What happened to this DH?
 

I'm posting pictures for a new PGCA member. The pictures show a DHE with fluid steel barrels. The records show it as just a DH 12ga. with Damascus barrels. The forend iron and ejectors look like Parker work but there are no records of this gun having ejectors. They were probably added but in a missing Order Book. The S/N's on the forend iron, and barrel lug show evidence of re-stamping with 61845. The barrel flats just show Kf and 3/14 for the weight but no letter for the type of steel. The rib inscription has been re-stamped without the barrel steel.

Any ideas as to what happened to this gun and who might have modified it?

No repair code on the other side of the flats ?

One would have a very difficult time convincing me those ejectors, and ejector fore end iron are not the work of Parker. Your missing book theory is the only explanation.

But the rib marking......... How do we explain that NON-Parker rib legend modification.

DelGrego...? the case color kinda points that way, plus the quality Parker-like work. They also have the jig and tools to do this work.

But I would never suspect DelGrego of obscuring the word Damascus from the rib.





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Do we ever see that Kf marking on anything but early Vulcan Steel barrels? It is hard to see in the pictures posted, but if Parker Bros. did the conversion wouldn't they have fitted a post-1910 bolt and bolt-plate?

Yes Dave, Parker Bros. would normally have upgraded guns sent for repair or service with the 1910 bolt and wear plate.





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From the pictures, it looks like reasonable quality work, which pretty much rules out a novice. Besides Del Grego, who else was doing this kind of work?

It all looks Parker, and ribs without barrel steel names happened.

From the pictures I think there appears to be a lot of undercut around the serial no., I fail to detect a wear plate, the breech end arrow looks different and less precise than the muzzle end arrow, the area under the address appears to be channeled/undercut, the matting seems to be deepened and less precise at the Conn. end of the address. I think the work was done in Lee Center and Illion and refinished later. The pedigree of this gun is too questionable for my taste.,

Lefever arms was also doing ejector conversions on Parkers.

By the look of that makers mark, the steel type was wiped out for sure. Those barrels may be blued over damascus.