Nothing money won't fix and a whole lot a time.............

When I asked about the B with extra long forend, I was thinking about 88,220, the first Parker made with Vulcan barrels, as I recall. The stock book gives it a V code, but it was actually a V5. It was a wonderful gun that I should have bought.

Bill, is that the Grade 5 that Stephen Cobb owns or owned with VH engraving?





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Lordy! That barrel rust reminds me of stuff I've seen dragged out of a pile of straw and cow poo.

No, Dean, Steve's gun has "no engraving" like my CH Grade. The V5 is a full house BH, with engraving and fine furniture, and fitted with the first set of Vulcan Steel barrels fitted to a gun. When that gun was made, there were no VH guns. The long forend is very "Becker like". The gun appeared in Maryland, for sale, several years ago, and I don't know who bought it.

I believe I remember someone posting pictures of that gun, or at least the mounted forend, on the old forum and there may possibly have been a picture of it in Parker Pages long ago.






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It was one neat gun. I was either scared off by the price or the lack of a factory (PGCA) letter.

Sometimes the one doesn't seem too far fetched as long as you have the other ,and all is right !

The 1897- 1898 period must have had all the employees talking about what management was up to, because of all the 'Firsts' in fairly quick succession.
When I acquired 88490, a Titanic barreled CH, I went looking through the book at where it fell in the history of 'steel' barrels, Titanic barrels (compared to the the earlier introduction of the Whitworth barreled AA grades.)
86736 was the first appearance of Titanic barrels, a DH I believe.
86817 was the first steel barreled CH, also Titanic steel, and 87712 was the first steel BH, again, Titanic steel.
I saw that 88220 was the first use of Vulcan steel barrels, but didn't know it was a BH. A short while later, Parker fitted Vulcan steel barrels to a CH, 88725,
The first steel barreled 20 gauge was 88402, a DH, but what really caught my eye was 89539, what may be the first 24" barreled gun, and a DH 20 gauge, no less.
This got me thinking what a great grouse gun that must have been, and no sooner did I think that, I found a 24" DHE 20 gauge. Sure, it began life as a 30 inch gun, but cylinder bores is about right for the north woods of Maine. Several plump birds would attest to that if they could.

I may be mistaken but I understood the 1st gun with Vulcan steel barrels was a DH S/N 82225. I own 82226 delivered April 18 1896 and it letters and has Vulcan steel barrels. Originally delivered with no safety, an absolutely knock out piece of wood with a half pistol grip.