SO HERE IS A WEIRD ONE

[Craig Budgeon]

Bill many people would look at the cold blued Titanic and accept it as factory back in the day. I suppose Bernard steel would have been more believable. The nitro proofs raise a red flag and how about that serial which exceeds Parker production by more than 30,000. Peter Johnson may not have been the most knowledgeable Parker collector but he cultivated a great deal of interest in Parkers and American doubles in general for having taken the time to write the book.

[Pa SxS]

Richard, the GHE is more likely 3 iron crolle. If you can see the dividing line that splits a crolle, follow it to the next dividing line. Count the full crolles and 2 split crolles and you have your total. The dividing lines are sometimes hard to see but the lower DH is easily seen.

[Keith Doty]

The altered serial number intrigues me. WHY? Isn't that a big issue with ATF?

[Bill Murphy]

Pre 1899 serial number, ATF does not consider this a gun. You can stamp what you want on it.

[Brian H]

Is this the gun that someone stamped nitro proof on the barrel flat?

[Jim DiSpagno]

Yes Brian.

[Craig Budgeon]

The gun is unique though as it is the only double gun I can remember that only has 1 barrel nitro proofed.

[Phil C]

Jerry you have a point there. Although with all of the other unusual markings I tend to agree something not so straight up took place on this gun.
SN is 27404 which was made in 1882. When did Titanic steel barrels come out?

[Dean Romig]

74842

Titanic barrels were first introduced in 1897 I believe.





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[Bill Murphy]

As Elmer Keith said in his book title, "Hell, I was there.". In the fifties and sixties, there were many gunsmiths who had little expectation of knowledge in their customers. The truth was that the gunsmiths were not even as bright as their dullest customers. These faked up guns didn't sell for any more than the original Damascus iteration, $75.00 to $100.00. All that work for little or no profit. At least the gun in question was partially brought back without any damage to the barrels except the rib legend. Any fool, 1955 or 2021, could see that the "Titanic" stamp is a sloppy fake job, not from the factory. In the pre Johnson days, none of these faked up guns fooled anyone. I don't know where they are today, but in 1960, they were a dime a dozen and for sale at every gun show. Usually, a nice clean example would be offered for $100 to $125. I doubt that the gun would actually change hands for that much cash. A nice, clean, original Vulcan steel VH 12 would sell for about $125 also. Where is the profit for the faker after all that effort?