GHE WITH VULCAN BARRELS
 

just took in a nice 12 gauge, late Remington GHE, with 30" Vulcan steel barrels. serial # is 236xxx. everything looks kosher. is this a Remington clean up gun with VH barrels? have heard there are such things, but have never seen another. have you?

236XXX was made in Meriden by Parker Bros. employees under Remington ownership IF the serial number falls after 236241, before that ser. no. Parker Bros was in control.

Parker Special Steel was normally roll-stamped on the rib for grade 2 guns. A later replacement set of barrels is a possible explanation. Vulcan Steel barrels would have been a less expensive option for replacement barrels... a research letter may or may not answer the question.

Incidentally, 236XXX isn't "late Remington" but rather, late Parker Bros. or early Remington.

dean: thanks for quick response. full serial number is 236885, which makes it a Remington gun, plus parker is engraved on the bottom of the receiver.

maybe a letter is in order? does seem odd that a gun this late would need new barrels?

Ed, the gun would have a Rem code on the flats if factory re-barreled.

They are likely remainder barrels installed as new during early Rem production.

plus, the receiver bird engravings are not typical gh. I will take some pitchers...

For comparison, here is GHE 236199, clearly a very late Parker Bros. gun but with engraving normally attributed to Remington Parker grade 2 guns. This was produced, according to the serial number, in the last year of Parker Bros. ownership..... or maybe it was started by Parker Bros. but completed by Remington.... who knows...

Notice it doesn't say Parker Bros. or Parker anywhere on the frame at all... leading me to believe it was finished by Remington.

I refer to it as a transition gun.

I apologize for the poor quality of the pictures.


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These guns are in the realm of stock book entries. Barrel steel is one of the columns in the stock book. Get a letter.

There are about 500 reasons the gun could have needed new barrels.

I have 2 VHE's, 235968 & 235972, neither of which has Parker anywhere on the frame, and if I'm not mistaken they were Meriden guns. You may correct me if I'm wrong.

Daryl,

I'm going to offer the guess that because there is no Parker anywhere on the frames, they were soft-fitted in Meriden when Parker Bros. owned the gun works and they were held in inventory but they were final fitted and finished after Remington owned the gun works.

The work would have been done by former Parker Bros. employees and contractors but Remington was not authorized to use the Parker Bros. logo and they probably hadn't decided how to mark the guns yet.

That's my guess...

My VHE20 is the same Daryl. No Parker anywhere on the frame. S/N 236007. I had the gun for over 30 years before I ever even noticed that.

well, I did my home work and read the books...now convinced vh barrels on gh grade 2 gun are original factory work from November 1935...

however, the receiver engravings aint like any other gh I have ever seen?

will take the pitchers tomorrow.

and will also get letter request in the mail.

nice to come across something different...

Same here Richard. It was closer to 40yrs. before I noticed the absence of Parker on the frame. Does'nt say much for my powers of observation does it?
Dean, both guns ordered and shipped Sept, 1931.

That is very strange...!

To have actually been shipped in '31 with no Parker Bros. on the frame asks the big question - "Why??"

ghe with vhe barrels
 

here are some pictures of the ghe with vhe barrels. Remington proof stamps and date code suggest that barrels are original to gun? also, note, no Remington repair codes present.

ghe with vhe barrels
 

and then there are the receiver engravings. never seen these before. have you?

You've got a very unusual grade 2 there Ed. I can't remember seeing engraving exactly like that before. The case color looks original - the scroll engraving looks Remingtonish but the birds in the game scenes look quite different than any others I've seen. The bobwhite on the floor plate looks almost Remington... Very interesting. Maybe a different engraver, one whose work we haven't seen until now, was allowed to do the game scenes.... who knows?

I wonder what the R D stamp signifies.

dean: thanks for quick reply. any thoughts re originality of barrels? app for letter mailed today. will post results when it comes. ed

That is nice. Maybe it was a late Friday evening gun for the late-working engravers uncle...?

The pattern is similar to most later GH guns. But yes, the birds are different than normally seen. And the engraving on the floor plate is very unique in style.

They appear to be Runge clouds.

A very interesting and unique gun.

ghe with vhe barrels
 

here are some more pitchers..

Very nice gun. Look at the wood on that stock

research letter came today...no new info. did confirm mfg. date. indicated barrels are fluid steel, but nothing more. engraving not mentioned.

barrels and engraving are still a mystery...serial number book indicates there were about two dozen more p2 grade guns made around this time. anybody got one? if so, what do your barrels say and what does the engraving look like?

I have a few mysteries which research letters did not solve. The way I see it, I enjoy not knowing some things and, if the gun shoots well, ask no questions and enjoy it.

Ed, send me the gun and if I like it, I will not return it. Isn't that the way it works on gunbroker. I think it's a neat gun and I would like to own it. Of course you could send us a picture of the serial number stamp on the side of the barrel lug.

Ed, one of the most unique features of your gun is that the birds are actually recognizable. Bobwhite quail, pheasant and duck. Who would of thought that could be done on a lower grade Parker.

The forend looks very "Remington"... same width all the entire length.

if you have pictures of other Remington era Parkers with unusual engravings, please do post them here...

Remington barrel date code R = November D = 1935.

Thanks Dave - those barrels are apparently factory originals then.

research letter does state gun was put into inventory, December 26, 1935.