Having shot a flat-rib DH from the same era for a couple years now, the only thing I can say for sure is it does not make you shoot any better. Personally, I believe the flat rib adds a bit of heft to the barrels that the standard rib may not, plus it looks cool. I'd love to know the sales pitch Wilber Parker used to market them.

Good eye on the bolt plate, Dean. I missed that.

They just look cool, that's enough reason for me to like them. Kaas and Bickel had a theory about them, maybe Don will chime in.

Destry

What does the "K" mean on the barrel flats, shouldn't it be a "T" in a circle for Titanic??

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t...x152748612.jpg

Craig, I have seen a few guns marked this way. My belief is that is another type of stamp used by Walter King although most guns are stamped "WK".

Or it could be that ultra rare barrel steel used by Parker called Kryptonite....:rotf:

Thanks Dave------------you guys know your Parkers---Craig

Destry,
I like the sound of a 32" D grade with a flat rib wow! 32" barrels, flat ribs, straight stocks and no safety- all of the stuff my dreams are made of. Chuck Brunner had a safetyless CHE 16 ga. with a straight stock, flat rib, and 30" barrels, I would have sold some organs to get my mits on that but I'm pretty sure he had it sold before it went on the web.

i looked at this gun on gunbroker would be a real duck gun...nice gun but unusal barrel lenth for such a heavy frame gun.. charlie

103439 would have been made well before Walter King took the superintendant's position in 1908 from his father Charles King.
The barrel flats are stamped with the 3 indicative of the grade but it is unusual that a set of Titanic Steel barrels were not stamped with the T in the circle. As Dave states, we have seen this before, but not often.

We know that Walter worked in the shop as an inspector before moving up to take over for his father as superintendant. My belief is this is his inspectors mark prior to that move.