Parker 8 Gauge Hammer SxS

[B. Dudley]

The buttstock looks original, or should I at least say Parker factory. So it was likely either restocked by the factory or it is an error in the book.

Also, the barrel length could have been altered. There is no rib matting, so that cannot be a tell tale sign, other things like the style of the bead and appearance of the end fill/if tubes are touching or not can be indicators as well.

The barrel length can also be an error in the book. As other suggested, the only way of getting a very good idea will be to get a research letter.

Odd that the gun is made all by itself with no other 8g guns around it. Sometimes 8g. guns are seen in batches of 4 or 6 in production. For example, S/Ns 54476 - 54485 are all a group of 8g. guns. However, looking at the pages surrounding yours, there are some singular 8g. guns peppered about. The closest 8g. guns to yours are listed before and after. One about 800 S/Ns behind and one about 500 S/Ns in front.

[Researcher]

The water table is marked 2 (GH grade?)

A Quality 2 Parker Bros. hammer double was either an E, F, G or H grade.

E-Grade was a 10-gauge with a pistol grip
F-Grade was a 10-gauge with a straight grip
G-grade was all other gauges with a pistol grip
H-Grade was all other gauges with a straight grip

So, your gun would be a G-Grade. A GH-Grade was a hammerless gun.

[Dean Schimetschek]

Thanks for all the info guys, I'll definitely invest in a factory letter. I'm curious to see if there is any interesting information as to who ordered the gun. Though I'm a little green on Parkers I handle antique guns on a daily basis so I can say for sure that the wood is original to the gun. The whole gun has the appearance of a very well used but taken care of original gun that I'm sure killed ducks and geese on a daily basis. Is there any way to further break down how many G grade 8 Gauges were made? Thanks again, -Dean

[Pa SxS]

I have quite a bit of information on this gun. It will answer some of the questions but leave you guessing on some other questions!

Send for a letter!

[Researcher]

According to the Quality 2 tables in The Parker Story, Volume One, there were twenty 8-gauge lifter action hammer doubles in 8-gauge, 17 with Damascus barrels and 3 with Laminated Steel barrels. There were forty Quality 2 top-action hammer doubles with Damascus barrels -- two with 32-inch barrels, 21 with 34-inch barrels, 16 with 36-inch barrels and one with 38-inch barrels. In Quality 2 hammerless doubles there were 78 8-gauges, 67 with Damascus barrels and eleven with Parker Special Steel barrels.

[Jawjadawg]

Your first Parker is an 8 gauge? That's sort of like being afraid of girls your whole life until the homecoming queen asks you to be her date.

The knowledge base of the longtime collectors is worth the price of the membership. Ask a question and the answer you almost certainly shall receive.

[Jeff Maus]

That's a nice gun…

JM

[Dean Schimetschek]

Well we got a letter on the gun and what a story! This is particularly intriguing to me since I primarily collect market guns and this gun appears to have been a truly well used market gun. The gun was shipped to T. B. Davis (T. B. Davis Arms Co.) of Portland, Maine on October 16th, 1891. Davis ran a sporting good store and retailed shotguns. The gun was a top lever hammer gun, 8 Ga, straight grip with 38" Damascus barrels. One week later he returned the gun to Parker for a full credit (apparently someone didn't like it!). Parker held the gun for a year and a half until they sold it to Schoverling Daly & Gales of New York City in March, 1893. They were another sporting goods retailer, who sold the gun to E. G. Elliott of Nantucket Island, Mass. On November 9th, 1894, Elliott returned the gun to have it "restocked 1/2 pistol grip, install Silvers recoil pad, and make shoot as best as can". Two years later in 1896, Elliott returned the gun yet again to "restock, take out dents, and re-blue". Obviously Mr. Elliott was a market hunter who was showing this gun some serious use! He then sold the gun to Frank Meiggs, also of Nantucket, who I have confirmed to have been a market hunter. He returned the gun in 1898 to "tighten the action, clean up locks, clean and rebrown barrels, and solder on ribs". So within just five years the gun was on it's third stock, had to be repaired multiple times, and even have new ribs soldered! Needless to say the barrels were professionally shortened to 34" during the period as well. I can only imagine how many waterfowl this gun must have had to take down to gain so much wear and tear over a short period of time. This also confirms that the gun is the one and only quality 2 toplever hammer 8 Gauge with 38" barrels ever made.
-Dean

[charlie cleveland]

man this old gal certainly musta shot her share od water fowl..i too have an old 8 ga hammer gun that was shot and abused a lot they even built a steel collar for this old gun to keep it breached together when fired finally the old gun got over 1/4 inch off face took me 2 hours cleaning and fileing crude and rust away to even to be able to get a shell in the barrel...today she still do nt look like much but she will shoot and stay together with out the steel collar..it was the wort gun i have seen or held in it s present condition before i owned it.it was sold in calfornia...now resides in miss. would love to see some pictures of your punt guns..there was a 6 barrel ten ga punt gun for sale a while back on the auction sites...charlie

[Pa SxS]

Dave,

Just to clarify, I classified this gun as a Quality F grade gun based on the barrel steel, grip type, and price listed in the order book. Parker didn't have a Quality grade letter designation for 8ga. guns but said to take the Quality grade with that barrel steel and grip type and add $35.00 to the price listed for the 10ga. gun. When I took the price for a Quality
F grade gun and added the $35, it matched the price in the order book. Regardless whether it's a E,F,G,or H letter designation, they are all considered a number 2 grade gun.