case colors streak

[John Bastiani]

Was reading an article in the Spring 2015 issue of Parker pages by Mr. Charlie Price and on page 4(first two guns on top) he talks about the original case gun on the right having a floor plate streak. Could somebody fill me in on what the floor plate streak is?

[Dean Romig]

It is the front to rear patch of lighter color on the floor plate and is more easily observed on Trojans, VH, and Ph guns where there isn't a lot or any engraving to disguise it.

It is caused by a very minor temperature variation across the floor plate during the color case hardening process.

Edgar Spencer's 1928 VH in pristine original condition.


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[Bruce Day]

1906 16ga CHE

[John Bastiani]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

It is the front to rear patch of lighter color on the floor plate and is more easily observed on Trojans, VH, and Ph guns where there isn't a lot or any engraving to disguise it.

It is caused by a very minor temperature variation across the floor plate during the color case hardening process.

Edgar Spencer's 1928 VH in pristine original condition.


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Checked my original case colored Trojan and the streak is there like the gun you have pictured. Does this streak appear only on original cased Parkers and not on re-cased guns? Also-The engraved gun pictured by the other gentleman is alot harder to see as you have acknowledged.

[Dean Romig]

Every once in a while we will see a recased gun with it but they are few and far between. And I wonder, in a refinished gun, if that stripe isn’t more of a welcome but unexpected result than intentional.





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[John Bastiani]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

Every once in a while we will see a recased gun with it but they are few and far between. And I wonder, in a refinished gun, if that stripe isn’t more of a welcome but unexpected result than intentional.





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Forgot to ask if the streak is also present on the late Remington guns?

[Dean Romig]

I don’t have any Parkers produced in Ilion and haven’t seen enough of the lower grades produced there to comment on that. Perhaps someone who has some will comment and show us.






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[B. Dudley]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

Every once in a while we will see a recased gun with it but they are few and far between. And I wonder, in a refinished gun, if that stripe isn’t more of a welcome but unexpected result than intentional.





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Odd... as I recall, nearly every parker I have had re-cased has had it.

Yes, it is dependent on the case hardening process. But more a function of how the trigger plate is machined. The channel in the plate for the unhooking slide results in a dramatically different thickenss of material up the middle of the plate. This is really the main reason for a difference in the appearance and patterning of the colors in that area.

And I will add that not all original examples are that pronounced. Every gun is different.

[Reggie B]

Here is a Remington Parker.

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Brian Dudley

The channel in the plate for the unhooking slide results in a dramatically different thickenss of material up the middle of the plate. This is really the main reason for a difference in the appearance and patterning of the colors in that area.

True Brian, and the variation in thickness of the plate where that channel is machined results in the variation in temperature across the width of the plate I made reference to.

As I recall, you send your case coloring work to DTR and they are expert in the various case colors of the various gun makers of old.

Dave Trevallion showed me his 20 gauge Trojan he had restored himself and sent it to Doug to color case harden. I honestly believed it was a very high condition original, stripe on the floor plate and all. David told me that Doug had done it fifteen or more years earlier. I was really surprised but shouldn’t have been, knowing the accuracy of Doug’s work.





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