Why Bernard on CH, CHE, andplain old C?

[Sara LeFever]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

And here is a set of orphaned and abused Lefever barrels I recently bought.

Dean,
Can you share any details on those barrels (grade? gauge?). Piqued my interest.
Thanks,
Sara

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Sara LeFever

Dean,
Can you share any details on those barrels (grade? gauge?). Piqued my interest.
Thanks,
Sara

Yes Sara,

Somebody apparently turned a beautiful A grade, side-cocker with Bernard barrels into a "cowboy action gun" by cutting the barrels down to 22".

The ignorance out there is apalling!!

Anyway, someone bought the gun and fitted fluid steel barrels to it and put these barrels up for sale on doublegunshop.com and I bought them... Why? you might ask.... I have a soft spot for any kind of orphan I guess.

Double or triple click on the pictures I posted where you can see the top rib engraved "Made Expressly For F. A. Elliott" I asked Bob Elliott if this F A Elliott was some relative of his and he said "Not to my knowledge."





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[Sara LeFever]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

Somebody apparently turned a beautiful A grade, side-cocker with Bernard barrels into a "cowboy action gun" by cutting the barrels down to 22".

The ignorance out there is apalling!!

Anyway, someone bought the gun and fitted fluid steel barrels to it and put these barrels up for sale on doublegunshop.com and I bought them... Why? you might ask.... I have a soft spot for any kind of orphan I guess.

Dean,
Thanks for sharing! That's a darn shame someone cut those barrels! An A grade, side-cocker of all things!
Glad you took them in and appreciate them! They are still impressive on their own.
Sara

[Jeff K.]

My bernard C.

[Craig Budgeon]

Back in the day when my interest in European guns was much more acute, I had been told by knowledge members of the gun trade that Bernard barrels were rare by any maker because the blanks were not produced in large quantities. Perhaps Parker picked the C grade to incorporate Bernard barrels because of its limited demand. Parker still produced nearly 1/3 of there composite barreled C grades with Damascus barrels rather than Bernard.

[Dean Romig]

According to the tables at the end of each grade in the Grades section of The Parker Story only 489 Parkers were ever made with Bernard Steel barrels. That's only 2/10ths of 1% of all Parkers ever made. I guess they really are special.





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[Drew Hause]

Bernard patterns, frequently acid etched, were the barrels of choice for high grade German/Austrian guns.
I've only see ONE English double with Bernard barrels; Charles Boswell courtesy of Paul Stevens. The Birmingham Proof House Trial did NOT include Bernard; I'm still not sure what "English machine-forged chequered 3 rod Damascus" was however
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...EK8OtPYVA/edit



The question remains if the Parker "Rose Pattern" Bernard was Bernard I or Bernard II. I've been calling the prominent rose pattern Bernard II for 10 years, and could be wrong; and posted all those images so anyone can be free to decide. I couldn't find in my files what Dr. Gaddy called the Parker pattern other than Bernard.
Until we have a definitive answer from Parker literature, it might be reasonable to just call it "Rose Pattern" Bernard.

BTW: Rosa Damascena



"Rosebud" knife blade Damascus

[Craig Budgeon]

After some thought I believe that the imaging of Bernard steel barrels prior to 1914 was very poor whether it was printed or photographed in black & white. Damascus was well known and a safe decision. Few knew that Bernard steel existed and fewer still actually had witnessed its beauty. There were no smart phones prior to 1914 and you were lucky to have a party line. PS. 1914 represents the beginning of WW1 and the demise of composite steel barrels

[Bruce Day]

For those who attend the Pheasant Fest in Schaumburg Ill next Feb, I will bring several Bernard barreled guns, including a smallbore. There are a handful of B grades with Bernard but mostly C’s. We have a Parker letter indicating Bernard barrels were more resistant to wear than the four blade Damascus otherwise offered for C grades.

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Bruce Day

For those who attend the Pheasant Fest in Schaumburg Ill next Feb, I will bring several Bernard barreled guns, including a smallbore. There are a handful of B grades with Bernard but mostly C’s. We have a Parker letter indicating Bernard barrels were more resistant to wear than the four blade Damascus otherwise offered for C grades.

Bruce, would that be a 26" 16 gauge with ivory beads?





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