Ball Grips

[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.

[Gerald McPherson]

Thanks Dean. All those folks are my ancestors. This gun in the ID and Ser. book is in the middle of 17 with a P for stock code so not too rare in 1900. Looking at surrounding pages that seems strange. The serial number is 94523. I wonder why so many at the time.
Page 40 Fig D-3 shows Annie Oakley's gun and says it is coded as B. That must be a different shape. Huummm.

[Researcher]

Most Parker Bros. catalogs just say "Straight or Pistol Grip"

Quality G.H. Blue Ink Catalog grip highlighted.jpg

Quality G.H. Ejector Catalog grip highlighted.jpg

GH & GHE 1923 grips highlighted.jpg

GH & GHE 1927 grips highlighted.jpg

In 1929 they differentiated full pistol and half pistol --

DH- January 1, 1929.jpeg

but 1930 they didn't --

January 1, 1930, GHE grip highlighted.jpg

[B. Dudley]

.410s seem to usually have uncapped pistol grips.

[Bill Murphy]

Yes, the rarest .410 Parkers are capped pistol grips. By the way, many of us refer to the "half pistol grip" as a relaxed curve to the pistol grip, not a round knob grip. Brownings with a round knob are referred to by collectors as a "round knob" grip, which is more correct than "ball grip" or "half pistol grip".