55 dollar grade with Blaze forged barrels
From time to time I'll pick up a Parker that needs some TLC. I like to get them functional & at the same time to keep them as orginal as possible. I recently picked up a Lifter that dates to 1880. The plain twist barrels lower rib was loose so I sent it out to be resoldered. While they were out I figured I would also have them refinished. I shortly received a correspondence stating I had a lower grade Parker with some interesting history. I was told the barrels are 1 of less then 100 plain twist barrels that were hand forged here in the U.S. by a Blacksmith by the name of John Blaze. He migrated here from Birmingham, England & worked for Parker from 1878-1880. The barrel flats also have that pesky "M" stamped on the flats like in a prior thread about John K.'s Lifter. Could the "M" mean Meriden? As made or forged in Meriden?
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