16 gauge on #2 frame
 

Received a gun today that I bought on the net. P grade serial # 59792, the seller advised the gun as 12 ga. 30", with perfect damascus bbls. and as I have been looking for a set of bbls. with forend for a project I bought it. Obviously he wasn't too up on shotguns, it is as described except it is a 16 ga. (will still work for the project, DH 12 ga. 30" into a two bbl. set) Wondering how common the 16 ga. was on the #2 frame. Usual very low stock but it feels like it would point well.
Regards, John Hancock

Very scarce variation. Don't cannibalize this gun to make your two barrel set. Can we see pictures? Are the barrels Damascus, as the seller described, or Twist, as is usual for the P grade?

John check your pms

John, I find it hard to believe that you are still alive! Stranger things have happened, by the way you are the one that signed the Declaration of Independence?

16 gauge on #2 frame
 

Thanks for the thoughts on the P gun, #2 frame, 16 gauge. Having seen and bought several Parkers I did think this was somewhat of an odd configuration. As it is a pretty nice gun I think I'll likely stock it so I can shoot it, having shot trap since 1960 I seem to only shoot well with guns stocked a lot higher than Parker put on most of the early guns that I have seen. Re: the bbls. Yes they are marked damascus, I took some pic today and hope I can remember how to put them with this. The bbls. are really bright and pretty well perfect, bores are .663" and .664" with chokes in both bbls. 030".
I haven't seen an abundance of Parkers and this is the first one I recall not having a slotted screw in the hinge joint. How unusual is this? Thanks for your coments. John Hancock

John I have the gun and the barrels you need for that 12 ga. Eric

If it letters with those barrels it is very likely a unique Parker.

Save the stock that you remove in order to maintain the integrity of the original gun.

Let's see a picture of the open breech. What's the unstruck barrel weight?

All the numbers match I suppose.

I'd get a letter from Mark on that serial number before I did anything to that gun!! There are a number of 2-frame 20-gauge guns in existance, so while 2-frame 16-gauges are far from common, they are not unique.

Well this looks to be an unusual gun. I ordered a Letter today, computer says Letter for this serial # is available, will be interesting. All #'s match, photos attached. May need to go into a collection rather than me shooting doves with it. Will decide when get the Letter. Thanks for your coments.
Regards, John Hancock

Listed in serialization book as a 30" 12 bore.

George, The gun certainly is a 16 ga. now and the pic are posted, the gun looks like origional work to me ( I have been around guns for over 50 years). Would you speculate
as to it being a 12 ga in the serialization book. Thanks, John Hancock

John the book has been wrong many times, matter of fact I just picked up a forend latch that the book says is a V grade...it's either a B or A grade latch but the serial number in the book says it's a V. The serialization book is a guide there have been many mistakes in the book that people have found so use it as another tool but not the holy grail.

John, all I know is what is in the book...and many have said the book isn't always right. I do have a EH # 59633 which is within a couple hundred #'s of yours. The #'s on the forend,frame and barrel lug look exactly alike. The #'s on your barrel lug appear to different than the others, and that would make me think the gun was sent back for new barrels at a later date. George

I have a VH forend and the numbers on the latch confirm it as being a VH but I'll let you decide for yourselves...




.

Dean youris a match to my forend latch, could be brothers.. Wish I knew who owned the gun, but again this shows there are many mistakes in the book. Funny both were listed as V's

There's no argueing mine being a VH considering the checkering pattern.

Dean, are the tip, latch and iron all numbered the same?

Looks like the engraver was bored that day!

Yes they all are numbered alike.

George, Thanks for the thoughts. I got the eye loop out and looking at the #'s it looks to me like the bbl lug for sure has a different #9 than the forend iron and the action. Mabee it did go back for the bbls that are on it now. I still like it. Regards, John Hancock

Rced the letter today. The gun was shipped in 1890 with 12 gauge 30" bbls, returned to Parker in 1904 and fitted with 16 gauge 30" bbls. Parker charged him $20.00.
Origial bbls were Twist, second set were Damascus, gun went to Des Moines Iowa both times. Second time to Jesse Neas. Wonder if his kids have the 12 gauge bbls.
Regards, John Hancock