Interesting and confusing GH Parker at Pawn shop

[Tennessee Dave]

I saw this Parker GH shotgun yesterday at a local pawn shop. It is serial
#76953 and all numbers match. The confusing part is the barrels are marked Vulcan Steel. It also has a different style than I have seen on the floorplate for a GH Model. Here are a few pics:

IMG_1928.jpg
IMG_1930.jpg
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[Bill Murphy]

The spacing of the serial numbers does not appear factory. The barrels were probably installed and numbered outside of the factory. However, its an interesting gun, worth owning at the right price.

[Tennessee Dave]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

The spacing of the serial numbers does not appear factory. The barrels were probably installed and numbered outside of the factory. However, its an interesting gun, worth owning at the right price.

They have it priced at $1699 which I felt was quite a bit too high. The barrels aren't in very good condition inside or out. Just haven't seen the same floorplate engraving before.

[Steiner]

Very cool floor plate.

[Researcher]

I like the different trigger-plate engraving. A good picture of the barrel flats might tell us something about the barrel replacement. A factory replacement done after 1910 would have included the 1910 bolt and bolt-plate.

[Dean Romig]

The barrels appear to have been filed down in order to be made to fit the width and height of bolsters of a smaller frame size.






.

[edgarspencer]

Originally Posted by Brian Dudley

The trigger plate engraving is VERY unique. That alone is almost a reason to buy the gun.
Years ago, I could have bought a GH locally that had very different trigger plate engraving and I kick myself to this day for not doing so when I had the chance.

We've all been there and I could find that place in the dark.

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

The barrels appear to have been filed down in order to be made to fit the width and height of bolsters of a smaller frame size.

Even a G would have had 'wedding rings' so you're probably correct about filing to fit. That said, the annular rings around the firing pins on the breech face show no signs of a different frame size barrel, with firing pin spacing being different. Not sure when the 11/2 frame came out, but I suppose it's possible they were later 11/2 frame barrels put on a 1 frame gun. I've seen plenty of variation between bolster width within the same size frame, as much as a sixteenth.
As many have said, the trigger plate is enough to make me take on another red headed stepchild.

[B. Dudley]

The trigger plate engraving is VERY unique. That alone is almost a reason to buy the gun. But the barrels are a bit of a killer. With how early the gun is, when I first read your post, I would have thought maybe the barrels were later factory replacements, which would be ok, and make the gun a good buy. But as soon as I say the photos of the barrels, it is clear they were added by someone other than the factory and not done very well.

Not that things could not be saved and the barrels fitted better and made to look right. But at more expense. Worth it? Maybe not.


Years ago, I could have bought a GH locally that had very different trigger plate engraving and I kick myself to this day for not doing so when I had the chance.

[Tennessee Dave]

I can go back tomorrow and get more pictures, assuming it's still there. The thing I noticed was that the top rib was very worn with wavey lines and the legend barely visible. I wondered if the barrels could have been original to the gun, but the top rib had been replaced off another gun. Has anyone looked in the Serialization book to see what length the barrels are supposed to be?

[David C Porter]

You can see where the barrel serial numbers were filed off & restamped. But the number fonts on the barrel don't match the receiver, or forend fonts.