Lifter vs. top lever
 

I have finally owned a lifter for a few months now.
Now, for me, the lifter is a design I like to operate: fast, easy to open. I wonder why Parker went away from the lifter? From a design point of view the top lever added parts and had a less direct acting mechanism. Maybe this decision to change was driven by the market, as the top lever was considered more modern then and Parker felt the need to compete?
I’d welcome anyone’s thoughts on the lifter guns operationally and am especially interested if anyone knows about Parker’s decision making process during the change to the top lever.

This topic has come up before and in fact, I asked the same questions more than a decade ago. I don’t recall that anyone could present a Parker factory reason for it then or any other time since.
The Parker Story, on page 111 discusses the change in 1882 along with several other “improvements” made within a year of each other. The last Lifter made however, was No. 144397 in 1907 by special order. It also stares that only about 25 Lifter action guns were made after 1890. But there is no reason given for the “why” question.





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I think you are right that toplevers were just popular then. But as Dean says, we don't know for sure

What other manufacturers were using a lifter design?

Ken

I agree that the design of the lifter seems superior to the top action. It is natural motion to open the gun. I would also agree that it must of been "Market pressure" as all of the English makes went to top action as well. Most of my favorite/special Parkers are lifters.

Some English guns had a thumb break design which was incorporated into the trigger guard. I have an 1866 Purdey that has it and that is also a nice design.

A Remington Whitmore has what it also called a lifter action. Though it is done from what looks like a toplever, but it pushed up to open the barrels. I have one in 10 gauge and like that design is well. Would love to find a nice one in 12 gauge.

Thanks, Dean! A guess would seem to be the toplever had gained favorable opinion as more modern and the makers, including Parker, fell in line sensing that would help with sales. My own opinion since operating one first hand is there is no question the lifter is better for me at least. I would like to see some pictures of some of those 25 guns! Does anyone here happen to have pictures they could post or link to? I unknowingly ran a want to buy post a while back for a late lifter not knowing how rare they were then.

Jeff,

Here is a “late” lifter made in 1893. This was part of 3 gun order and it looks like all 3 guns had the same specs. From the research I have done, this one(the last serial# in the 3 gun order) appears to be the last lifter made with a straight stock. It is a heck of a 12 gauge on a 3 frame with 32” barrels weighing in at 10 pounds.

Here the original thread when I first got the gun, I have decided to leave the gun as is. Looking through the pictures makes me want to go shoot it the gun this weekend:

http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=23250

Holy smoke! Look at the wall thickness on that!
It has all the makings of a 10 gauge except for the boring.





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I fine gun I really like those heavy 12 s...charlie

Could the Lifter have been killed off because of the addition of the Dolls Head Extension? They occurred at about the same time.