A minor correction there Jim - The early Parker Bros. hammerless guns did not have rebounding strikers and the notches are very helpful in opening the gun after firing. But that's not the end of the story because the strikers also have a tendency to drag or catch in the dented primers after firing.

Thanks for all your replies. Jim, if the gismos were installed to help retain the shell in the chamber, your fence-crossing explanation has some merit. It would seem however that this add on would not likely be something one would install in a gun choked full and full. Maybe the research letter will offer an explanation.
Somebody like Del Grego may be able to offer an opinion. He has seen and worked on a mountain of Parkers over the years. Anybody else have any ideas?

Gordon, my thinking is that the spring gadgets are a later addition, I don't recall if the ones observed were on a Parker.

Dean, knew that early hammerless gun were not rebounding, but encountering one is remote, The notches on the extractor have nothing to do with pin tips hanging up on the primers, they are there to assist opening the gun if the pins are down on an empty chamber.

Jim

What do they look like on the underside of the barrels?

Here are two views.

how does shell go in the barrel...looks like the little pins would be in the way of loading a shell or extracting one...my first time to see these pins in a gun...i hope we find the answer to the mystery of these pins..... charlie

Charlie, the pins are spring loaded and depress when the shell is in place. They cause no difficulty in loading or unloading.

I am not convinced that these gizmos are after-market add-ons. I have nothing to base this on but is seems to make little sense to put that kind of money in a gun for an extra that has so little apparent utility. Maybe is was a Parker prototype that somehow got in the market. Has anybody heard of a company that was doing this work in the late 1800s or in more modern times for that matter?

I thought someone would have mentioned this possibiity by now, but here goes. The safest way to carry a loaded safetyless hammerless or a cocked and ready hammer gun in the field is with the action open. Without due care and good luck, the hapless hunter, through his staggering and inattentive movements will empty the chambers (been there, done that). That might be avoided by the use of the devices shown here.

Yup, I know that.... my point was that the non-rebounding hammers exhibit more than one potential problem so, first you have to get them unstuck from the primers, then, if the notches are in the extractors you're home free. I've had them hang up on extractors without the notches even with shells or snap-caps in the chambers.

Fred thanks for your reply. The gun in question does have an automatic safety. I agree the safest way to carry a loaded gun is with the action open and these devices would serve to hold the shells in that condition. When actually hunting and not just strolling, I for one do not carry my gun action open in the field and know of no double shooters that do. Even in Germany where I hunted for several years and where I consider the hunters to be more safety conscious than in the US, I did not see hunters employ this method. That is not to say it is not a good idea.