Faked Titanic Steel Barrels

TNR · 01-14-2011, 11:08 AM

I don't if "faked" is the right word for this, but I'll go with it until someone corrects me.

Approx. 1990 (plus or minus a few years) my father bought a 12ga DH at auction - he had a serious eye for a few other things and didn't give it a good look. Well, it was a buyers crowd and stuff was going really low and he ended up going home with the DH.

It's a 1903 with a skeleton butt plate - but was obviously refinished in modern time at a very high quality. According to the parker letter all the dimensions are proper. The wood is exceptional (refinished original) and the case has been redone wonderfully.

Regardless - the issue is that the barrels had been sleeved and someone, very painstakingly, filed off "damascus" off the rib and engraved "Titanic" in proper font, size, etc. The rib matting was just barely touched on either side from the filing. We've asked a couple knowledgeable people to be critical of it - and outside of the sleeving marks - this escaped everyones first glances. My point is merely is that it was done well.

I wish I had some pictures on hand to post - i'll try to get some.

So my question - has anyone heard of this being done before? Is there anyway to determine if the sleeving is of good quality?

I'd appreciate any information or a point in the right direction.

Dean Romig · 01-14-2011, 12:35 PM

I once had a GH 12 ga. Damascus where the rib was correctly matted right over the word Damascus and the barrels were polished and blued. I sent the barrels to Dale and had them properly finished.
I haven't seen what you describe but I've seen some barrels thet had the correct "PARKER BROS., MAKER, MERIDEN, CONN. ACME STEEL" and they are barrels made in Belgium, not sleeved but complete barrel sets but without the correct markings on the barrel flats.

TNR · 01-14-2011, 01:11 PM

I am pretty sure current sleeved barrels were done over the original Damascus barrels that shipped with the gun - all the markings on the barrel flats appear correct, etc. The D stamp is there. Then again I have not handled many Damascus parkers.

When examined closely it obvious that the steel marking was tampered with - and the rest of the wording is original to the rib.

*EDIT* - I dont think Im qualified to say the "PARKER BROS., MAKER, MERIDIAN, CONN." is original just that it really, really does not look like it had been tampered with, added or had any sanding done around it. Particularly when compared to the added "TITANIC"

Bill Murphy · 01-14-2011, 01:32 PM

You can get about a million years of experience at your disposal if you post some pictures of the gun as well as posting serial numbers. Yes, it has been done, but not often well.

TNR · 01-14-2011, 02:44 PM

Ok, I think "well" is relative to the eye. What I say is good you may not think so.

I'll ask my dad if he can take some pictures for me and i'll post them - we've always both been really curious about getting some answers about it.

Drew Hause · 01-14-2011, 03:09 PM

"Bernard"

"Spec Steel" & sleeve weld (Scroll to left)

Harry Collins · 01-14-2011, 03:47 PM

I have an 0 frame hammered Parker that I was told LeFever had redone. The original 16 gauge barrels had been monoblocked to 20 gauge and "TWIST" had been replaced with "STEEL" on the rib and it is very well done as was the case colors.

A friend has his great grandfathers (1897 off the top of my head) AAH live bird gun that had had five sets of barrels. It was pulled from the ashes of a house fire with a set of Titanic barrels on it. None of the other barrels were recovered. DelGrego restored the gun in the late 1970's and replaced Titanic with Peerless. Again it was a good job, but detectable.

Harry

Bill Murphy · 01-14-2011, 07:14 PM

I have a ten gauge 3 1/2" magnum DH, sleeved by Lefever, marked on the rib "Lefever Steel" in perfect Parker script. It is the only one I've ever seen and just a wonderful #3 frame waterfowler. Del Grego has never faked up the rib script to represent composite barrels as fluid steel.