GH 20 ga. with 26" Damascus barrels
 

Have in hand this evening a GH hammerless 20 ga. ser. # 133968 with Damascus 26" barrels. When looking this gun up in The Parker Story this evening it seems to tell me on page 279 that none were made with Damascus barrels in 26". The barrels don't appear to have been cut. Is there some place else in the book I can find additional information?

Thanks, Gary Cripps

Garry, your gun checks out in the serialization book D2 26" barrels
Grab it.

The Parker Story estimates of G grade 20 gauge hammerless Damascus barrel gun production is in error. Maybe someone can provide us with the "errata" entry for that part of the book. These guns are scarce, but not as rare as the book would have us believe.

The real numbers that should be in the Dam2 20-gauge column (length/count) - (32/3), (31/1), (30/49), (28/244), (27/3), (26/145), and (24/1) for a total of 446 Damascus barrel 20-gauge GH-/GHE-Grades.

That puts things in perspective. Didn't think I could find one of a kind.
Thank you very much for the information.
Gary Cripps

Researcher, are the "eratta" pages still available for TPS? How do we access a copy?

Bill, I could copy my set and mail them to you if you like.

I just picked up a GHE 20 Damascuss with 26 inch bbls. Its haveing some stock work done and I don't remember the serial number but it seems to me it was from the early 1900's.

I tried the web address that was in the upper corner of some of mine, and no joy!! There is some errata for volume I on page 1043 and 1044 in Volume II.

Cab anyone tell me how many GH 20 gauges had Twist steel barrels?

Phil, TPS does not list any. But that is not to say a gun could have been sent back for a rebarrel and the owner wanted a less expensive set of barrels fitted. If you own this gun I would get a letter on it.

I do have a letter and I am sure it was sent back for a new barrel. Too bad I would love to have the original 32". The current barrels are twist 26" Choked .003 Rt and .018 Left. They are choked for a full 4". So I am sure they are not cut, and are Serialized to the gun. I had the gun sent to Del Grego for the wood to be refinished. Currently it weighs 7 Lbs 1 Oz It also has a 1/4" cast off. Too bad as I shoot left handed.


http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...0/scan0001.jpg

It would appear that if the numbers posted earlier are correct. There is now only two 32" Damascus twenty's & who know's if they are still around.

Twist Steel barrels were used primarily on Grade 1 or P grade Parkers prior to the adoption on Parker Steel barrels for that grade. A GH with Twist Steel barrels would be a rare bird.

Here is a picture of the gun.

http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...0/DSCN0143.jpg

Parkers sent in for rebarrelling are often barrelled with steel types of lesser cost than the original barrels. Too bad you can't get provenance on your Twist Steel barrels. What era are the Twist Steel barrels? They wouldn't possibly be stamped with the "Parker Overload Proof" stamp, would they?

Bill,
The only markings on the barrels are 105459, T, 3 8 for the weight,G, 11, Frame size of 1 and what appears to be WK in an oblong circle, and what appears to be & and another mark. Barrel rib is engraved with +--<>->-o (if these were all touching) on the left end of the engraving that reads PARKER BROS MAKERS. MERIDEN CONN. TWIST. and o-k-<>--l on the right end.

In that the Twist barrels are marked Conn. they are prior to 1918 when they changed to CT., U.S.A. on the rib marking. Is the barrel lug fitted with a bolt plate and the action a new style bolt? 1905 style bolt plate? 1910 and later style bolt plate? My 1889-vintage GH-Grade heavy 2-frame Damascus barrel 12-gauge was back to the Brothers P for a set of post-1918 Vulcan Steel 32-inch 20-gauge barrels and got the updated bolt, and the post-1910 bolt plates on both sets of barrels.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...er/Big2001.jpg

Dave, Parker Bros. usually didn't charge for updating the bolt and bolt-plate to the 1910 design - was there any charge for doing it to two sets of barrels on yours?

It wouldn't be very many is my guess. For it to have twist bbls it would have to be a PH or possibly a grade 0 or 1 hammer gun.

It does not have the newer replacable bolt plate. On the end of the bolt plate it has the last 3 digiets of the S/N 459