Letters are not available on all Parker restocked guns and if a gun was restocked multiple times by Parker that may be only partially documented by available Parker records.

Yes, I suppose it would be possible for a stockmaker to stamp in numbers in the correct orientation and with the correct number style and size, and to make the channel with a machine inletting tool instead of a chisel. I suppose so but I haven't seen one that precisely done yet or if I have seen one done that way and it is in all other respects a perfect Parker stock, it may not matter to me.

As a practical matter, in every instance I can recall here, somebody has posted photos of a stock that looks off in some respect and we've suggested to check the numbers under the tang and of course there are none.

My examination of the gun last year led me to the conclusion that the gun was restocked from straight to pistol grip probably Not by Parker Bros. An examination by others, I am most sure will confirm the same. As stated in an earlier post, the pistol grip stock currently with the shotgun certainly has B grade traits in regards to checkering etc. It's the wood to metal fit and other issues around the trigger guard tang area that led me to my conclusion. After studying the trigger guard area and reading the Parker letter that was with the gun, I did not feel the need to look for a serial under the guard .
JJV

I don't know if Donnie in Mo puts the serial number in the stock as I have never taken the trigger guard off the trap gun to look. I do know that its there on the CHE 20 I had restocked from pa PG to a straight stock. The only thing that gives it away as being restocked is the fact that I couldn't locate a SSB:crying:

Tonight I looked under the trigger guards of several Parkers and the numbers looked very much like the picture posted. The orientation was the same along with the grade stamp size and location. If the firearm in question doesn't have the number at all, that will clinch it. If the number is similar to the numbers shown on the posted picture, I will take a picture and post it to hopefully get opinions on the stocks originality.