"V3" coded B grade

[Nick de Guerre]

Mike Poindexter,

Respectfully, to me, if this gun was ever restored, it was done a long time ago. I've seen some very good "light touch" restos of guns, meant to look as though they were original, and haven't seen one THIS good. The Hawkins pad isn't right, but the barrels are faded, and the checkering looks properly worn...if lightly used.

Again, I'm no expert with Parkers. But I have seen and owned some restos. I would be surprised and humbled if a majority of collectors agreed this gun was restored.

My two chief questions were: (1) Is the spot on the rib just ahead of the extension a fill where a bead was once bizarrely positioned, and (2) was the gun a "legit" D grade that was upgraded to B purely with engraving enhancement.

The first question I still can't decide on, because it's a little off center, and looks like it could have been a spot where the barrels just got dinged with a peen-style mark. The second question to me seems unlikely, as the engraving style seems fluid throughout, and everything about the gun seems appropriately "aged" to me.

But my real interest was simply to get the crowd's idea of whether this gun seemed legit as originally done, irrespective of whether it was restored in any way.

Further thoughts anyone? It was suggested that Vulcan steel wasn't yet introduced in 1895. Is this true? Or was it just not yet introduced on VH's? Given it's a unique work order code, perhaps as Bill M. suggested it's just a super early Vulcan gun?

- NDG