Stock Book Help

[Pa SxS]

Here is the information on Bill's gun.

Hello Mr. Murphy:

Parker shotgun, serial number 125757, was ordered by Charles L. Bush in Mount Clair, NJ on January 25, 1904, and shipped on April 14, 1904. According to Parker Bros. Order Book No. 62 it was a DH hammerless, 12-gauge on the “2 ½ frame”. It featured Damascus steel barrels with a length of 32 and 28 inches. Its stock configuration was a capped pistol grip and a dark stock was specified. According to Parker Bros. Stock Book No. 45, its specifications were: Length of Pull: 14”, Drop at Heel: 3 3/8”, and Weight: 8 pounds and 7 ounces 32 inch and 8 pounds 4 ounces for the 28 inch. The order specified the chokes in the 32 inch barrels at RH close and LH close and the 28 inch barrels at RH cyl and LH mod. The price was $100.00 plus $50.00 for the extra set of barrels.

According to Order Book No. 65, the gun was returned on November 15, 1904 by The Charles Parker Company in New York, NY to “put in new cocking hook”. There was no charge. According to Order Book No. 80, the gun was returned on March 11, 1910 by The Charles Parker Company to “replace top lever spring (.75) and clean and repair locks ($1.50)”.

[Bill Murphy]

Thanks, Chuck. This is a good example of the factory designation in inches (2 1/2) of a gun with a #3 frame. This is also an example of a guy who knew how to order a shotgun. I almost didn't buy this gun, traded a Smith and Wesson 38-44 for it.

[Pa SxS]

Bill, at first I wasn't sure what you were referring to as far as the 2 1/2 frame. It would have been clearer if Parker would have put the inches symbol in the order book (2 1/2") but they didn't. Frame sizes as stamped on the barrel lug were not in inches but could be converted to inches using the table found in the Serialization Book or the stock book. Parker used whole numbers for the frame size except in later years when the 1/2 frame was introduced.

Just one more piece of the Parker puzzle solved.