S designation on Parker Guns
 

I have a 12 ga Parker that is listed in the serial number book as a S.
It made me wonder if this designation means something more than just a error in the original book.
the rib is marked;
MADE TO ORDER FOR THO'S RUSSELL
PARKER BROS MAKERS MERIDEN CONN. VULCAN STEEL
It looks like any other V H Parker with the exception of the rib, which clearly was done at the factory.
The serial number is 176575, and has no special features other than the rib markings. It made me wonder if there was a designation for "S" Special orders on Parker guns that was so noted in the books......" Food for thought!"

Do you have a letter on this gun ?

Is the gun pistol gripped or straight stocked?

The gun has a replacement pistol grip. The serial number book shows the grade as 'S' making me wonder if anything that changes the standard configuration of the gun would be marked "S". Thus the special engraving
Yes I did have a letter on the gun, but when I moved the letter evidently did not. It stated the engraving on the rib was exactly as I quoted.
I used the gun last year to win the Trap handicap at the California Side by Side event. Great shooting Parker.
Also the serial number book shows the gun with a straight stock, and the correct stock is a capped pistol grip, and the original trigger guard is on the gun. Unless it was later returned to Parker for re-stocking. I believe that the letter stated capped pistol grip.
This gun was a gift from a Parker collector that knew I would love it, so it remains one of the few not for sale.
I was looking at the list of Parker's We sold the 10 years we were in business, and we sold 382 Parker's from Trojan to A1 special.
We had a great 10 years!................Jim Thynne ....Ivory Beads

Jim,Good to know you are still fooling around with good guns.Could the S be a mark to indicate that the gun was restocked by Parker?In my years in the business I have seen a few with the S stamp and all were restocked.

I'm certain you noticed in the serialization book, that the s designation does NOT show up prior to approximately your gun, and yet there are many in the short number of following pages. Perhaps you'll get lucky and an owner of one of the others will pipe up and then you can compare notes.
My first thoughts went to 'STOCK', then 'SINGLE' and lastly 'SPECIAL' i.e. special order. Maybe just someone new in the office for a short period of time.

Maybe our Research Chairman, Chuck Bishop, can answer this for us.
It seems the "S" designation started with serial number 176127

Page 63 of the Serialization book tells us that guns higher than 170,000 with the S designation are single barrel trap guns, but it appears that isn't necessarily so because of the subject gun of this thread.

Jim, does your gun have 32" barrels as shown in the Serialization book?





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Yes the gun has 32" barrels, and is still a clay smasher.
Thanks John, I still fiddle with the guns and have a C&R to help with purchases, as you know I buy every Lebeau Courally I can afford, and have a great interest in both Parker and Fox guns.
I still feel that the best guns since WW2 are #1 Fabbri and #2 Labeau Courally. The rest have to fight for #3. There are plenty of good guns out there, but I have always thought the used British sidelock guns were over priced, although I buy them when they are priced right.:)

The Serialization Book is wrong. The "S" stands for a SBT and Jim's gun is obviously not a SBT! Unfortunately the Stock Book is missing in this serial number range so I looked up those guns in the Serialization Book that had an "S" and were close in S/N to 176575, they were all SBT's. Also, 176575 is listed as having a P.G in the Order Book. Only the Stock Book would tell if it's a CPG and the stock book is missing.

Jim, if you misplaced the original research letter and want a replacement, just send me a PM and I'll get one out to you.

Jim, long time, no see. How is everything?