DH vs GH
 

So it is written the DH is the lowest grade CUSTOM gun Parker offered, what would make the DH a custom made gun compared to the GH? Both have a standard template that both models follow, or was the DH custom tailored to the purchaser and the GH was just standard fittings? Any clarification would be great!

“So it is written.....”

Where and by whom ?


Both could be ordered with various customer desired features. Both were made as stocked guns.

This forum: http://www.parkerguns.org/pages/grades.html I understand you could request modifications or option for graded guns. I was curious why the DH would be considered custom, but not the GH.

I think what you are referring to is that the DH was considered the lowest of the high grade guns. The GH was the highest of the low grade guns. The difference between what was considered high grade and low grade generally had to do with the type of walnut, the engraving, the checkering and the barrel steel.

I think we know that Parker Brothers would fill a customer's requests to "customize" his gun of about any grade as long as it was in good taste, within reason and for a price.

The factory options that could be applied to a gun (except the Trojan) were many and the grade of the gun didn't matter.





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That I can see! Thank you for the clarification!

That statement about the D grade was in reference to “custom shop” type features. Like Drop points and skeleton buttplate. These features, especially the ssbp are labor intensive treatments that were applied to all DH grade guns. None of the other american guns of a similar (grade 3) level offered such features.

The line you are asking about is poorly worded (I wrote it -- sorry).

It should read

The Grade 3 was introduced in 1875 and was very popular at a cost of $100 (a 100 Dollar grade). The DH is the lowest grade parker to be considered one of their high grade shotguns.

Robin Lewis knows Parkers and with the clarification is fully accurate.

Page 280 of TPS: "Parker guns of grade 3 and upward are generally considered to be custom-made, high grade guns." It goes on to discuss the "deluxe" features. It also notes that grade 3 guns were "seldom made for inventory."

Having re-read this, I think the words like "generally" and "seldom" give enough wiggle room to the idea.

Obviously one could customize a grade 2 gun as many letters attest.

I have a GHE 16 that has BTF (this is a Damascuss barreled gun) with the reinforced lug SST and a SSBP. Obviously at the request of the customer.

But that’s one of the available options that any grade above tha Trojan could be fitted with.





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I have never seen a grade two with a SSBP have you? This work including the ejectors was all done after the gun was originally shipped as a std GH. Parker also made it a straight grip.

Again, Parker Bros. would do nearly anything the customer wanted but I wonder if it was cost effective to have all those options installed after the fact...?





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I wonder when a G with added features becomes the same (or nearly the same) cost as a D? It’s odd how buyers could opt into or out of features that sometimes seem to not be very cost effective. Those research letters create mysteries as often as they solve them. The customer is (almost) always right...unless he wanted a gun too light to be safe (for example).