Old Lifter, Parker?
 

A friend showed me an old Parker which has the Miller patent date of 1866. This is an interesting gun which has a barrel with almost no markings. It is damascus and the configuration looks correct for Parker Manufacture. Serial no # 0177 There is nothing on the gun that identifies it as Parker because the barrel rib has no inscription. The barrel has no serial number, and only a two initial stamp.

David, I am saving up my money for the big, 2 volume Parker book. I bought a less costly book, and I am pert near as clueless now as I was before I got the book! Sorry I can't be of more help. Someone will be along shortly with some good info to help clear up your mystery. Cheers!

David, Any chance getting some photo's of the gun? This could be a very interesting/important find.

I thought that I had uploaded 5 pictures but I don't see them. Back to the drawing board. David

David
Was the gun a lifter? If so it sounds a lot like one I saw which Gary Carmichael have at the Vintagers last year. Don't remember the serial # but the first number was a 0. I do remember the barrel had very few markings but I think the rib was stamped.
Dave

Here are some pictures, David

It does look like a Parker. Could the rib be a replacement?
David

This is a 12 gauge gun with 28" aprox. barrels and a small frame. You can see that the breach end of the barrels is very thin. However the gun looks to have been used extensively having pitted barrels and all the use marks of a full life. The gun comes from Rappahannock County, Virginia which after the civil war was poor and a gun like this one would have been used to gather victuals. david

David, Yes the barrels could be a replacement but think of the difficulties involved to get a fitted Parker set of damascus barrels! And at that time. Anything is possible in a gun that old but the barrels look to be Parker. The rib is correct. The only problem is that they are unmarked. David

The trigger guard tang has been repaired/ replaced and has no serial number.