Last Damascus

[Bill Bates]

I did a search here and came up with nothing. How late were Damascus and twist barrels available from Parker and do we know when the last Damascus barreled gun was produced and shipped?

[Bruce Day]

See p. 18, latest issue PP's in the Parkers Found listings.

SN 220,657 a GH dam2 overload proved , 1927

SN 227,020 a VHE with dam2 barrels , 1928

There may be later ones not yet found. Bill Zachow owns the G and had a PP article about it. Nice high original condition. If the V is the one I'm thinking of, its owned by a friend and is also in high original condition, a special order gun. There are a number of these mid 20's damascus guns that I have seen , stamped "overload proved" and the testing was done with heavy loads, SAAMI proof standard for the time of 17,300psi if I remember the number correctly. The barrels were no different in contour or wall thickness than what Parker had been making for years.

Ron Garrido owns a GH 12/32damascus ,1926, on a 2 frame, an 8 lb or so duck gun. I think it may have 3" chambers, and it was designed for heavy duck loads. He's carried it with us while pheasant hunting and its surely a 50 yard gun.

[Bill Bates]

Thanks, I wondered how close my sn# 207312, 1924, GH 28" Damascus 12 gauge was from the last of the Damascus guns produced.

[Dollar Grade]

the latest that I have:

DHE 12 gauge, SN222845, mfg 1927, 28” Damascus Steel, M/IM, Parker SST, Capped pistol grip, splinter forend, 2 5/8” chambers, overload proved

PH 16 gauge, SN176011, mfg 1917, 28” Twist Steel Barrels, IM/F, capped Pistol Grip, Splinter forend, double triggers, 2 7/16” chambers

[Bill Zachow]

Some additional information on my serial 220657 Damascus GH. The barrel logo:"...Parker Bros. Makers, Meriden CT. U.S.A. Damascus Steel..." is all hand engraved. Apparently, when this gun was made, PB could not locate the roll die that they would normally use. Are any of the other late Damascus Parkers engraved like this or did they have rolled logos?

[Bill Murphy]

Bill, you brought up a good point. I know of late Damascus guns that were built with "existing" barrel sets from earlier times that had stamped barrel logos. I would like to find a late Damascus gun with engraved logo like yours.

[Dollar Grade]

The second variation roll dies that carry the "U.S.A" were made about 1915 (serials about 170000)is discussed in TPS volume II, pages 589-590. A new dies was not made for all the composite type of barrels.

The DHE I mentioned above has been hand engraved but the Twist bbls are the version 1 roll stamp.

[Bill Bates]

My 1924 GH appears to be a roll stamp