Marking on latch
 

At closer look the marking on the latch might not be a 4. Here is a blow up of the shot

Determining the value of a gun
 

Rich, The wording following the serial number in one of your latter pictures appears to me to read "PATD May ? 1907"

The stamping on the ejector forearm irons is "PATD,MAY 7,1901" the date of King & Hayes Patent No. 673641 covering the ejector mechanism.

Thank you. I would have never figured that out

Ejector pat date
 

Thank you I guess this site can figure anything out on this gun. Once you know what it is I see it.

FWIW the Parker Bros. forearm latch is not a Deeley. The Deeley & Edge latch was patent protected (U.S. Patent No. 140482 granted to J. Deely & J.S. Edge, Jr. July 1, 1873) and licensed to E. Remington & Sons April 24, 1879, and was used on their Model 1879 lifter and all top-lever models.

The Parker Bros. forearm latch was a Charles King design Patent No. 201816 granted Mar. 26, 1878, a date often stamped on the latch.

The forearm latch and the metal tip of the forearm were normally color case hardened, not blued and gold washed as 217264 now is.

The operative word here is “normally.” Never say never with a Parker.

So zero case color and 100% blue on major parts. Gold and blue on components never before seen on a Parker. 1950's white line recoil pad. Stock finish and detail look redone. It's a great Parker but I still believe it has been restored, refinished at some point. Just my opinion as a Parker student in training.

Perhaps the letter from Chuck will reveal if 217264 started life with a recoil pad or not, but it certainly did not have the IMPERIAL "White Line" you have pictured. Fray-Mershon was founded in 1935, but by 1948 it was Mershon Company, Inc.

Here is a link to an earlier thread on Parkers and Mershon recoil pads.

https://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=5709

Didn't Pachmayer restore shotguns years ago?