Different butt stock and grip cap

[Elk Hunter]

I certain the butt stock of my D grade ten bore has been replaced as the quality of the wood is not up to D grade standards, at least like others I've seen. There is no gold initial shield on this stock. The skeleton butt plate is there but, someone cut a thin slice off the original stock and put it on this one so he didn't have to re-cut the checkering. Don't know whether he was clever or lazy. The fit is as close as any original so I'm wondering if a smith ordered a replacement from Parker but, in a lower grade. I've not seen a grip cap like this one so again I'm wondering if it has been modified.

What say you fellows?

[charlie cleveland]

the stock looks correct to me..but the grip cap is custom...charlie

[B. Dudley]

No drop points. So not correct for a D grade. But it does have a 3 point checkering pattern. So if it is an original Parker stock, then it is from a G grade. Checkering looks recut and it doesn't have the proper mullerd border.

[Bruce Day]

xxx

[B. Dudley]

With all due respect Bruce, a serial number simply being under the guard does not guarantee originality of the stock. But it is a place to start looking when checking for originality.

[Dean Romig]

The grip cap with the gold escutcheon looks like it is from a Grade 5 or BH Parker. It is very nicely done and engraved around the screw like a few I have seen. They often had more engraving on the gold cap but I have seen a couple of them with only minimal engraving like this one. As Brian says, the rest of the stock looks to have come from a Grade 2 Parker.

I just took a close look and see that the checkering is done in the Remington style. Are there any Remington date codes on the left barrel flat?

[B. Dudley]

But no border is visible on the bottom of the grip. Which leads me to believe it has just be incorrectly recut.

[Dean Romig]

The boys at Remington weren't always well versed in the old Parker Bros. nuances in checkering and a number of other features of the Parker Gun. It could still very well have been done at Remington in Ilion.

As a prime example of the 'license' they took in stock work and variations in checkering take a look at the checkering on the straight grip of Russ Jackson's CHE 20 ga.

[Pa SxS]

That gun is a GH, not a DH. Look at the receiver engraving. What is the number below the S/N on the receiver flat and what is the full serial number?

[Elk Hunter]

Originally Posted by Chuck Bishop

That gun is a GH, not a DH. Look at the receiver engraving. What is the number below the S/N on the receiver flat and what is the full serial number?

I got to worrying that I was wrong about the grade so I dug it back out and checked. It is an ten bore with Damascus barrels, serial #57431, there is a 3 above the serial number and a "D" below. The engraving on the action panels is of pointing dogs not birds like on my G grade guns. So from the above I concluded it was a D grade. Am I wrong? I have a similar marked 12 bore that has drop points on the stock cheeks and I believe it is a D grade also.

I'm certainly no expert but do love old side by side shotguns or rifles no matter what gauge or caliber or who made them.

Best regards to all who have chimed in.