doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com SXS "Parker" 12 ga info needed

I have an old double hammer 12 ga that is marked as Parker on each side of the reciever. It has ser#17043 stamped on it and some other marks unintelligible to me. It also has Fine Steel imprinted on the rib between the barrels. The buttplate is a smooth steel with nothing engraved or imprinted.It has been in my wifes family for a long time, but my problem is I cannot figure how to release the barrels from the reciever. There is no beaver tail fore-end but rather a metal handle, which when pushed to the right, opens the barrels and exposes the ejectors. We have thought for a long time that this was a true "Parker"... however the good folks at the Parker Gun Collectors site advised me this was NOT a Parker Bros. gun. If anyone can shed any light on this gun as to what it is, age, value, etc. I would sure appreciate it. I do not see how to post photos here but will
try to learn! Thanks

Might be a "Lafacheaux" (sp?) style Belgian import with the Parker name meant to deceive a hardware store buyer. See if it has a proofmark shaped like a tower on it somewhere. Lots of that type cheap gun imported a century or more ago...Geo

Roostor

WELCOME on your first post

Most of the time the forend is released by a lever above the lever of the metal forend.

Yours look similar to this?

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=318860608

Looking forward to pictures

Mike

Thanks for the rapid replies....and Mike...the gun on that link sure does look alot like mine. That gun is described as a Husqvarna Underlever....great work Mike!
I think I have found why I can't post photos....I use an Ipad and the photos are on it. I think I will have to get some sort of photo software that will keep the photos and I would have to link to them through it.
Thanks again for the help..gives me a fantastic starting point!

Looks like Geo. Newbern gets the Star Award as I started browsing and googled "Lefaucheux" and they show some of the stamp marks. I found the stamp marks of EL on the right barrel underside along with the numbers 123. On the left barrel underside I found an L with a * (thats a star) over it and also in an oval were the letters E over an LG and those were over a * along with a symbol that resembles a plumb bob over the letter M and a * below that. On the receiver bed were the mark that looks like the plumb bob over a * which was over an M. It sure looks like it might be Eugene Lefaucheux that built the gun. Thank you Geo. for suggesting the name. I still can't see a way to get the barrels off as mine just has the one handle that opens the barrel. Think I will go rest my strained eyes now....they are a little tired of looking thru a loop.

If my memory is correct "Lefaucheux" was a Frenchman. He is quite often thought of in connection with Pinfire guns as well as this style of double guns. It is highly unlikely with it having the Parker name on it along with the Belgian proofs that Mr Lefaucheux himself had any part in building it, they were quite popular it some parts for a number of years & built my other makers.
Is there a key passing through the forend, the bbls may simply be keyed to the forend.

Here is information supplied to me courtesy of John Farrel from the Parker Gun Collectors site which helped explain to me what a "Parker" can be....
."Here is some information about the name Parker. In the late 1700s to the mid 1800s the person in charge of the Royal Navy's armoury of ships cannons and supplies was known as the Parker. Ships captains, gunnery officers, and gunnery mates went to the shipyard to fit out their ships with necessary cannon and ammunition to carry out the orders of the Royal Navy High Command while asea. The Parker had a master list of ships and the size of the guns he was authorized to fit them with. He also had a table of what and how much shot, cannon balls, fuse and slow match each ship was authorized to be issued. The Parker was an important position in the Royal Navy. (Source - Patrick O'Brien, author of 22 books on the English navy 1790 - 1815)

The name was also given to the keeper of private parks on estates in the 1500s and later. They were said to have a Parkership, a highly coveted title, and were responsible for arresting or otherwise dealing with poachers. If a poacher killed a deer the Parker was held responsible and could lose his Parkership as a result. (Source - O.E.D.) For that reason the Parker was particularly vicious in dealing with rural folks looking for an easy meal. Mantraps, booby trap shotguns, snares etc. were regularly used to catch and hold poachers for the application of justice.

The common rabbit was called a warrener, parker, sweetheart and hedgehog. They were plentiful in the countryside, and in gentlemen's pleasure grounds. (Source - O.E.D.) Rabbits were fair game for Sunday dinner. It would not be unreasonable to consider that the name on the gun was indicative of what it was intended to harvest - parkers."

Hi and Thanks for your response; there is no key passing through the forend. There is a hinge with a screw that I have removed but the barrels still won't come off.

Pictures would be helpful for us to assist.
If you need aid in posting pictures, please pm me.

Mike

PM sent