I don't know why there would be a need for speed in loading for the pigeon ring.

OK, that may be true, but about the only guns specifically ordered in the hammerless era "without doll's head" are competition guns. If not pigeon shooters, then trap shooters. Has anyone seen a hammerless graded small gauge gun without doll's head? I have not seen such a gun.

Top lever hammer guns without dolls head extension per tables in the grades chaper in TPS: Grade 0 and 2 only

grade 0 724 out of 23426 1:33
grade 1 no table (144) out of 4325
grade 2 283 out of 7547 1:27
grade 3 no table (45) out of 1337
grade 4 no table (3) out of 100
grade 5 no table (2) out of 71
grade 6 no table (1) out of 32

Total estimate 1202

One could probably use the two two available tables to set up a ratio for the rest of the grades. Some sort of estimate could be determined. I am assuming it would only apply to grade 0 to grade 6. Per the 1:33 and the 1:27 I will average it to 1:30 for the other grades and put the approximate value in parentheses, with some rounding off of course. I am making the assumption that there were also non dolls head guns made in other than grade 0 and 2..........not sure why they wouldn't have been. Maybe the grade 1 wasn't available at the time ?? If that is the case then the total may very well be 1007 as shown in the two tables.

Bill,
I have a twenty ga Vh without a dolls head and without a safety. It has 26" barrels and a ball grip.
Jeff

Jeff, have you ever shared the provenance on that great gun with us?

Bill,
I have mentioned it in the past. Serial # is 126522. Shipped Oct. 8 1904 to O. W. Gaines of Meriden Conn. lop 14 1/4 DAC 1 5/8 DAH 2 1/2 Weight 6 lbs. RH Cyl LH Mod. Brain spasm, Barrels 28" not 26".

Looks like the Doll's Head cutout has been filled in on that gun, Was that standard?

Other examples we have seen were done the same way. Are there any examples of frames that were never mortised (stamped/cut) for the doll's head?

The only ones I have seen have been filled in. The higher grade ones are engraved over and are harder to see.

Now doggone it Jeff, you're holding out on us.... Please tell us about that one.