12 Gauge Lifter #1102

Matt Buckley · 12-30-2024, 08:36 PM

I recently stumbled into this 12 gauge lifter on a Twin Cites, Minnesota gun shop website. I liked the beautiful wood on this lifter and the light 7 pound weight for a 12 gauge so I purchased it and sent in for a letter. The barrels are 30" Laminated Steel and seem fairly thin at the breech compared to later guns. The firing pins are 1 1/16" apart which would corelate to a #1 frame. The MWT 7" from the muzzle are .010 and .016. The bores have some very light pitting about 1/2 of the barrel from the breech. I wonder if the other half were polished out at some point. The top rib is also letting go in a spot a couple inches from the muzzle. The gun locks up tight and is on face. The frame appears to maybe have been browned at some point. The trigger guard is early enough not to have the serial # on the outside but when I pulled it off the stock the serial # is stamped on the inside.

This gun was sent to W.A. Fulmer of Hamburg Iowa which is a town close to the Missouri River in SW Iowa, about 250 miles from where I live to the SW. A quick google search of W.A. Fulmer revealed that he was the editor of the Hamburg Democrat newspaper from 1870-1881.

A couple of interesting things about the letter were that the gun was shipped in 1877 even though I would have thought this gun to be a much earlier lifter. Lifter #1103 was shown in the Fall 23 Parker Pages (picture included) and was listed as a 1873. The second interesting thing is the letter lists this as having Damascus barrels but they are Laminated Steel. The top pin in the lifter mechanism is plugged as well on this gun.

mobirdhunter · 12-31-2024, 06:00 AM

What a handsome gun.

Jay Oliver · 12-31-2024, 07:44 AM

Very nice Matt! It's great that the person who ordered it was listed in the research letter. That receiver or gun must have been in inventory for 4 years. It's great to have a Parker that you can find some history on, I think it's what makes this hobby(addiction) some much fun and rewarding.

I have a few early lifters with the thin chambers at the breach. I think it was Parker's version of a 1 frame before they designated frame sizes.

That is a nice early lifter...enjoy!

Mike Poindexter · 12-31-2024, 01:31 PM

Its hard to make out what is left of the composite pattern, but it may well be the Parker-made laminated steel in the herringbone or "Toncin" pattern. If so, there should be a capital P stamped on the right barrel flat. Either way, this is a lovely gun you did well to get.
Congratulations on a great find!

Matt Buckley · 12-31-2024, 04:39 PM

There is no P on the barrel flats so this was not a set of barrels made by Parker.

ArtS · 01-01-2025, 11:58 AM

The caption on the picture differs by the year and also they quote it as a $145 (I assume a discount on a $150) grade gun. Interesting.

Matt Buckley · 01-01-2025, 05:28 PM

I wonder if my gun wasn't discounted as well. All the early price lists I have looked at go from $150 to $100 and then $80. The $80 guns are listed in the price lists as back action guns so I figured mine was at least a $100 grade. Your latest 1874 lifter thread kind of spurred me on to find a light weight lifter as well which I have found with this one.

Matt Buckley · 01-01-2025, 08:44 PM

After closer inspection of the barrels I noticed on each barrel under the forearm a small P.B. inside a shield. I'm guessing this is Parker Brothers mark indicating these barrels were made by them. I don't see any Birmingham Proof Marks on them. There are some also interesting marks on the barrels and lug. There is in the letters J J, what appears to be an omega proof mark, and 3 J.L. on the barrel lug.

The barrels weight 3lbs even with just a little bit of choke in each barrel. Very similar to your set of barrels Art on your 1874 Lifter.

ArtS · 01-01-2025, 11:20 PM

That's a pretty early gun. Have you measured or tried the chambers? Mine originally had chambers for brass shells. I know this because the only factory record was when the owner sent it back to the factory to have the chambers rebored for paper shells. This was well into the 1900's and cost $1.25 including return.

Jay Oliver · 01-02-2025, 06:33 PM

Matt, I am not 100% certain when it stopped, but that shield with PB was stamped on all early barrels regardless of steel type. The Parker made barrels I believe are laminated only and have a "P" stamp and are a different pattern of laminated steel and used from 1877-1880 on lifters.

Those are nice barrels on that gun. That was a really good find.