Ever heard of these?

[Hammer Gun]

Years ago when Kirby was doing the letters he would sometimes send a copy of the page from the old book your gun was in, I was looking back today and saw the term please add 2 gas escapes this was on a AAHE with 32 Whitworth barrels has any one heard this before it also says keep them small? Gary

[David Noble]

I've never seen that feature on a Parker but have on a couple of SXS shotguns in the past. As I remember they were on the breech face starting at the firing pin hole and then horizontally out to the side. I believe they were Belgium or German made.

[B. Dudley]

I have seen gas passages on the breech face of at least 3 or 4 parkers. I always just assumed they were done after the fact, but did wonder on them being factory. All that I had seen looked very cleanly done.

[Dean Romig]

Yes Gary I have heard of them and have examined a Grade 6 Pigeon gun with this feature but I have always believed this one was done by J. A. Prechtel of Cleveland, OH who had trained with LeFever but later set up his own shop. He was a highly skilled gunmaker as you can see by his SBT that appeared at a shoot in Cleveland in 1897.... but maybe the work was done by Parker Bros. - There is no record either way.

I took a trip to Texas to examine the gun back around 2011 or so.

I have written an entire article on this Parker and the millionaire shipping magnate who ordered it along with many, many pictures. I had intended to publish it in Double Gun Journal but unfortunately the pictures taken by a professional and supplied by the owner of the gun were not able to be published by Daniel so I will submit it to Parker Pages someday.

It is an amazing Parker with some amazing provenance, as you will see.


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[Dean Romig]

I apologize that I didn’t mention the fact that these “gas escapes” were actually invented and patented by the W & C Scott Co. and were known as their “Gas Check System.”





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[B. Dudley]

Ones that I recall seeing in the past looked just like the picture dean posted.

There is a Parker on GB right now that has them. But there is no photo of the breech face of the gun. But I can see them on the side in the photos of it.

[Hammer Gun]

Dean, You wouldn't happen to know what the ser# of that AA hammer gun was do you, I have catalogued All that I know of book says 5 made but actually I have found 6 possibly 7 Gary

[Dean Romig]

Gary, and everyone else, I must apologize again...

The gun is actually a Grade 6 (A) and I had misidentified it as a Grade 7. I'm pretty sure you had your doubts and I'm sure some of you were polite enough to not call me out on my error - it is pretty plain that it is not a AA hammer gun.





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[Dean Romig]

Found this morning in a Spring 2011 issue of DGJ I was perusing for something else.

I really need to submit my article to Mike & Sammy…



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[John Davis]

Dean, do you have any other pictures of the SBT?