The barrel material is composite steel and iron, not of a damascus type, but of a laminated type. The rib is marked "Laminated".
Doc Drew on his website has an excellent explanation of various composite barrel types and their manufacture, including twist, laminated and damascus, and the many variations within each category. I recommend Drew for detailed damascus knowledge.
As Austin Hogan has pointed out, engraving formats did not standardize until some years after this SN. Then those formats changed subtlely over time. The complexity of the frame sculpting, particularly around the bolsters, the presence of side lock plates, and the quality, detail and variation of the engraving are reasons why some collectors enjoy Parkers from the hammer era.
I identified this as a D grade, properly it is within the dollar grade years, so it is the $135 grade.
There are few small bores within this period because these were black powder guns and small volume hulls allowed limited space. The 10ga was the fowling gun, the 12 the bird gun and 16's and 20's not even listed in the 1876 catalog but in the 1882 catalog. The 1882 catalog says " A fair charge for bird shooting with the 12 gauge guns is 2 1/2 drams powder and 1 ounce of shot." Other sources identify the 16 load as 2 1/4 drams and 7/8 ounce , the 20 as 2 drams and 3/4oz. So the limited early loading limited gun selection far more than it does today.
These matters are interesting to some, and I recommend others such as Dave Noreen for his significant early ammunition literature collection, and at least but but not limited to Gary Carmichael, Robin Lewis, Austin Hogan and Charlie Herzog for hammer guns and their significant collections, and I probably have inadvertantly omitted some talented and knowledgeable people. For those who have not had the pleasure of operating a well kept lifter action gun, the ergonomics of the gun are significant.
So I don't want to say too much, a close friend always reminds me that its the empty barrel that makes the most noise , and I recommend interested viewers to the others mentioned.
|