New User: 1892 Parker Top Lever ID

[Michael Sullivan]

Hi everyone, appreciate the acceptance to this forum. I’m sure this happens quite a bit but I have a shotgun from my great great grandfather with the following details. Hoping someone can help me identify it. Would love to verify he’s the one that purchased it. Hopefully the pictures upload correctly.
Serial number:72730 (1892)
Frame size: 1
Weight: 3 ^13 - not exactly sure what this means
Steal: Damascus twist - judged by visible Damascus and says twist on the barrel
Grade: unmarked on water table. Must not be the same for top lever. If the pictures show, there’s a C and an A also engraved on the barrel, as well as a T circles which my guess is trademark or twist? From the research I’ve done my guess is C as the sheriff’s badge is silver and not gold but any help here would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!!

[Michael Sullivan]

Serial 72370*. Sorry about the mistype.

[Researcher]

The T with the quarter moon marks above and below are the barrel material mark for Twist. Twist barrels were used on the entry-level, Grade 0, hammer guns. Grade 0 guns were cataloged in four qualities -- Quality R was a 10-gauge with a pistol grip stock List Price $60, Quality S was a 10-gauge with a straight grip List Price $55, Quality T was a 12-gauge or smaller with a pistol grip stock List Price $55 and a Quality U was a 12-gauge or smaller with a straight grip List Price $50.

The 1 on the barrel lug indicates a frame size of 1 which indicates a firing pin center-to-center spacing of 1 1/16-inch.

The weight stamp of 3 pounds 13 ounces of the rough barrel set before fitting and finishing. Helped the worker pick a set to get to the finished weight of the gun he was working towards.

The small C on the right barrel flat is a mark found on most Parker Bros. Twist and Damascus barrels. The meaning of that C and the small A on the left barrel flat have been lost to the sands of time.

[Dean Hanson]

0 Grade 12 gauge w/fishtail Top Lever. Probably 30" barrels. 3lbs 13oz is the unstruck barrel weight, gun probably weighs around 7lbs 7oz. Twist is the composite barrel type, not Damascus, 2 different manufacturing processes. Looks to be in very good to excellent condition. Please show us pics of the stock, foreend, and butt plates. Congrats!!!

[Michael Sullivan]

I very much appreciate the help!! You gentlemen are a wealth of knowledge. Incredible to be able to pull history like that so quickly from something that’s 130yrs old. More pictures attached.
The great great grandfather I refer to was named John F Sullivan and was the first sheriff of Hurley, WI. A town with quite the rich history of needing law enforcement to say the least. Will send all of this info in and hope to get a report back from Parker Bros research to confirm my thoughts. In the process of writing a short story of his life, a few of his guns, and the history of Hurley

[Dean Hanson]

Michael, That is a super cool history of a family Parker. I from Northern Wi. originally, (Drummond area) and its always nice to see a Wi Parker surface. Looks quite the crack behind the left lock if I am not mistaken. Have you looked into what it would take to shoot the gun? Good ol Hurley.... more bars than people.

[Michael Sullivan]

Really appreciate that Dean! Some excellent grouse hunting over by you in Drummond. Yep, Hurley is quite the town. Make a point to stop into the iron horse at least once a summer. Have a few old family stories and pictures that are entertaining. Thankfully I don’t believe it’s a crack, just the lighting, although my eyesight is admittedly poor. Thankfully we’ve had a few generations take pretty good care of his guns. A couple more pictures here.

[Michael Sullivan]

Also have not looked in to firing it. Obviously that’s been in the back of my mind but I’m hesitant to risk anything negative happening to it.

[Dean Hanson]

We can fix that.

[B. Dudley]

That is a nice honest gun.