Opinions on what grade

[Bill Murphy]

Yup, Dave is right. The "grades of many colors", grades 0 and 1, were in effect in 1884 when this gun was made. Rereading TPS, Volume 1, Price and Mullins state that they had only examined one Grade 1 hammer gun with "1" markings on the water table. They didn't mention how many hammer guns they had examined with a "P" stamped on the water table, but I have only seen one of those. They state that 0 and 1 grade hammer guns with the grade stamped on the water table are seldom encountered.

[Quigley97]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

Yup, Dave is right. The "grades of many colors", grades 0 and 1, were in effect in 1884 when this gun was made. Rereading TPS, Volume 1, Price and Mullins state that they had only examined one Grade 1 hammer gun with "1" markings on the water table. They didn't mention how many hammer guns they had examined with a "P" stamped on the water table, but I have only seen one of those. They state that 0 and 1 grade hammer guns with the grade stamped on the water table are seldom encountered.

Thank you all for your responses. It has been a great learning experience the last 8 months since I purchased my first Parker. That one is a VH, 30" Vulcan steel 12GA, with a 1901 mfg. date. I also have a letter for that one and in the process of obtaining one for the hammer gun. Thank you all again.

Tom Pellegrini

[WHO]

My 8 gauge hammer gun, shipped in 1894, is marked with a P on the water table but the factory letter states that the order book lists it as a grade 1.

[C grade]

The best thing about Tom Pellegrini's two Parkers is how he shoots them! When I first met him, he was shooting a "p of S" over under and shot like the gun handled. He noticed the better shots were all shooting Parkers so steped up and purchased a nice VH 12ga. The next step in feeding the addiction is this really nice hammer gun. I can see a 20a somewhere out there
David