Parker Made Barrels

[Roundsworth]

My 12 gauge lifter, 10250, has a 'P' inside of a diamond on the right barrel. The barrels are marked 'Plain Twist'.

[CHE]

My 12ga Parker lifter #8899 has the PB in a shield on the bottom of the left bbl. It is damascus, no frame size marked but it is a sweet, light lifter at 6#14oz, 28" bbls IC-Mod.

[Austin W Hogan]

I was just cleaning up my DAM 3 top action with fish tail lever for Josh's show at the annual banquet. It has a P in diamond on the fore end stud where an X is usually found.

Best, Austin

[Roundsworth]

My 1879 Lifter in 10 gauge has barrels marked 'Laminated Steel'. The un-struck weight is '6 pounds 3 ounces'. There is a 'P' stamped on the right barrel flat, just to the left of this weight. The left barrel flat does not have the patent date stamped on it. A '3' is stamped on the barrel lug. The serial number is 15728. The stock has a straight grip, which I have been told is correct (according to the 'book'). On each barrel, just forward of the flats, is a 'P' inside of a diamond.

[Roundsworth]

Austin, my barrels look like yours with the 'braided rope' and 'herringbone' features. They are original, not restored, but I can still make out the different patterns. Do you think these might be genuine Parker made barrels?

[Parker Bachelder (Brad's Profile)]

During our refinishing process, we chart and date barrel stamps.
The diamond P remains to be an elusive mystery. What we have learned so far is a few comminalities. This mark appears On lifter and top lever guns, made around 1880. We have identified it on laminate, twist, and Dam. barrels.
It generally is stamped on the right tube next to the extractor rod cut. In a few cases we have seen it on the forend hanger.
Quite often this mark is partially removed by machining. This leads me to believe it might be an acceptance mark, stamped after the initial barrel and lug assembly. Final fitting of the extractor rod clearance often removes some or all of the mark. The absense of braze in the mark also tells me that it was stamped after the lug brazing.

Brad

[Parker Bachelder (Brad's Profile)]

The first picture is the cloverleaf proof appearing on the forend lug Diamond P barrels.Top lever Dam. set 1884.
Second is forend lug Diamond P. Top lever Dam. set 1884.
Third another lug stamped top lever Dam. set 1884.
Fourth, right barrel struck diamond P, Lifter Dam. set 1880
Fifth, right barrel double struck diamond P, top lever twist set 1888

Brad

[Drew Hause]

Thank you Brad!

[Autumn Daze]

We know that Parker experimented in making their own laminated and damascus barrel's in this time period but proved to costly.Also during this period Parker employees were "contractors" and to get paid for their labors they probably had to stamp their work as finished. So that would account for the numerous"inspectors" marks.

[Parker Bachelder (Brad's Profile)]

Dave I totally agree with you about the inspectors or acceptance marks. I am sure ther were many more that were removed during striking and final machining. We have restored several sets of barrels both twist and laminated, that do not come close to any other patterns that we have seen.
I believe that Parker produced laminate and twist barrels for a short period of time. These barrels seem to carry partially obilterated numbers, two and three digit, on the tubes ahead of the flats. Given the consistency of the various types of Dam. patterns that Parker used, I tend to think that they never successfully made Dam. Barrels.
We are trying to tie the unknown marks to specific contractors by date, Hopefully we can create a timeline for the barrel contractors. As for rib materials, we can not establish any logical pattern, but we will keep trying.

Brad