How unusual is a flat top rib on a TL 10ga Grade 4 Dam
 

How unusual are flat top ribs on a Top Lever Hammer guns. This is a Grade 4 10ga/32 with Damascus barrels on a #3 frame. Some target shooter specified a flat top rib correct?? Thanks
Guess I will send for a letter.

sounds like a interesting question hope you find the answer to it...charlie

Not sure how unusual but certainly not very common. My DHE 20, 32" has one as did an early BHE damascus which I foolishly let go.

I have seen a flat rib hammer gun once. It was a 16g if I recall. But do not remember ghe grade or if it was a Top action or a lifter. I am pretty sure it was a top action since I think the rib was matted.

A flat top rib on any Parker hammer gun is exceptionally rare.

Would love to see pictures and a picture of the breech face too.





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The bottom gun is the Grade 4

Dean what shot would you like?? Craig

Breech face without barrels front-on. Thanks Craig.





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Pictures. Maybe files flat??

Thanks Craig. I was trying to see if a hammer gun had, like hammerless guns with either a vent rib of a flat rib, a flat top breech across the tops of the bolsters. Apparently the hammer guns didn't have that feature.




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Dean the more I look at the gun I think The rib was filed flat and not an original flat rib. The letter will solve it. Craig

Craig FYI neither of my letters mentioned the flat ribs but they were definitely factory. Good luck with yours. Hopefully Chuck is back from thong island and can focus on the letter requests.:eek:

I have a flat rib CHE 20. The letter I have does not mention the flat rib. It is the most detailed letter I have, yet no mention of the flat rib.

I think you may be right Craig. It looks like a concaved rib filed flat.

You’re right.

The flower engraved on the doll’s head screw is only partially visible as is the engraved terminal breech border.





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My educated guess is that flat ribs on ANY Parker is less than .5% and flat ribs on hammer guns goes down from there. If anyone has specs and real serial numbers on flat rib guns please publish here It would be a great share for this group and allow us to add to it as we find additional guns.

PML

It's a cool old gun made in 1883 just after the introduction of the TL. Min walls are .045 in both barrels and .085 at 9" from the breech. The bores have some pitting but very shootable in my opinion. Very few TL grade hammer guns were made with damascus (25 in all gauges) and 75 in Bernard. I believe Bernard was first offered in 1883?? Any how it needs a bolt replacement I believe and then it's good to go. Too bad someone along the line filled the rib flat but it's just part of the gun's history.

Craig,

That gun sure looks like the rib was made flat after the fact. Was originally concave.

The one example of a flat rib hammer gun that I mentioned did letter that way and the frame was also shaped for the flat rib.

I know of a Grade III 16ga in the 18,xxx SN range that has an original high flat rib as described in its PGCA letter. The gun has has lightning cuts in the frame. Has to be unique.

I suspect it was a 0-frame gun Josh?

That is extremely early for such a feature.





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Josh,
That is the same one I was referring to. So that is a lifter then.

Just got a flat rib, no safety DHE pigeon gun back from the wood refinisher. It letters with flat rib, safety delete, round grip, Silver pad, 30" Titanic barrels. It is a full house Pennsylvania pigeon gun ordered by the founder of the Bradford PA. gun club. Like most Pennsylvania pigeon guns, it has suffered a hard life, but is all original and looks good from six feet.

I had a DH fluid steel 8 ga the lettered with a flat rib, straight stock and silvers pad. I know Josh saw the gun. It was an interesting gun.

That's way beyond "interesting". Who did it letter to??

That's the thing Bill there was no name, but everything else was spelled out in the letter. So you tell me who would order such a gun, got me, but it was light for a 8 ga and had great balance and pointed great. The gun had not been fired much as it was a 95% condition gun.

And you would sell such a gun?

Eric had reached a pinnacle in his collecting of very high condition DH Parkers. What would you have done?... the chase was over.





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Couldn't have said it better Dean. The chase was fun, showing them was fun and then you say now what, I can't shoot them so I look at them on the wall so it was time to move on. The collection was sold as a whole, but I think now it has been broken up.

Bill I think Steve Barnett has that 8 gauge listed on his site. It is a beauty w/ a straight stock, 34" barrels and a flat rib. It may not be the same gun but how many flat rib 8 gauge guns could there be?

That's it, same gun. It was really a neat gun.

Is this the Grade 4 that was in the last Rock Island Auction ?

Yes. It is a very interesting gun in that very few grade 4 TL hammer guns were made in either Damascus or Bernard ( like 100 total). I am very seriously considering doing some restoration, but need to have Brian evaluate it mechanically. The barrels are very sound, the stock is sound and untouched. I'm thinking about a barrel finish, recut checkering and a new bolt.

I was at a gun local show Sunday and saw a 10Ga Parker hammer with a flat plain rib as well. That is what caught my attention. It had a round grip, splinter forearm, top lever and semi loose lock-up. The butt plate was plastic with horizontal lines (the screw heads were still timed). The Damascus barrels were brown and hard to see the twist, bores appeared dirty so I couldn't determine their condition. The owner had it marked for $680.00 and offered it to me for $525.00 after seeing me looking at it for a long time. I might have been the only guy there that showed any interest in it.

Flat rib gun
 

Here is a flat rib gun and the serial number as requested.

Larry is that a 12 gauge?

I've got a DH 12 gauge 3 frame 28" flat rib . Gun was for sale here almost a year ago .

DH Flat rib
 

Yes, it's a 12 gauge with 32" barrels and no safety.