Grade 1 Lifter
 

A Grade 1 lifter without checkering. Sometimes the records specify no checkering, sometimes not, but we believe the informed person can tell whether the gun was made without checkering or the checkering was sanded off later. This one bears no sign of checkering being removed.

All original no checkering Parkers known to me are external hammer guns.

Presented in the interest of encouraging interest and collecting of Parker shot guns.

I have two that were originally uncheckered (most likely)

This one belonged to Austin Hogan

Bruce, what makes it a grade 1 and not an 0 grade?

The selling price, before discount, has as much to do with the grade as the amount of embellishment.
I had a 16 ga.,identical in all respects to a grade 0, 12ga., which lettered as a grade 1. As I recall, it was ten dollars more than the 12.

I am sure barrel steel had something to do with it too. But we have no barrel info or photos on this one.

How rare is it to find a low grade gun in such high condition! It's usually the higher grades that were put away and the lows were used up.

True, but so does total number produced. Since there were more low grades produced, it raises the chances that you'll see a high condition low grade gun still alive.

For example, if 300 A grades were made and 50% were kept in closets their whole lives, there will be 150 nice A grades floating around.

If 30,000 Trojans were produced, and only 4% were stashed in closets, there will be 1200 floating around.

That's a good point. Maybe it just seems like I don't see that many high condition low grade guns.

:vconfused: Can't argue with the thought process, but I had a visual of Ross Perot and his flip charts.

I have seen low grade guns carefully kept by generations of owners and high grade guns looking like they have rattled around in the back of trucks. I have a substantially unused grade 2 12ga from 1881. I think generalizations are difficult, my opinion.

"Often times, it is the man, who can barely afford such joy, that cares for it the most" I said that.

Some people just take better care of their "tools" than others. My father was meticulous in everything he used. He carried a bottle of touch up paint for the car just in case and cared for everything he had as if it was going to be the last thing he ever owned.
Used in one thing abused is another regardless if it's a grade 1 or an A1 Special.

My friend owns a transmission shop. We love to marvel at the guys who come in with 2 year old F-250 King Ranch Lariat trucks that probably costs $60,000 and have trails of tobacco-juice spit running down their leather door panels and 24 different McDonalds wrappers and coffee cups littering the floor.

Then there is the filthiest vehicle of all - a woman-driven minivan. But that's a whole other ball game.

The "Bard of Bloomfield" is so right.:bowdown:

Our Mike Smith, the famous photographer, has an O grade that is barely used maybe he will show a picture of it, Gary

I have seen that gun and it's amazing. Very,very well taken care of and Mike gives it the respect it's due as well.

I still want to know what makes the subject gun a Grade 1 and not an 0 grade???