D Grade Engraving

[Rod N. Gunn]

Here's a 1907 DHE with ducks on the floor plate. I would be most interested to see other variations of the D, especially ones that have something besides the ducks or pheasants (always 4, right?) on the floor plate. These threads are a great idea and could someday become a wonderful photo archive of Parker engraving sorted by grade - Great job John!

[Wild Skies]

Here's DH #155290 devoid of any of that damn case coloring that muddy's up the engraving! I'm not sure if those are Prairie chickens, Guinea fowl or turkeys on the floorplate---they certainly aren't ducks or pheasants.

[Bruce Day]

Sharptailed grouse, possibly prairie chickens, but the tail is correct for a sharptail. Those were the prairie birds before pheasant, which didn't become numerous until around 1900. Pheasant were creatures of cultivated land and not much land was broken until then.

Chickens: fan tails
Sharpies: pointy tails

Hunters would come to Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas by train from the east, guides would pick them up by early cars or horse and buggy at the the railroad stations, the hunters would stay in hotels or with the farm families and the locals would drive the hunters around where they would shoot from the wagon. The season started in late August/ early Sept when the young birds were easy targets.

We have one fellow coming in on Friday from New Hampshire, another from Michigan. We'll tell him not to shoot while the wagon is moving.

[Rod N. Gunn]

Thanks Greg, I'll see if I can scrub the rest of those irritating colors of that gun. I believe Bruce is right about yours haveing sharptails on the floorplate. I hope others will post photos like these. I really enjoy looking at the differences and speculating about some of the cartoonish engraving... like the flying turnips and the Scoobydo on my gun.

[RDH]

This is a DH that I recently purchased with unique engraving on the side of the receiver. I have heard of some CH's having elk and deer in the panel scenes, but not DH's. The rest of the engraving is identical to any other DH's. I received the letter today which doesn't mention anything about the engraving or any other special order features.

[StubTwist]

You have a real nice DH Parker Rick. Love the engraving and the wood.

[Ed Blake]

Rick - what vintage is your DH? I've observed that the engraving done around the WW1 period seems deeper and better executed than other periods. That one is very nice.

[Dean Romig]

Rick, does the letter mention anything about 'boring for ball and shot' or anything else that might indicate the gun would be used for game animals as well as fowl??

[winplumber]

Rick Is this the same gun listed on GI ? Or is there Two of them ?

[Bill Anderson]

Originally Posted by Steve Huffman

Rick Is this the same gun listed on GI ? Or is there Two of them ?

Just an observation, but since the pictures are absolutely identical, I would say yes, it's the same gun on GI.