need help with id of parker gun

[dianeflynn]

hello, trying to find out any information on this gun, it has some letters F 9 R not sure what these mean, also not sure of the value any ideas would be helpful. want to sell but not until i am sure of the value and know all i can. thank you for any help. will try and add photos.

[Angel Cruz Ortiz]

Early D grade 12ga with 30 inch bbls probably Damascus. She looks real nice for it's age. I won't venture a price but you should have no problem selling her.

[Pa SxS]

I'm going to respectfully disagree with my friend Angel. I believe you have an 1874 underlifter in possibly the $200 dollar grade and more than likely the $250 dollar grade. Reference the TPS vol 1 pages 235 to 240.

Diane, the $250 grade was the highest grade Parker made at the time and is both collectable and worth considerable money.

It would be very helpful if you could have better in focus closeups with better lighting. Take closeups of all sides of the receiver including the part that the barrels sit on. Take the barrels off and take pictures of the flats where the barrels contact the receiver. Take pictures of the rib inscription. Take pictures of the entire buttstock.

Measure the total barrel length when it is off.

The gun doesn't look in pristine condition but even in this condition is desirable to a collector. The more information on the gun, the better we can tell you what you have.

Congratulations,

Chuck Bishop

[Jim DiSpagno]

Looks to be a $225.00 grade

[Angel Cruz Ortiz]

I stand corrected. The book states, Early gun with "D" quality code.

[Richard Flanders]

Bbls look cut off very short unfortunately. Very interesting engraving. What a great old piece!

[Pa SxS]

Good eye Richard. There goes collectability and much of the value.

[Richard Flanders]

Maybe Robert Duval will buy it for his next cowboy movie! "Open Range II"....

[Bill Murphy]

It's in the Serialization Book as a 30" 12. I don't have an order book inventory handy. Does the order book exist for 1874? We need a good picture of the side and bottom of the grip area. What a gun!

[Researcher]

Interesting shotgun. As I remember, Ron Kirby wrote an article in an issue of Parker Pages about that F.9 R marking, but I don't recall the significance. Perhaps someone more into hammer guns can answer that one.