DHE barrel

Pa SxS · 01-31-2019, 10:00 AM

A recent new Parker owner showed me his DHE 12ga. 2 barrel set. The original Titanic barrels are 26" on a 1 1/2 frame. The gun was manufactured in 1936 and has all the Meriden features except the stock and forend are not original. The second set of barrels I believe were added by Parker in September 1937 due to the repair code on the barrels. They measure 31 3/4" with the space at the end of the matting. The first set has a 1 on the forend lug and the second set and forend lug has a 2. The second splinter forend is marked 2 and looks like a correct Meriden forend.

What's confusing is the second set has only Parker, Meriden, Conn..USA on the rib as you can see from the picture. The right barrel flat has a 0 but no letter inside the 0 as seen in the picture. The left side of the barrel lug has "D Grade 12ga.

I'm assuming that these barrels were added in September 1937 shortly before manufacturing was transferred to Ilion NY. Has anyone else seen barrels similar? It's almost like they didn't completely finish the stamping on the barrels. I found no examples of this type of rib inscription in TPS.

Dean Romig · 01-31-2019, 10:22 AM

Chuck - I have never before seen a rib marked like that. And I have only seen 1 other circle on a finished set of barrels, that was not filled with the letter for the barrel steel.

I can’t imagine that is a unique example - there must be others out there someplace, even if only a handful.

I wonder if the rib was roll stamped or engraved. I can’t imagine they would have made a roll stamp die for just a few guns.

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B. Dudley · 01-31-2019, 10:29 AM

Huh... the barrels are certainly a mix of Meriden and Ilion features.

The makers mark is a real head scratcher to me.

The "Parker" suggests post Remington Ownership, but the "Meriden, Conn" would mean pre- move to Ilion.
I have never seen another set of barrels with this exact Roll stamp on them, has anyone else?

I think most of the other transition guns that I have seen had normal "Parker Brothers... and Steel type" makers marks on them.

Dean Romig · 01-31-2019, 12:21 PM

I don't think I would refer to 1939 as part of the "transition" period which most would consider to be in the late 1933 - early 1935 period as it pertains to how Parker Bros. and Remington Arms frames and barrels were marked immediately before and immediately after Remington took ownership of the Parker shotgun operation. Clearly, the barrels Chuck shows us indicate that Remington had made 'a' decision as to how they intended to mark their ribs and barrel flats. Remington even made another change to how the ribs would be marked in the future.... and that was not to mark them at all.

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Bill Mullins · 01-31-2019, 12:35 PM

I have seen that rib marking on three other “transition” guns in the 239-240000 range. One was a V grade, another an A grade, and the third was an A1Special.
I don’t recall the steel type on the barrel flats. 😊

JAMES HALL · 01-31-2019, 12:41 PM

Look in Parkers found in the pages. I found that same stamping on a gun at Pintail Point Vintage Cup years ago and Herzog took the picture.

Bill Mullins · 01-31-2019, 12:47 PM

See Parker Pages, Volume 24, Winter 2017, Issue 4, page 39. ��

Bill Mullins · 01-31-2019, 01:03 PM

The A1Special is serial number 241039, a 20 gauge that Chadick’s had and sold many years ago. 😊

Bill Mullins · 01-31-2019, 02:51 PM

A “Paul Harvey rest of the Story” on the A1S, 241039..
In August of 1982 I made my first trip to Chadick’s, LTD. While visiting the showroom and viewing various grades of Parkers I had never seen before, Herschel invited me into his office to show me two very special A1S guns of which the 241039 was one of them. Up to that time I had never seen or much less hold a A1 Special. The gun was spectacular in every way. A gold pheasant on one side of the receiver and a gold grouse on the other side. The remaining receiver was embellished with fine English scroll. It was cased in its original leather trunk case along with the original hanging tags. The story Herschel shared with me was the original owner contacted Remington to order an Invincible. He wanted a 20 as the other Invincibles were 12’s and a 16 gauge.
Remington purportedly told him they could not build an Invincible. So he asked that they build an A1Special of “Invincible Quality” with gold birds, fine scroll, and special wood carving and checkering. Herschel indicated it was sold awaiting the transfer of some real estate which was partial payment. I was so glad to see the gun as it was the one and only opportunity.
The gun is pictured in TPS page 719... (not the best picture as the photographer’s flash somewhat washed out the gold pheasant). 😊