VH table the 24" 28g guns outnumber any other gauge in the 24" length row.

Keep in mind again that those grade tables are extrapolated some to account for missing records.

Brian, the asking price for this gun suggests it is an upgrade however the barrels are marked Acme Steel” which were only supplied for AH and BH grades. According to Dean, if the gun was originally a VH and was upgraded to a AH by engraving, the engraver would have had to remove the “Vulcan Steel” inscription on the barrel and changed the inscription to “Acme Steel”. Would seeing what is stamped on the water table assist in determining the original grade or could those stampings also be altered?

The barrel flats too Charlie.





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Acme steel did make it onto some CH grade guns as well.

The tables in TPS do not list any 24" 28g. guns above C grade.