Many hours later...

[B. Dudley]

The final piece of metal alteration for this A-1 Special is the trigger guard bow.

This gun started as a straight grip, but the preferred configuration for the build is a pistol grip.

On Meriden built high grade guns (B and higher), the trigger guard bows taper quite a bit as they come into the guard strap/tang.

A Repro DHE PG guard was reshaped in this original high grade style.

These photos show the altered guard next to an unaltered Repro guard.

This is something that Parker Reproductions did not do to any of the B grades or A-1 Speicals.

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[edgarspencer]

Originally Posted by Brian Dudley

This A-1 Special will get restocked and a Meriden SSBP will be used instead of the Repro plate. The photo below will show why. The Reproductions used the same sized ssbp on both 12 and 20g. guns. This results in a butt that is simply too short and way too narrow for a 12g. gun.
An original NOS Meriden plate will be used in the proper size for a 1-1/2 framed 12g.

Meriden ssbp on left and the Repro plate on right.

Attachment 69590

I'm glad to see this. I never liked the radius of the repro heel.

[B. Dudley]

The last bit of metal work that needed to be addressed on this A-1 Repro was, well... the Address.

What is the point in "Meridenizing" a Repro if it still has a Japanese makers mark on the barrel rib.

I sent the barrels to Glenn Fewless to have him laser weld up the whole makers mark. As well as 1" of the center matting so that the length of the legend could be made larger as to fit the new mark.

I then cleaned up the welds by hand.

I then had them rolled with the original Peerless Steel makers marks but Turnbull.

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[Ken Hill]

Brian,

In 50 years, how will someone know this is a customized repro with the markings removed and restamped with original markings?

Ken

[B. Dudley]

Originally Posted by Ken Hill

Brian,

In 50 years, how will someone know this is a customized repro with the markings removed and restamped with original markings?

Ken

Serial numbers and barrel flat markings.

[Bill Murphy]

The real answer to that question is "It just doesn't matter." There are so many fakes out there right now that buying a graded Parker 50 years from now, just like today, demands that the buyer know what he is looking at, or just not care. Brian is creating an exercise in gunsmithing, not an attempt to create an original Parker. As the Cobra driver says to his wife, "Sit down, hold on, and shut up", not neccesarily in that order. Go for it, Brian.

[Kevin McCormack]

In 50 years there will be metallurgical DNA tests just like human tissue matching today - able to distinguish and verify Belgian, German, Japanese and US Steel types. Critical analysis for verification of authenticity will involve fanatics taking micro-thatched files to hidden parts of the steel, then analyzing them for purity. 100 years from now, there will be home kits for the DIYs to authenticate grandpop's old bird guns.

[edgarspencer]

Carbon, siliconn, manganese,P, S, Cr, Ni & Mo are elements which do not change when they go on a trip around the world. While these are the basic elements found in steel, the balance of Fe, iron, is still over 95% of the makeup. Regardless the melting method, it is virtually impossible to duplicate the exact chemistry in successive melt batches

[Hixie]

I think that XRF can be used to determine the elemental composition of steel and provide a fairly accurate "fingerprint" of the steel sample. It is a surface analyses technique and the sample tested needs to be big enough. These days they have hand-held analyzers that can provide almost "instant" results. Sulfur and phosphorous may not be detectable that way.

If only a small sample is available, it could be dissolved in a mineral acid and analyzed using ICP-AES which I think can detect and measure all of the elements Edgar listed. I am not a metallurgist but I would venture a guess that the elemental composition would be the same throughout the test sample except, perhaps, for the carbon content. Again I am guessing but I suspect that the carbon content may vary widely within the sample, i.e. higher at the surface compared to at the center of the test sample.

[B. Dudley]

Another feature not normally seen on a Repro.

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