2 barreled 10

[Dean Romig]

The seperate doll's head began, I believe, with the inception of the doll's head and continued from hammer guns through the hammerless right to the end of production. With the possible exception of some guns ordered with "no doll's head" they all had them. And I just measured a few of mine and they hover around 2" rather than the 2.5" I stated previously.

[ch]

Well I couldn't c 1 on mine have 2 go take another look. Thanks Dean. ch mine looks like it's 2 pieces but no screw.

[Dean Romig]

Not all of the hammer guns had the engraved flower and it is a rare thing to find a gun with rib matting to have an engraved flower over the screw head. But if you look closely at the sides of the rib you will be able to see the faint indication of the joint between the rib and the doll's head.

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

Here are another shots of the rib and dolls head:







If you guys like send me a PM with your email and I'll send you the medium format photos. Those can be blown up to giant size for close inspection. If interested I could also shoot a zoom of the screw or joint area. Please let me know.

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

Hey Dean,

Why do you think that this Parker made in 1884 does not have a fishtail top lever?

Mark

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

Gentlemen,

I haven't figured out how to upload a .pdf doccument to Photobucket and for transfer into this forum. If anyone knows a photo-sharing site that accepts Adobe .pdf please let me know. Until then below is a copy and paste of the documentation I received with the Grade 3 Ten Gauge:

New YORK SALES ROOM 32 WARREN ST PARKER BHOTHERS MAKERS

March 23, 2009

Parker shotgun, serial number 41525, was ordered by Rev. P. J. Kearney in Fulton, NY on June 17, 1884 and shipped on September 27,1884. According to Parker Bros. Order Book No. 16 it was a Quality 3 Top Action hammer, 10-gauge. It featured Damascus steel barrels with a length of 32 inches and 28 inches. Its stock configuration was a pistol grip. According to Parker Bros. Stock Book No. 15, its specifications were: Length of Pull: 14 114", Drop at Heel: 2 7/8", Weight: 8 pounds and 9 ounces with the 28 inch barrels and 9 pounds 15 ounces with the 32 inch barrels. The price was $125.00 plus $60.00 for the extra set of barrels less 20% = $148.00.

Parker Bros., Remington Arms Company lnc. and others repaired and reconfigured guns as a major part of the gun trade. Over the years, this Parker may have undergone changes to suit its owners, either at the factory or other competent facility. Complete factory return and repair records do not exist therefore our research team cannot comment, report, or have any responsibility for work performed. It is important to note that those Parker records remaining are hand written and show considerable fading from their age. The research committee has done its best to interpret and report our findings in answer to this request and assumes no responsibility for the recorded accuracy or other work completed.
Sincerely,

Mark Conrad, Kesearch Committee Chairman
The Parker Gun Collectors Association Inc.
P. O. Box 5772 Va. Beach, VA 23471-5772

From: Roy W Gunter
29 July 1993

Regarding your number 41525 with mixed damascus in one set of the barrels, I have seen this on other guns, but never a Parker. The Parkers were very frugal Connecticut Yankees and were reluctant to throw anything away. Your gun was ordered on June 2 , 1884 by a Rev. P.J. Kearney of Fulton, N.Y. The order included a case and a complete set of tools. The gun was completed on September 9, and shipped on September 27. This gun was directly ordered by Kearney and did not go through a dealer. In cases like this, the individual was always charged list price. In this case, however, Kearney received a 20% discount on the entire order. Perhaps this discount was offered because of the mismatched pattern in the 28 inch barrels. The mismatch would not have been noticed until the barrels had been completely finished and browned. At this point Parker had incurred all the expense involved in making the barrels and throwing them away would have been a complete loss. These extra barrels sold for $60. I guess they figured the discount was the better way to go. Apparently, the Reverend was happy with this arrangement.

It is just by chance that I happened to have the applicable order book here. Normally, I'm not able to get the information on specific oreers.
Thanks for the markings on your 03005.

[Dean Romig]

Mark, can you open the gun with the right hammer cocked?

[ch]

Did they ever make a lifter with a dollshead? Did they ever quit the screws I can't c a screw in my hammerless. Mark, maybe they haden't thought of it yet, the fishtail. ch

[Dean Romig]

I'll qoute from page 112 of "The Parker Story" - "Beginning in 1884, Parker Brothers equipped some of their top-action hammer guns with a crooked, offset top lever."

Also - "The top lever/right hammer interference problem was influenced by the frame size of the gun. Smaller frames, with hammers closer together , have less room for the hammer arc."

There is a great deal of information on pages 112 and 113 regarding the shape of lever on the top-action guns and the reasons for the "crooked" lever.

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

Thanks Dean,

I checked and I can open the action with the right hammer cocked with both 28 and 32 inch barrel sets. The 32" have more use and the action opens just before the top lever touches the hammer. To open the 28" set one has to force (with a few pounds pressure) the top lever into the hammer. The 28" set seems to have had little use.

I shot new photos in this morning's light and will process and send later today.

Respectfully,
Mark