Unfinished Barrel (in the white)

[David Noble]

That was a great find of Parker barrel making history.
Is there a stamping on the barrel flats as to the type of steel?
Concerning the ejectors, there would not have been a retaining screw in the lug area like there is with plain extractors. The ejectors were contained by the dovetailed plate in the end of the yet to be installed doll's head. It's interesting that the rib is laid all the way to the end of the breech and is notched. That doesn't jive with my understanding of the attachment of the dolls head. The latest Parker Pages has an article about Parkers barrel manufacturing process, perhaps it will explain the method. I'll check on it tonight.

[Oganza]

No other markings on the barrels. They are definitely fluid steel of some kind. Obviously no overload proof mark, as there are no chambers. Only marks are the B, 1 1/2, and #3 12 stamps.

The barrels and the rib are both rough with light, almost pebble texture as you would expect from raw unfinished steel.

It does not have the "short rib" that goes for 1-2 inches from the breach and then meets at an angle cut with the rest of the rib. Did Parker continue to make ribs this way or did they change later in production?

Could it be for a Reproduction? I think they were made with a full length rib and a screw-in doll's head. But how would it have gotten to the US unfinished?

A Repro wouldn't fit the story I was told of the original owner having it for 40 years, but without an eye witness it is just a story. All of the stamps look like my original parkers.