NH and PH is there a difference ?

[B. Dudley]

They are effectively the same. It is a bit of a holdout from the early grading system. In the hammer gun days there was a myriad of grade letters for the guns. The gauge and also grip configuration determined the grade. Letters like R, T and U were used for grades, among many others.

The NH was a hammerless 10 or 8g and it came later when the N was dropped as a separate grade that they all just became PH grades. Regardless of gauge.

A study of the grades section of TPS would be worthwhile. As well as period catalogs.

[Milton C Starr]

Originally Posted by Brian Dudley

They are effectively the same. It is a bit of a holdout from the early grading system. In the hammer gun days there was a myriad of grade letters for the guns. The gauge and also grip configuration determined the grade. Letters like R, T and U were used for grades, among many others.

The NH was a hammerless 10 or 8g and it came later when the N was dropped as a separate grade that they all just became PH grades. Regardless of gauge.

A study of the grades section of TPS would be worthwhile. As well as period catalogs.

I have been looking at some Parker catalogs on different sites for sale , I would like to get a earlier one around the time my Parkers was built .

Ive had the idea of picking up a small bore PH to go with my NH 10 ga and they look almost identical besides the frame size of course .


A slightly different question , ive seen a few Parkers listed as PT grade which ive read is not a grade but means plain twist barrels . Which I assume could be either a grade 1 or 0 ?

[Researcher]

From the introduction of the Grade 1 hammerless guns in 1890 into the early 1900s the 12-gauge and smaller gauges were Quality PH with a list price of $65 and the 10-gauge was Quality NH with a list price of $70.

Here are the pages form the "Blue Ink" catalog (circa 1900) which the late Ed Muderlak had reproduced.

PH- and NH-Grades.jpg

By the catalog that introduces ejectors (circa 1901) it is just the Quality PH with a list price of $65 in all gauges but 8-gauge which is $105. I've never seen an 8-gauge Grade 1 hammerless with the watertable marked NH.

[Milton C Starr]

Originally Posted by Dave Noreen

From the introduction of the Grade 1 hammerless guns in 1890 into the early 1900s the 12-gauge and smaller gauges were Quality PH with a list price of $65 and the 10-gauge was Quality NH with a list price of $70.

Here are the pages form the "Blue Ink" catalog (circa 1900) which the late Ed Muderlak had reproduced.

Attachment 86294

By the catalog that introduces ejectors (circa 1901) it is just the Quality PH with a list price of $65 in all gauges but 8-gauge which is $105. I've never seen an 8-gauge Grade 1 hammerless with the watertable marked NH.

Ive seen 2 or 3 NH 8 gauges that have sold before . When was the NH grade dropped for the PH ?
There was also 108101 that was listed as a NH 8 gauge and 117160 .