Gh or Dh
 

While I was at a friends hunting camp last weekend his neighbor brought over his Parker that was given to him in the 70's by a friends widow. In the Parker ID book serial #76079 is listed as a D grade, but the engraving look's like a G. Was the earlier D grade engraving different from my later DH?

Bill

Looks like a duck
 

If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck. Nice old G.

My book has it listed as a D2 which is a G grade, the gun you have pictured sure looks like a G grade to me.
Regards,
Gill

Bill, looks like a G grade to me also.
By the way, Sadie is doing great. What a personality. Loves playing in the sprinklers, stalking birds in the yard, and harassing the heck out of my older dog.
Oh I forgot, chewing up the wife's plants and flowers.

Gil,

The book indeed says it is a D grade, it also is marked on the water table as a D, but it sure looks like a G to me. Dave how about some pics of your pup.

Bill

"The Book" is often wrong so Bill it looks like a G and that's what I think it is

Here is a picture of Freddy the owner of the gun he is 79 years young, and still working his farm.

Bill

Wait a minute.... Some are saying that the "book" shows it as a D and others are saying the "book" shows it as a G.... something's fishy here. What "book" is being used as a reference?

A D2 is a Damascus barreled grade 2 or G grade and a D3 is a Damascus barreled grade 3 or D grade. In either case there will be a D stamped on the barrel flats under the right barrel near the front of the flat and if it is a grade 3 gun (D grade) there will be a 3 stamped nearer the breech of the flat on the same barrel. A grade 2 or G grade gun will usually not have the numeral 2 stamped at the breech end of the flat of the right barrel.

I looked it up in the Parker serialization book and 76079 is listed as a D2 gun, 12 gauge with 30" tubes but Freddy looks pretty serious in that picture so if he says it's a DH then so be it...lol.
Regards,
Gill

Dean, I may be out on a limb here, but I thought I understood that the grade letter and number are usually below and above the serial number midway between the front and the rear of the right barrel flat and the D without or with a 2 or 3 directly above it positioned close to the front of the right barrel flat is a designation for "damascus" and the 2 or 3 numeral is an indication of damascus quality not gun grade. All my Parkers are 2 or G grade guns and they variously exhibit D and a D with a 2 or 3 directly above. At present I have two barrels in for black and white refinishing, one marked with a D2 and one with a D3 and I'm really looking forward to seeing the the difference in patterns when completed. My bet is that the gun in question is a G with a better quality damascus set of barrels.