Manufacture date VS order ship date ?

[Ed Kettner]

I received my letter today in lightning speed. Thanks Charlie.
My serial number indicates manufacture in 1890. The letter indicates an order date in 1892 and a ship date 1892 also some 4 months later. It seems like the 4 month wait was for manufacturing thus making the serial number date of 1890 incorrect. I am unsure what to think of this inconsistency. Any insight is appreciated.

[Dean Romig]

Some Parkers sat idly in inventory until an order came in requesting a gun that very closely fit the specifications of that one in stock. It's not so unusual that these things happened.
I have a Parker that was finished in 1908 but wasn't shipped until 1912 and even then some modifications were made to the gun in stock in order to fit the bill.

[Ed Kettner]

Dean, is it true then that yours took substantial time between order date and ship date as mine did? It was that time lapse for the upgrades to the new gun that I did not figure in.
I got it now!
Thank You

[Dean Romig]

I don't think so. Mine was an early DHE 28 gauge and I don't believe the 28 gauge had caught on so well yet in popularity. It was made with 28" barrels originally, I believe, but when an order finally came in four years later from a relatively wealthy Connecticut railroad man for a gun for his wife, to sport 24" Damascus barrels and a 13 1/2" LOP with a Silvers pad I don't think it took much more than a few days to alter the gun to conform to his order.