Hello Jeff -
This gun was made before the various features that became standard to the grades were completely adopted. Also this gun was made on the smallest Parker frame size ever made until the 00-frame size for the .410 and I believe the dipped top line of the lock plates was done to allow the wood to be sculpted to avoid interference with the radius of the hammer's arc to the firing pin.
That's my best guess anyhow.
There are no marks from any foreign makers on this or any other Parker aside from Whitworth Steel barrels' stamps and possibly any Parkers that were worked on and/or re-proofed in England and stamped as such.
Maybe Gary Carmichael will look at his 20 gauge hammer Parkers to see if they have lock plates so contoured.
.
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"I'm a Setter man.
Not because I think they're better than the other breeds,
but because I'm a romantic - stuck on tradition - and to me, a Setter just "belongs" in the grouse picture."
George King, "That's Ruff", 2010 - a timeless classic.
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