Ball Grips

[Dean Romig]

The so-called “Prince of Wales” or “POW” grip on a Parker gun is a misnomer.
The true Prince of Wales grip was originally designed and made by Churchill who made shotgund to the specs and fitting of the Prince of Wales, King Edward VII (formerly Prince Albert Edward, eldest son of Queen Victoria). No other gunmaker could make a gunstock with this particular design and name it a Prince of Wales grip. This from David Trevallion who received his gunmaking and stock-making training at Purdey’s of London.

There is the P - pistol grip which is different from others (“C”) that had a capped pistol grip and then there was the “B” for ball grip, which in my opinion was the distinctly bulbous ball on the pistol grip of earlier hammer guns.

In any case, Parker never made a Prince of Wales, either capped or not, nor did they ever refer to any of their grips as such.

I only wish they could have been more definitive in recording the type of grip a gun had.





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[mobirdhunter]

It’s interesting that I have found ball grips on CH guns more than any other hammerless grade.

[6pt-Sika]

Originally Posted by Garry L Gordon

It’s interesting that I have found ball grips on CH guns more than any other hammerless grade.

First time I visited the Southern there was a dealer there from FL , he had FIVE VH/VHE 410’s of which two had ball grips .

[Researcher]

Originally Posted by Garry L Gordon

It’s interesting that I have found ball grips on CH guns more than any other hammerless grade.

Only capped pistol grip, half-pistol grip and straight grip on hammerless Parker Bros. guns. The "ball grip" was a feature of some Parker Bros. hammer guns.

The majority of half-pistol grip Parker Bros. hammerless guns I've seen have been .410-bores.

[John Bastiani]

Originally Posted by Dave Noreen

Only capped pistol grip, half-pistol grip and straight grip on hammerless Parker Bros. guns. The "ball grip" was a feature of some Parker Bros. hammer guns.

The majority of half-pistol grip Parker Bros. hammerless guns I've seen have been .410-bores.

My 410 VH has a ball grip. Early Remington gun when they were still in Meriden.

[Researcher]

Originally Posted by John Bastiani

My 410 VH has a ball grip. Early Remington gun when they were still in Meriden.

Remington didn't call it "ball grip" --

VH, VHE 1937 grip styles highlighted.jpg

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Dave Noreen

Only capped pistol grip, half-pistol grip and straight grip on hammerless Parker Bros. guns. The "ball grip" was a feature of some Parker Bros. hammer guns.

The majority of half-pistol grip Parker Bros. hammerless guns I've seen have been .410-bores.

Bill Murphy's resurrected thread regarding the Gold Hearts gun has a research letter on a wonderful DH noted to have been ordered with a "ball grip."

[Bill Murphy]

Garry, Gerald's mention of the Annie Oakley gun on page 40 of the serialization book is, like the Gold Hearts gun, a standard round knob gun ordered as a "ball grip". Neither of those guns are the bulbous "ball grip" of the early hammer gun style.