Research Letter validation

[Scowl]

Hello all, a while back I purchased this Parker listed as a P-Grade 10 Gauge with 26" barrels. I ordered a research letter, along with several others, and glanced at it and put it in the safe. I'm prepping for a gun show this weekend and realizing the research letter differs quite a bit from what I'm holding in my hand. I have reached out to letters@pg and asked politely if they'd double check the research. In the meantime, I'm hoping to get some confirmation based on the attached pictures before this weekend


Thanks everyone

[charlie cleveland]

the weight of the barrels at 3 lb. 10 ounce is awful light for a 10 ga..probably a 12 ga...looks like it has lots of case colors...good luck if your saleing it...charlie

[Bill Murphy]

Have you tried to insert a 10 gauge shell in the chamber? We would also like to see the letter you say is different from your "other" letters. Thanks. Lovely gun.

[Scowl]

Originally Posted by charlie cleveland

the weight of the barrels at 3 lb. 10 ounce is awful light for a 10 ga..probably a 12 ga...looks like it has lots of case colors...good luck if your saleing it...charlie

Thanks. wish I could find a 10 gauge shell somewhere. having a hard time getting a good read with calipers since it's such a small margin between the two. any ideas how to check if it's 10 gauge without a shell handy?

[Scowl]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

Have you tried to insert a 10 gauge shell in the chamber? We would also like to see the letter you say is different from your "other" letters. Thanks. Lovely gun.

Thanks, finding a 10gauge shell is challenging. stores are still struggling to keep ammo on the shelves around here. I attached the letter. I withheld initially because I wasn't sure if it was permissible to post the research letters. There are some obvious discrepancies right off. T Grade when the gun is Marked P and obviously, it's not a Hammer gun either. I'd really like to know if the 26" barrels are the original or if they were modified.

[Scowl]

Also, while we are talking about it, can someone tell me the significance of the T inside a partial circle, and the "C" both on the underside of the barrel?

[78CJ]

Looks like a 1 Frame? I don't think there were many 10's made on a 1 frame, that would be pretty rare.

Ryan

[Harold Pickens]

Your barrels are probably cut, to me it looks like your tape measure is reading 26 3/8.

[ArtS]

T is not a grade, it is a quality. The P is stamped on the water tables. The hats top and bottom on the T indicate a plain twist barrel if I remember correctly. I too believe the barrel weight is much too light for a 10 gauge, as is the overall gun length. A 26" 10 would be a real oddity. Since this is obviously not a hammer gun, my best guess is that there was an error in the work orders and the gun was a hammerless 12 ga. Just my guess. I would also tell you that 26" barrels would be not common in a 12 and even less common in 10. If I were buying the gun, I would presume that it was a 28" or 30" 12 ga with light barrels that was cut off to 26".

Also, try the obvious. If any place has a shell, it will have a 12 g. Buy or borrow one and see if the 12 ga fits tigntly in the chamber. I would bet it will.

It is a pretty nice example. However, if the barrels are cut, it's value is greatly diminished, from both a collector or user point. Post a picture of the top of the rib around the bead and the front of the muzzles.Many people here will be able to make a judgement from that.

[ArtS]

I didn't mention the 1 frame because it looked so odd. I looked again and it looks like a ! stamp the was cocked when struck so it looks tapered without a top.