Angel you can have your O grade look like that. I know just the engraver that can do it for you.

Rich, I could probably buy another low grade Parker for the price of that type of engraving.
By the way, I also thought the step on the side plates was an engraving mirage. If I had another 7000.00 that gun would be mine by now.

Anyone look up this number in The Parker Story yet? I'm not home, can't do it.

According to TPS 6966 D6 Underlifter Pistol grip 10 gauge 28" barrels.

The mystery goes on! The TPS and SER Bk have different descriptions of the gun

In this case I think the gun is the deciding factor. It looks like a nice $250 grade to me and I think the books are in error. It would be interesting to see a letter on it.

I do not buy the 1776 - 1876 centennial comments.

On another thread, Bruce Day states that these are not stepped sideplates. I stand corrected. I sure would like to see a picture of that buttplate. Solid steel or skeleton?

We're all blind. Several pictures show the sideplates are not stepped.

6966 is a D6 listed in TPS as a gun for the 1876 show -- see Chapter on Show Guns. The lists of show guns came from special lists that Parker kept, not the stock books or order books (as I recall). Maybe 6966 started life as a lower grade and was recorded as such in the stock book (source of the Serialization data). A study of data in the stock book and order books may help explain. I have never seen a Parker sidelock with such steps.
Charlie Price

I stand corrected. Thanks everyone for the clarification.