Parker barrel length

[Dean Romig]

Lee, if the "fillers" (keels?) look like solder you need to do the 'scratch test'. If you can easily scratch or prick the "fillers" with a pin and leave a definite mark I'm guessing there are no steel keels in place. This should start the warning light flashin in your "marble bag". The lack of steel keels is a pretty definite indicator that the barrels are cut.

[Alligator]

Thanks Dean: Sure enough the keels are steel. What was giving me some doubts was that there were little pits or missing solder a couple of places at the juncture of a barrel, rib, and keel both on the upper a lower ribs. The keels are tight to the top and bottom ribs only a corner up and down has the pinhole. The lack of a short blank space at the end of the top fib matting was another flag. After looking under a magnifier the last 1/8" of the top rib shows the matting slightly shallower and different in pattern to that behind the front bead. The marks are more parallel than wavy. The barrels have been re-blackened (fine job), and I'm supposing in the course of that, some solder fell out during then boiling/de-greasing/carding operation, and possibly the person doing the work thought the end of the barrel needed lines also. I'm going to shoot it Sunday and if I decide it's a keeper I will order a letter assuming it's in some book somewhere. Thanks for all the input guys, I'm going to see if maybe the surgeon who replaced my heart valve may have taken advantage of my sedation and did a lobotomy also! Lee.