'K' stamp on flats??

[ASB]

Hi All,

My Parker VH 16 Gauge has as near as I can tell, what appears to be a "KV" stamp on the barrel flats. See attached in the lower-left corner.

What does this reference?

Thanks,

- Alex

[Dean Romig]

That’s the inspector’s stamp. It was Charles A King, superintendant of the Parker Bros. Gun Works until 1910. His son Walter King followed his father as superintendant after 1910. The italicized f indicated “finished” or something to that effect.





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[Researcher]

I disagree. The early steel barrels have the K (Titanic & Acme) or Kf (Vulcan) stamp in the barrel steel location. I begin to see the V, P, P.S., T & A, usually in a circle in the 135xxx serial number range.

If the K and Kf were inspector's marks, why are they only seen on steel barrels? They aren't found on any Twist, Laminated or Damascus barrels.

[Bruce P Bruner]

Originally Posted by Dave Noreen

I disagree. The early steel barrels have the K (Titanic & Acme) or Kf (Vulcan) stamp in the barrel steel location. I begin to see the V, P, P.S., T & A, usually in a circle in the 135xxx serial number range.

Dave, what can you extrapolate from a blank circle? There is a sun stamped on the opposite side as is a “KG” & “P”.

[Dean Romig]

That, I believe is a set of barrels that were begun under Parker Bros. ownership in Meriden CT (hence the blank circle) bet the gun was finished under Remington ownership in Illion NY (hence the Remington starburst) Remington dropped the various names of barrel steel and I suspect the legend on the top rib, if there is even a legend, will not include the name of a barrel steel.





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[Bruce P Bruner]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

That, I believe is a set of barrels that were begun under Parker Bros. ownership in Meriden CT (hence the blank circle) bet the gun was finished under Remington ownership in Illion NY (hence the Remington starburst) Remington dropped the various names of barrel steel and I suspect the legend on the top rib, if there is even a legend, will not include the name of a barrel steel.
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You are correct Dean, no legend on the VR at all. Could I assume the barrels to be Titanic Steel? It may be just an unknown mystery.

[Dean Romig]

Bruce, I think you can make the assumption that the barrel flat was intended to be stamped with a T in that circle.





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[ASB]

Originally Posted by Dave Noreen

I disagree. The early steel barrels have the K (Titanic & Acme) or Kf (Vulcan) stamp in the barrel steel location. I begin to see the V, P, P.S., T & A, usually in a circle in the 135xxx serial number range.

Ok, so this particular gun is S/N 124889 (1904 date), which would align with your S/N range listed above.

What were they specifying at that time with these stamps? Is it as Dean suggested? That would make sense to me. Here I was thinking the 'f' was a mis-stamped V... I should have known better

I appreciate the responses and the info!

[Researcher]

Originally Posted by Bruce P Bruner

Dave, what can you extrapolate from a blank circle? There is a sun stamped on the opposite side as is a “KG” & “P”.

Everything about those barrels say they were completed late in the Remington era -- the PARKER GUN WORKS in the OVERLOAD PROVED stamp -- the Remington date code KG K = May G = 1938 -- the serial number on the left barrel flat -- and the marks we assume to be Remington inspector marks.

[Researcher]

Originally Posted by Alex Brushwein

Ok, so this particular gun is S/N 124889 (1904 date), which would align with your S/N range listed above.

What were they specifying at that time with these stamps? Is it as Dean suggested? That would make sense to me. Here I was thinking the 'f' was a mis-stamped V... I should have known better

I appreciate the responses and the info!

People at Parker Brothers in the 1890s and early 1900s knew what those marks meant, but we can only speculate. We begin seeing the W.K in oval Walter King mark on the left barrel flat and still see the K and Kf in the barrel steel location in the low 130xxx serial number range.

130158 01a 12-gauge, 30-inch Titanic, K barrel steel mark and WK in oval.jpg

131783 03 K in barrel Steel Location.jpg

My speculation is that the change from the K and Kf to the letters, usually in a circle, indicates a change in supplier of the rough steel tubes.