Serial Number....

[Roundsworth]

Thanks, Bruce. I have nothing to fall back on, in regards to hands-on experience, just what I see from posts on this forum. I also thought they looked odd for 'TWIST'. If the gun was returned to Parker for the mods, would there be a reference in one of the log books?

[Hammer Gun]

Guys, look on page 674 of TPS, this is a B grade but it shows they did make these stocks for people with eye problems. Avery interesting gun and only the second sinistral Parker I have seen or heard about. Gary

[Bruce Day]

I think so Mark. On many lower grade guns, a research letter is not very informative, but I'd expect this one to be greatly interesting. You know the butt is also interesting as its not the usual pattern for a Parker checkered butt. I can't tell from the photos but it kinda looks like a wood plate mounted on the end of the stock like some European guns today. I would question whether the butt was original Parker, however, I am being nitpicky because it is an interesting gun regardless.

As Gary says, these sinistral guns are rare, rare.

I already have you slotted in to help and exhibit your guns at next Feb's Pheasant Fest in St Paul.

[Roundsworth]

So far, I have removed the grip cap. The cap has the two alignment pin holes, but the stock does not have the pins. Was this done away with by 1906? When I remove the trigger guard, I hope to see the serial.

Bruce, the butt is checkered, not adorned with a wooden buttplate.

Gary, I have been nitpicking my TPS for info and found the 'sinistral' reference. Whillikers! I better get a letter request in the mail ASAP

[Dean Romig]

What is your opinion of the bending of the tangs and trigger guard re: who had done the work... Parker Bros or someone more heavy-handed?

[Roundsworth]

I would have to say, whoever did the conversion knew what they were doing. There is no evidence of improper tool usage to accomplish the task. It certainly appears to have been done professionally.

[Bill Zachow]

Dean/Bill, I got my "information" the same way Dean did. With my eyes. In its' time period, only Parker, or remotely, Purdeys, could have, and would have, built it.

[Roundsworth]

I started working on the trigger plate. When the lower tang was bent, the curve incorporated the two trigger slots. The right trigger was binding pretty bad. With some gentle taps on the trigger with a brass rod and mallet, I was able to recontour it so it would slide into the curved slot freely. I followed this with some very fine stoning on both triggers. I think this was the only malfunction with the conversion. I haven't tackled the safety mechanism yet, so I may be in for a challenge there, too!

[Hammer Gun]

I just can not believe any one bit Parker did this work, but of course I could be wrong. Never the less a GREAT! find. congrats Gary

[Bill Murphy]

Apparently, we left this thread to die without further pictures being posted which was promised by Mark. Mark never really opined about the matching of the bent trigger recesses and the less than perfect matching of the triggers to those recesses. Was it less than professional, in your opinion? It seems like anyone who could bend these tangs could make good work out of the trigger plate. I have had very well constucted crossover Parkers that were not built in the Parker factory. The British are very good at it and some Parkers were done there. This particular gun is not a Parker done conversion, in my opinion. None of the butt treatment, the grip size and geometry, nor the lack of numbering points to Parker Brothers participation. The BHE in The Parker Story is the only factory crossover gun I am personally aware of, even though there are others in the order books. The BHE is a neighbor of mine, I have inspected it in the past, and I have offered to buy it. Only personal inspection of a crossover gun can result in opinion about the skill of the builder.