Opinions on what grade
 

This gun came to me from one of our fine members in California. I was told it is a "P" grade. I am just curious as to how that is determined. According to our web site, serial #44253, was manufactured in 1884. There is a number "1" above the serial # on the water table. I hope the pictures loaded alright. I could not get a clear pic of the barrel flats w/ numbers. Looking at the flats, chamber end to the right, on the lower flat to the left there is a "3" with a small number 1 or I or l. Just to the right of the number three is a symbol that looks like a small anvil. The flat above to the left is a "+" and two patent numbers, June 25, 1878 and April 11, 1876. A patent date under the serial # is Mar 16, 1875. On the other water table are patent dates of April 11, 1876 and Sep. 3, 1872. Any info on this would be greatly appreciated.

I thought P was only a hammerless grade

the water table says grade 1

Its a grade 1 with laminated steel barrels on a 1 frame. Book says L1 12ga., pistol grip top lever with 32" bbls.

L1 is a Grade 1 with Laminated Steel barrels. The Grade 1 is also known as the P Grade in gauges up to 12 ga.





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Seems to be a nice, solid Grade 1.

As I understand it, the P grade designation came well after the manufacture of this great gun. Your gun is a "Grade 1".

In the hammer guns wasn't a P-Grade a Quality 1 with pistol grip up to 12-gauge and it would be a Q-Grade if it had a straight grip? Similarly the N-Grade would be a 10-gauge with a pistol grip and an O-grade a 10-gauge with a straight grip?

These hammer gun letter grades in Quality 1 seem to be very confusing. The Parker Story lists them as being I, K, L or M and N, O, P or Q; and then lists the Quality 0 hammer guns as being R, S, T or U. By the turn of the century the only Twist barrel hammer guns in the blue catalogue are R, S, T and U. Later just R and T and finally only T-Grade.

Yup, Dave is right. The "grades of many colors", grades 0 and 1, were in effect in 1884 when this gun was made. Rereading TPS, Volume 1, Price and Mullins state that they had only examined one Grade 1 hammer gun with "1" markings on the water table. They didn't mention how many hammer guns they had examined with a "P" stamped on the water table, but I have only seen one of those. They state that 0 and 1 grade hammer guns with the grade stamped on the water table are seldom encountered.

Thank you all for your responses. It has been a great learning experience the last 8 months since I purchased my first Parker. That one is a VH, 30" Vulcan steel 12GA, with a 1901 mfg. date. I also have a letter for that one and in the process of obtaining one for the hammer gun. Thank you all again.

Tom Pellegrini

My 8 gauge hammer gun, shipped in 1894, is marked with a P on the water table but the factory letter states that the order book lists it as a grade 1.