DH-12 3 frame flat rib....nice gun!
 

After reading summer parker pages about ribs and flat ribs it may be of intrest to look at one just listed on gun broker....maybe you need it? Its to heavy for my tast. I have no connection with it. see auction no...291972041 If it would have been a light 12 I would be bidding...thanks all SXS ohio

I haven't seen one dished out around dolls head and top of lever.

Unusual and very nice gun. With chokes that tight I'd prefer 34" bbls so I could keep up with Destry! It would make a great duck gun nonetheless.

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/Vie...Item=291972041

I expected to see a specific weight of gun ordered in the Research letter. Use of a 3 frame for a 12 gauge I believe was to achieve a heavier weight and a good choice for those 1 1/4 ounce loads.

Another great example of what the Brothers P. would do to meet a customers requests. Wow!! 28-inch 12-gauge barrels on a 3-frame and a flat rib!! Kind of interesting that the request was to target the gun with a load of 48 grains of Schultze and 1 1/4 ounces of #7 shot. Schultze was a bulk powder and one would normally expect the load to be given in drams. I have a Chas. J. Godfrey catalogue that contains a conversion chart and 48-grains of Schultze is the equivalent of 3 1/2 drams. I have seen other places where loads of bulk powder were given in grains in some of the tables of what loads various shooters used in the early Grand American Handicaps at live birds. I guess the boys were kind of feeling their way in those first few decades of smokleless powder shot shells.

That stock looks awefully nice for a 111 year old gun. I wonder if it was back to Meriden at some point in its life for new wood? Is that a grip cap one would expect on a 1901 vintage stock?

The gun had obviously been back to Parker Bros at some point as it has the 1910 wear plate and as Dave suggests, the stock has a certain "look" to it. The grip cap is correct for the period however, the earlier grip cap without the logo was all but phased out by 1901 - maybe a few early ones can be found on these later guns but when inventory was used up no more were made.

I find the 'circular' scalloped area on the front top of the lever and the corresponding shaping of the doll's head very interesting - I have never seen that exact feature before this one.

Certainly an interesting girl. One of the few flat ribs I've ever heard of. Russ Bickel had a 32 inch D grade on a #2 frame with a flat rib. It was a murderous duck gun.

DLH

What exactly was the advantage of a flat rib and how often were they installed?

If there was really any advantage wouldn't Parker Bros. have used it as standard? I've seen a few others. The one I recall most was on a very late CHE 12-gauge 3-inch magnum at Randy Shumans many years ago.

When Remington Arms Co. introduced their hammerless doubles in October 1894, the flat rib was "standard" and a "hollow" rib was optional on the higher grades. Slowly but surely the "hollow" rib became more and more standard to where by about 1905/6 even the K-grades had it.

Actually, if the gun fits and one is shooting correctly, the rib shouldn't make any difference at all. You should be focused on the target, not the rib. Makes me laugh to myself every time I'm on a skeet squad with guys with all those big day-glow gizmos on their ribs!!

Those must actually refocus the shooter's attention from the target to the sight.

Having shot a flat-rib DH from the same era for a couple years now, the only thing I can say for sure is it does not make you shoot any better. Personally, I believe the flat rib adds a bit of heft to the barrels that the standard rib may not, plus it looks cool. I'd love to know the sales pitch Wilber Parker used to market them.

Good eye on the bolt plate, Dean. I missed that.

They just look cool, that's enough reason for me to like them. Kaas and Bickel had a theory about them, maybe Don will chime in.

Destry

What does the "K" mean on the barrel flats, shouldn't it be a "T" in a circle for Titanic??

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t...x152748612.jpg

Craig, I have seen a few guns marked this way. My belief is that is another type of stamp used by Walter King although most guns are stamped "WK".

Or it could be that ultra rare barrel steel used by Parker called Kryptonite....:rotf:

Thanks Dave------------you guys know your Parkers---Craig

Destry,
I like the sound of a 32" D grade with a flat rib wow! 32" barrels, flat ribs, straight stocks and no safety- all of the stuff my dreams are made of. Chuck Brunner had a safetyless CHE 16 ga. with a straight stock, flat rib, and 30" barrels, I would have sold some organs to get my mits on that but I'm pretty sure he had it sold before it went on the web.

i looked at this gun on gunbroker would be a real duck gun...nice gun but unusal barrel lenth for such a heavy frame gun.. charlie

103439 would have been made well before Walter King took the superintendant's position in 1908 from his father Charles King.
The barrel flats are stamped with the 3 indicative of the grade but it is unusual that a set of Titanic Steel barrels were not stamped with the T in the circle. As Dave states, we have seen this before, but not often.

We know that Walter worked in the shop as an inspector before moving up to take over for his father as superintendant. My belief is this is his inspectors mark prior to that move.

My Father's 1901 VH-Grade has the Kf in that location on its barrel flats.

The Brits refer to flat wide ribs as "pigeon ribs". Many Parkers with that rib are pigeon style guns. By the way, the late CHE that Dave referred to was in the shop where I worked a few years back and was slow sale because of its extremely high condition. Live and learn. I think it is pictured in TPS. Never seen a short barrel flat rib.

There is a section in The Parker Story (look in the index) on the many markings or stampings on the barrel flats. Many are known while several continue to stump the experts. The letters "K", "WK", and "Kf" are known.

Ok, I'm going to ask Pete and Scott to send me a few crows next time they knock some down as I have discovered that I have to "Eat Crow".

On Page 582 of The Parker Story, the stamps "K" and "WK" are thought to be those of Walter King, the son...

Humble apologies to Dave Suponski :bowdown:

i do have some in the freezer. need an address:corn: