Album: Parker Hammerless Quality Examples

HAMMERLESS QUALITY GRADES: The Parker Brothers Serialization and Stock Book would have an entry: "1 - 10/30 Dam P G 8 3/4 to 9 2 3/4 x 1 3/4 - 14 100" The shop used the gauge, length of barrels, grip style, weight, drop, and length of pull to make the gun, but the price ($100 for a DH) specified the wood grade, engraving and checking patterns, and damascus quality. Price Lists and Catalogs: G through C- 'Fine' Damascus, B- 'Extra Fine' Damascus, A- 'Finest' Damascus. Barrel Flats and DAMASCUS PATTERNS: G- 3 Iron 'Oxford' with 'D' or 'D3', G through A- 4 Iron 'Turkish' with 'D4', C- Bernard II with 'B', B- 6 Iron 'Turkish' with 'DD' or 'D5', A- 6 Iron 'Turkish' with 'D6'. The Parker fine leaf, small scroll, symmetric, annular Crolle is referred to as "Turkish", "Damas Crolle Turc", "Turkischer Damask", or English "Best Damascus." The latest damascus barrels are SN 220,657 GH D3 1927, SN 222,845 DHE D4 1927, and SN 227,020 VHE D3 1928. Special thanks to Charles A. Herzog Sr.

FROM "Parker- America's Finest Shotgun" by Peter H. Johnson: All of these barrels and tubes used by the Parker were made in and around Liege, Belgium. So far as the knowledge of still-living Parker officals goes, none were ever successfully made in the United States. These barrels, which were imported as "rough tubes," with a low tariff were reasonable in price and very beautiful; but with the advent of progressive burning powder after World War I they were doomed as they were unsafe to use with these new and more powerful powders. So at that time Parker Brothers, certainly not to be left behind by such a plain and inescapable necessity, discontinued the use of them and started making their own barrels from the latest American steel that had been developed during World War I. It is intersting but hardly surprising to note that when Parker changed from figured barrels to those made of fluid steel the factory officals destroyed under a hammer all the barrels that they still had in inventory rather than run the risk of these barrels ever being used. Whitworth Compressed Fluid Steel barrels were first used on the Grade 7 "AAH Pigeon Gun" in 1894 SN 79964 delivered to Capt. Du Bray. In 1895, Parker completed a run of 14 DH and 1 BH guns with Vulcan steel. Titanic Steel barrels were offered for Grades 3 - 6 from 1897 until the introduction of Acme Steel for Grades 4 - 6 around 1910. The Grade 0 VH was introduced in 1899 with Vulcan Steel, Parker Special Steel barrels appeared on the Grade 2 GH in 1908, and the Grade 1 PH & NH received Parker Steel in 1917. The Grade 8 A1 Special introduced in 1907 had Whitworth barrels until after WWI, then Peerless Steel. The first Trojan with Trojan steel barrels was started in 1911, but not delivered to S,D & G until Feb. 1913.