What Damasus pattern do you like best?

[Craig Larter]

I am a Parker collector in training but I believe most G, D and C grade hammerless guns were marked D. DD is normally found on BH and AH grades.

[Dean Romig]

D and 3 together, normally the numeral is above the letter, indicates 3-blade Damascus. Grade 2 flats were not marked with the grade number. That started with Grade 3.






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[Roundsworth]

On the left action flat of my GH, the number '2' is stamped right above the serial number. Below the serial number is 'G'. On the barrels, the number '3' is right above the 'D'.

[Mike Poindexter]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

D and 3 together, normally the numeral is above the letter, indicates 3-blade Damascus. Grade 2 flats were not marked with the grade number. That started with Grade 3.






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That's what I've always heard, too. Here are two G grades, one with D4 and one with D3. The "c" stamp I've always heard meant "crolle" but I certainly have no evidence to back that up. There isn't a lot of difference to my eye between the D3 and D4 patterns, except maybe the size of the swirls. I have seen some really large swirls on other makes that I do not particularly care for. D2's possibly?

[Jim DiSpagno]

As Dean stated, D with a number close to it is the number of crolles used in making it. I had a grade 1 hammergun with D2 bbls. I've had grade 2 guns both hammer and hammerless with D3, D4 and just D. The grade of gun stamped on the barrel flat started with Grade3 guns as Dean previously posted and is stamped closer to the breech end of the barrels on the right flat.

[Harold Pickens]

Very interesting and educational thread. Thanks all for the pictures. My GH 16 ser#77340 is marked with just a D, but there is an asterisk above it,

[King Cobb]

There are lots of nice patterns of damascus on parkers, even between same grade and same time period.

My two 3 dog DHs were made within 10 years of each other, one in 1892 and the other in 1899. Among the variations in them is a distinctly different style of damascus patterns. I am fond of both, though the 1899 one seems to have higher contrast to the pattern.

[Patrick Butler]

Thank you to all who posted and especially to those who posted pictures on this thread. I never tire of looking at Damascus, especially Parkers.

I wish that I had joined this association earlier, bought the basic books such as the Parker Story 17 years ago and followed the information on this web site that has opened my eyes to collecting these beautiful shotguns-that took such craftsmanship that Parker Bros., no slouch in iron and steel, bought them from Europeans. Yeah, "Would have, should have, could have..."

I also, as a novice, have concluded that older Damascus barrels are a good argument, in this age of most always leaving it original, for sending a gun in to one of our members who are master's at the art of bringing these patterns out. I feel that this art should be visible, unless you have some historic piece.

I keep waiting for that nice grade 16 or 20 to pop up on the market with a low "do not shoot this ready to explode weapon" price, but I fear that that train has left the station a few years back.

Oh well, at least I woke up in time to snag a few nice examples.

Best regards,

Patrick Butler

[Dean Romig]

They're still out there Patrick - certainly not in the numbers of a couple of decades ago, but they pop up every so often.





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[Drew Hause]

Gentlemen: we again have some confusion about barrels marked "Laminated Steel" which are most certainly not. Please see
http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=5520

Laminated Steel sourced in Belgium



NOT Laminated Steel, and one of my favorite patterns called "Toncin"




The bottom barrels Bro. Dean showed in post #32 ARE Laminated Steel, and likely were produced by Parker Bros. by John Blaze
Please see
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...4S6OIN1bA/edit