Another 16 ga Lifter

[ArtS]

Here is a link to another 16 ga lifter that sold in September.

https://www.rockislandauction.com/de...barrel-shotgun

I noticed it because it is exactly like a gun Dean Romig owns with the exception of having Damascus barrels whereas Dean's gun has Parker laminated barrels. I have discussed Dean's gun with him since I purchased a 10 gauge just like it, except that the 10ga is listed as a Damascus gun but was built with Parker laminate barrels. All three have serial numbers within 240 first to last.

Interestingly enough, there were 8 16's like this built, 4 of the Damascus and 4 of the laminate.

The auction estimates vs the selling price of this gun speaks well for future Parker price movement.

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Arthur Shaffer

I noticed it because it is exactly like a gun Dean Romig owns with the exception of having Damascus barrels whereas Dean's gun has Parker laminated barrels. I have discussed Dean's gun with him since I purchased a 10 gauge just like it, except that the 10ga is listed as a Damascus gun but was built with Parker laminate barrels. All three have serial numbers within 240 first to last.

Interestingly enough, there were 8 16's like this built, 4 of the Damascus and 4 of the laminate.

Looking at the link you provided Art, I also see that gun and mine ( 18719 ) were engraved by two different engravers.
Further, I don't see where the frame size is mentioned. I would also like to see the "checkered hard rubber butt plate." Mine has one but that was because the gun was returned to Meriden to replace the skeleton steel butt plate with a "rubber butt."

Actually Art, there should be 5 listed 16's with Laminated Steel barrels as mine with original 27" barrels is not listed in the tables on page 290. However, oddly in the factory records mine is listed as having been made with Damascus barrels which is obviously a factory error. There is no record of it having been sent back for barrel replacement.
Further, the first Grade 3 Lifter with Laminated barrels, a sixteen gauge No. 1444 is much too early to have had Parker made Laminated steel barrels and this fact should shed some doubt on whether the other four had Parker made Laminated barrels. Of course any gun manufactured before 1877 should be disqualified from the possibility and even on those made after the 1877 date are suspect, unless inspection proves them to have Parker made Laminated Steel barrels.





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[ArtS]

When I said it was like yours, I meant only that it was a Grade 3 Lifter 16 gauge.

I did notice in those tables that there were 4 28" laminate barrels but the total for the column was 5. The 20 ga column shows 1 27" and 1 28" but a total of one. I suspect the 27" listed as a 20 is yours and is in the wrong column. Then the column totals would be correct.

My gun was ordered as a Damascus but has Parker made laminate barrels serial numbered to the gun. The Research Letter bears out the fact that it left the factory with the laminate barrels. I have my own suspicions, after reviewing several sources, that Parker made little differentiation internally between the Damasus barrels and their internally manufactured laminate barrels. I believe they were very proud of them and used them later on several Dasmascus guns. In just a couple of hours searching I found several guns mentioned in the BB posts which fall into this category. There may have been more higher grade Damascus grade guns in this period that left the factory with laminate barrels.

This wouldn't impact your gun. With only a total of 9, counting the 27" you own (and assuming it is incorrectly listed as a 20 on page 290) there is a total known possible pool of only 9 laminate barrel guns if all the Damascus wereactually laminate, and yours would still be the unique one with the 27" barrels.

[Jay Oliver]

I was interested in this one at the time, but ended up not biding as I found another Parker I couldn't live without. A prominent architect from Worcester ordered this one and another one in the exact same gauge/configuration with consecutive serial numbers. Pretty neat...

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Arthur Shaffer

When I said it was like yours, I meant only that it was a Grade 3 Lifter 16 gauge.

I did notice in those tables that there were 4 28" laminate barrels but the total for the column was 5. The 20 ga column shows 1 27" and 1 28" but a total of one. I suspect the 27" listed as a 20 is yours and is in the wrong column. Then the column totals would be correct.

My gun was ordered as a Damascus but has Parker made laminate barrels serial numbered to the gun. The Research Letter bears out the fact that it left the factory with the laminate barrels. I have my own suspicions, after reviewing several sources, that Parker made little differentiation internally between the Damasus barrels and their internally manufactured laminate barrels. I believe they were very proud of them and used them later on several Dasmascus guns. In just a couple of hours searching I found several guns mentioned in the BB posts which fall into this category. There may have been more higher grade Damascus grade guns in this period that left the factory with laminate barrels.

This wouldn't impact your gun. With only a total of 9, counting the 27" you own (and assuming it is incorrectly listed as a 20 on page 290) there is a total known possible pool of only 9 laminate barrel guns if all the Damascus wereactually laminate, and yours would still be the unique one with the 27" barrels.

Art, in the world of Parkers, in order that all the pieces of various puzzles fit exactly where we think they should, we have to do a lot of assuming. There are many assumptions I have had to make so that things concerning some of my Parkers line up the way I would like them to. They are all quite logical assumptions but without actual factory records they are just educated guesses.

Thanks for bringing up the points you made.





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[Stan Hoover]

Dean,
This below is how a checkered hard rubber butt plate looks like.
Stan Hoover

[Dean Romig]

And this is the checkered hard rubber butt plate on my 16 gauge Lifter.
Note how it was checkered and engraved to resemble the skeleton steel butt plate... Heck even the screw heads are checkered.


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[Stan Hoover]

That’s a nice one, you definitely have the better one. Engraving it to resemble a skeleton butt plate is a very nice touch.

The Rock Island 16 Lifter was an 0 frame, and it was falsely advertised to have 28” barrels, they are 30”