Assistance needed

[Dean Romig]

That’s factory work but keeping in mind that ejectors were often added to guns that were originally sold without them. Granted, the Parker Bris. factory records should make reference to this service having been done… but we sometimes find contradictory records or even a lack thereof.
Further, DelGrego has a Parker Bros. ejector jig and certainly knew how to use it.





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[edgarspencer]

As Dean suggests, it may have been 'upgraded' by the factory, or Delgrego, but doing so on a VH gun, to make it a VHE may have been nearly as much as a new gun. The whole fore end is an ejector fore end, as both wood and iron would have had to be changed, and the barrel has always been an ejector barrel, as it lacks the extractor stop screw, and has an ejector rib extension. All of this notwithstanding, it's entirely possible the receiver was modified, and a new barrel and fore end were fitted and numbered to match the gun. If it was done at Parker Brothers, a PGCA letter will almost certainly reflect this. Still, I think I'm safe in betting the gun left the factory new as a VHE, and the serialization book is in error.(Not exactly a rare occurrence)

[Dean Romig]

My GH(e) as I have always described it, 79355 was sent back years after it was first sold to have ejectors fitted for the massive expense of $13.00
I have the research letter. Breck Gorman has the barrels at the moment and if he reads this he may come on to tell us if they still have the extractor stop screw or if the hole was welded over and filed and finished off.





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[Bill Murphy]

Unlikely that the stop screw hole was invisibly filled. A PGCA letter will give us a stock book entry. That will tell the tale. I am betting that the stock book shows factory ejectors.

[Dean Romig]

I don’t know what the stock book shows Bill, but I know what the Serialization book shows for 79355… it shows 0 in the Extras column. But the letter shows that it was sent back for ejectors.





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[Dean Romig]

I just heard from Breck. He’ll let me know as soon as he’s able to have a look at my barrels.





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[edgarspencer]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

I don’t know what the stock book shows Bill, but I know what the Serialization book shows for 79355… it shows 0 in the Extras column. But the letter shows that it was sent back for ejectors.

I think Bill was referring to the subject gun, and not yours, Dean.

Welding, back in the '20s & '30s wasn't as refined as it is today. To weld up such a small hole as the stop screw, did they gas weld it? Lotta heat. Then there's the new ejectors, then the rib extension, and entire new fore end. And you're saying they do all that for $13.00? You don't suppose they gave credit for the original barrels, and it was $13 net.

[Dean Romig]

It has the original Damascus 0-frame 16 gauge barrels and yes, the letter gives the price of the conversion and now that I think of it, it may have been $25.00 but I’m 100 miles from my letter until the weekend.





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[Dean Romig]

Okay... I was confused about the price of the ejectors. They were $10.75 in 1909 on Parker DHE 28 gauge with 24" Damascus barrels... not on my Parker 79355 16 gauge Damascus barrels from 1895.

However, I just heard back from Breck on the barrels for 79355 and he sent a picture.
The ejectors were added at Parker Bros. at some point in time but were not mentioned in the letter. You can faintly see evidence that the stop screw hole was filled and smoothed over to what would be invisible except that age has slightly defined the circle where the hole and filling were/are.


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[edgarspencer]

Dean, My guess is the screw hole has a pressed in plug, and not welded up.

Does the rib extension show any appearance of it's change to an ejector extension. I'd guess they were adept at making that change.