Do YOU know this gun.
 

Hi All.:)
Do you or any member know this Parker No240830 vhe 12 bore 1/2 size frame
28" full and full. It is 11/6" from pin to pin do you think it was made in Meridi
and how many 1/2 size frame guns were made?. I have had this Parker for over five years and found it in Oxford in the UK. Did any one know off this
gun in the US. I have some info but not much any help would be appreciated
as i would love to piece together the life of this lovely old gun:cool:.
Thanks Dave.:bigbye:

I don't know it, but it is a very nice gun

Do YOU know this gun.
 

No, but I knew one just like her!!!..:rotf:

For sure, a very nice Parker:):):)

Would that every poster asking questions started with such a good array of photos. :)

One other might help. One of the rib. Is the rib just plain matted or does it have a Parker Bros. legend? Or, the very rare "PARKER, MERIDEN, CONN. U.S.A." legend?

Parker Pages lists 240466 as possibly the last VHE 20-Gauge made in Meriden, but I don't see anything definitive on the last Meriden 12-gauge.

Being a 1/2 frame gun, it is likely an Ilion, NY made gun. The grip cap is really the only real monkey wrench in this. But that could just be using up stock.

Based on the ship date. It looks like it was right after the move to Ilion.
You very well may have the earliest known 1/2 frame gun.

I see "Parker" on the underside, so it is definitely later. Is Josh Lowensteiner here? You ought to submit it to Parkers Found as earliest 1/2 frame

My 1/2 frame is 240647 and was made late 1937 in Meriden, at least that's what the construction looks like. The second set of barrels was made in Ilion early 1938. I think the key is to look for the mullard border on the stock and forend, the rib inscription, and the V on the barrel flats. I've been told that approx 250 1/2 frame guns were made however I think that total might be a little low.

Contact Craig Reynolds on this as well. He keeps a 1/2 frame registry of sorts.

The latest ParkerI own is 1930-vintage, so I'm not real knowlegable on the Remington era guns, but what about the Parker Bros. rollstamp on the watertable?

The rib.
 

Thanks Dave.
The rib is a plain matted one.
Dave.:bigbye:

David Ross, I think we have discussed this gun before. Maybe you could bring that thread to the top so we can review what has been said before.

Earliest known?.
 

HI Brian.:)
Wow earliest known 1/2 frame gun Oh boy if only it is:cool:.
Thanks Dave.:bigbye:

Parkers found.
 

If you see this post Mr Lowensteiner please would you submit it to
Parkers found as maybe the earliest 1/2 frame gun.
All the best Dave.:bigbye:

And those other markings on each side of the water table are different too. The lower part reads BMP from what I can make out.

I am pretty sure I have seen the Parker Bros mark on some water tables before.

The 1/2 frame was not devised by Meriden until 1930 as far as we know based on factory drawings. But it is believed that, though Meriden likely made a run of the frames, they were not made into completed guns until the Remington (Ilion) era.

And there are all sorts of odd markings on the barrel flats.
The serial number being stamped on the barrel flats is a Remington thing.

You may want to double check ALL of the frame measurements and compare them to what a 1/2 frame should be.

BNP.
 

It is BNP British nitro proof.

Dave.

any gun imported into the UK must pass the current proof process and will have a full set of the required (at the time) marks added

The earliest 1/2 frame guns are well documented in stock book entries. I don't know the serial numbers, but they have been discussed here before.

Earliest 1/2 frame
 

Forgive me for not being to quick on the draw, but didn't Chuck already say that his gun is about 200 lower than the gun being discussed here?

Your quicker on the draw than me your right. My mistake:bowdown:.
All the best Dave.:bigbye:

Thanks to you all for all your replys and help with my Parker gun but i think we may have gone as fare as we can on this.
It may well be i will never know the life of this gun as to its owners and adventures but thats another story.

David, do you have a PGCA letter? Some IBM cards have customer information.

Letter.
 

Sorry Bill but i could not get a letter there is not enough info. But i did get a
works order as in my picts . All i know is the gun was ordered by a Mr Tacy in
1937.
Dave.:bigbye:

David, the story on your gun would make a great Parker Pages article.

Article.
 

Thanks Mills but i'm not to hot on articles and that sort of stuff.
Dave.:bigbye:

nothing to it dave...just write down what you know about the gun and a few pictures and maybe dean could edit it for you and then your in the parker pages...charlie

Sorry, Dave, I missed the picture of the IBM cards.