A gift Parker
 

Many years ago my barber found out I liked Parkers and told me he had an old one. I asked if it was for sale and he said it was in poor shape and he would just give it to me. Some time later I went back in his shop and he gave me this gem. The only marks on the frame flat is the serial # T4578 and what appears to be three very small marks that look like E.9.? there is a patent date on the trigger bar "patentedNov13,1866". There are no marks on the barrel flats but, there is T 4 on the bottom of the right barrel in front of the barrel flat and a small shield with the initials GB ? on the bottom of the right barrel. I have no clue what the marks mean and they are indistinct so I may not seeing them as they really are. There is no dolls head barrel extension and it has the usual steel butt plate and a wedge to hold the forearm on. It must have seen a lot of use as it is very very loose. The stock had been cracked through the wrist and was held together with friction tape. I put a couple of threaded brass pins through the wrist to keep it together. It's not a shooter but I still treasure it.

Nice. All my barber ever gave me was razor burn. :rotf:

Looks a little off face, how are the bores

Could you post some close up of the markings and the wrist repair

Nice of your barber to gift you a Parker.

The letters in the shield should be P.B. and on the water table above the serial number should be F9R.

On the barrel flat the T is for Twist Steel barrels and the 4 should be the pre-struck weight of the barrels... apparently 4 lbs. no oz.

Dennis
That was a nice gesture of your barber.
I recommend that you join the PGCA and take advantage of the member rates and order a research letter. You may find out some fabulous provenance information.
Since you "like Parkers", you might have some other guns that you want research letters on.
A research letter is like a lottery ticket. Sometimes you hit the jackpot.

Saying it looks a little off face is like saying the Pope looks a little Catholic. It is way loose. The bores are pitted, the top rib came loose for about 16" from the muzzle back and someone put it back but wow what a soldering job. After removing the friction tape and several small nails I did put threaded brass pins in from the top and bottom of the wrist just to keep the parts in the same neighborhood. Since it was a gift I really do treasure it even if it isn't a shooter.

What does the top rib say for barrel steel? Plain twist or just twist?

Not a Shooter?
Don't dismiss an old Parker's shoot- ability. Not that we would give you ballistic advice, but there are esteemed members who would have already loaded up some light loads and fired it off.
Ask Eight Bore Charlie.

Old Parkers can be and look in really bad shape and still be salvageable. I have a few that prove that point. It is worth having a reputable gunsmith look it over, measure wall thickness on the barrels and see if it is cost effective to bring up to shooting condition.

Dennis ,Great Early Parker and a very nice gift ,all anyone ever gives me is Grief !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:rotf::rotf::rotf:

I can't read the rib marking. It is very indistinct.

As for making it into a shooter I could probably get it tight enough and the pitting probably isn't so bad the barrels would fail. I could even make up another set of barrels or make a sub gauge set for it but, I'm sure the stock would fail at the wrist. I really think it has earned a rest. Besides, I have other shotguns I can shoot even more Parker hammer guns so it isn't like I have to make this one a shooter. I just love it for what it is, an ancient Parker and a gift from a friend.