Finding information on 4216 - Exciting!

[B. Dudley]

My "big" christmas gift from my wife this year was a copy of The Parker Story. She was able to find a very niced used Trade edition with slip cover for the same price that the blemished copies sell for. What a woman!

Anyway, in beginning to read Chapter 3, I was finding a bit of interesting information in relation to my recently aquired 12g. lifter S/N 4216.

Serial Numbers.jpg

I was unsure of the grade initially, but I now find that it is a Grade 3 gun due to the fact that the Patent date on the trigger plate is engraved, and not roll stamped.

Engraved patent date.jpg

The engraved patent date is only the 1966. Which is to be the Miller bolting system. And this is where my research got a bit interesting. Not really significant, but interesting and fun. TPS page 96 discusses the change over of the guns from the Miller bolting design to the Wilber F. Parker bolting design. The Parker design being that of tapered bolt and no extension pin through the top of the frame. They say that they ealiest known S/N with no hole in the frame is 4239 and the latest know with hole is S/N 5395.
It also talks about that many guns were retrofitted to the Parker style bolting system and had their frame hole plugs. And I find that is what I have.

TPS states - "Reworked guns, of course, will show the hole in the top of the frame where the original lifter extension pin came through with the hole neatly plugged with a steel rod. They usually have a tapered bolt bite, with the bite showing a soldered-in tapered insert to mate with the new bolt."

My S/N 4216 has the plugged hole in the frame.

Filled Hole.jpg

However the bolting arrangement is interesting compared to what TPS states.
The bolt bite (lug) on my barrels is more square with a bit of a worn taper on the bottom corner. And the Bolt has the soldered wedge on it, not the lug on the barrels. It looks as if the barrel lug might have been opened up a bit, but left square. And the bolt was reworked instead. This is very evident in my pictures below.

Locking lug.jpg

Bolt.jpg

Bolt Engagement 2.jpg

And it is important to note that my gun is as tight as it was when new.
I have mailed my request for a research letter today. I am anxious to see what other info that might tell me. I suspect it will confirm my thoughts that the gunw as originally a straight grip.