Should I buy this? 12 gauge Parker.

[Drew Hause]

Very interesting Jerry. I tried to enhance the contrast of your image without much success, but there is definitely a crolle pattern with smallish scrolls; it could be 6 Iron. Could you post an image of a section of barrel with more contrast?

This is a 1878 Grade 2 with a 'D' and difficult to see large scrolls; likely 3 Iron "Oxford"



Another Grade 2 with 3 Iron



A 1874 $250 grade with 3 Iron "Oxford"



Another 1874 $250 grade with 4 Iron "Turkish"



$250 grade with 6 Iron "Turkish"



Unfortunately, I don't know if the flats had nothing, 'D', or 'DD'.
For what it's worth (not much) I believe the D3, D4, B, and DD or D6 marks started with the hammerless guns.

[Harold Pickens]

Sure hope you have bought it!

[B. Dudley]

It is a fine gun that many do not ever have the opportunity to buy. I do not know where the $300-$1500 range came from. But even the top end of that range is a steal for such a gun in that condition unless the barrels are junk, but even then it may be worth that.
I hope is works out for you.

[Dean Romig]

Drew, I think that last opinion is worth quite a lot to collectors and historians of the Parker Gun.
As I stated earlier in this thread “I don’t know when the DD barrels began to appear on Parkers” and I examined the hammer gun Austin donated to the PGCA and the second set were stamped DD and were definitely 6-iron barrels. Don’t know what the donor gun was but if your opinion proves correct, which it probably will, Parker Brothers would have necessarily replaced the lug block.





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[jerry serie]

Thanks Harold, this might be the best I can do

[Dean Romig]

Jerry, usually the Damascus pattern and contrast is better seen in the section under the forend where it has always been more protected. It's nearly impossible to see the ribband welds in the picture you posted.

Incidentally, it's on a 1-frame making it even a bit more desirable to some.

In your third picture in your opening post, when enlarging the picture we can see daylight between the barrel breech and the breech face of the frame indicating it is a bit off-face. That is something that should be professionally addressed if doing a total restoration.



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[Drew Hause]

Thanks for trying Jerry, but I just can't be sure as to the pattern.
I think the pattern is similar to this 1877 Quality 2 which is 3 Iron



The plot thickens however, as the barrels appear to carry the Diamond P mark found on some c. 1880 Lifters



1879 Lifter with Laminated Steel barrels



Courtesy of Brad Bachelder 9-2010
The diamond P remains to be an elusive mystery. What we have learned so far is a few commonalities. This mark appears on lifter and top lever guns, made around 1880. We have identified it on laminated, twist, and damascus barrels.
It generally is stamped on the right tube next to the extractor rod cut. In a few cases we have seen it on the forend hanger.
Quite often this mark is partially removed by machining. This leads me to believe it might be an acceptance mark, stamped after the initial barrel and lug assembly. Final fitting of the extractor rod clearance often removes some or all of the mark. The absence of braze in the mark also tells me that it was stamped after the lug brazing.

[24 grams]

Very cool!

[Dean Romig]

I honestly don't think we'll ever see see 3-iron Damascus with the DD stamp.





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[Andrew Duarte]

Thanks guys ended up getting it for a good price. I think I’m just going to leave it the way it is.