The Shooter’s Companion

Shotguns·makers·models·history

An independent reference on sporting shotguns, for shooters, collectors, buyers and sellers.

Parker hammerless

A hammerless boxlock double with numbered and lettered grades

Drawing of a Parker hammerless from the right: side-by-side barrels and a box-shaped action without external hammers.
Drawing: Hammerless side-by-side boxlock, right side

Parker's hammerless gun is a : its working parts sit inside a box-shaped housing.1, 2 Parker shotguns attracted professional and competitive shooters.3 A grade stamp on the and a frame-size number beneath the barrel lug help identify an individual gun.4, 5

The grades are VH, PH, GH, DH, CH, BH, AH and AAH.6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 H stands for hammerless and E for an ejector gun, as in DHE or AAHE.13, 14 From 1901 Parker fitted King and Hayes selective automatic , and it offered to retrofit them to earlier guns.15

Specifications

12-bore

Hinge and barrel hook16, 17
Lockwork16, 17
EjectorsKing and Hayes selective automatic optional from 1901; earlier guns could be retrofitted16, 17
Introduced188818
Bore12-bore

19, 20 Compare specifications

Specifications

ConfigurationBoreGrade
VH19, 2012-boreVH
VH19, 2016-boreVH
VH19, 2020-boreVH
VH19, 2028-boreVH

Identify and date

The grade is usually above the serial number on the .4 The frame-size number is on the bottom of the barrel lug.5 Early AAH guns have “Pigeon Gun” on the top .13 Most Remington-Parker guns have “Parker” beneath the frame behind the and omit “Parker Brothers” from the frame sides.3

A Remington repair code on the dates a repair but does not say what work was done.25 The Parker Gun Collectors Association searches copies of the original order books, books and IBM cards.26 Its letters report the recorded , grade, barrel length, , triggers, weight and .27

The Trojan differs in its latch and frame shape and lacks the traditional dog's-head -plate design.28 The later Parker Reproduction by Winchester began with the DHE and went on to add BHE and A1 Special grades.29 The original grade descriptions allowed for customers' variations, so a gun need not match every common feature of its grade.30

WhereMarkings
Grade, usually above the serial number22
Bottom of barrel lugFrame-size number23
Top on early AAH gunsPigeon Gun31
Bottom of most Remington-Parker frames, behind the Parker; most omit Parker Brothers on the frame sides24
on guns returned to Remington for repairLetter code for the month and year of repair32

The Parker Gun Collectors Association searches copies of original Parker/Remington records and reports the gun’s recorded configuration.33 Contact the maker

Before you buy

  1. Compare the gun with a factory-record letter, including barrel length, configuration and .27
  2. Inspect the -to-frame joint; a gap can mean damage or replacement, including hidden failure inside the .34
  3. Inspect the and frame edges for buffing; weak and rounded edges can mean metal was removed in refinishing.35
  4. Check the screw slots and their orientation; misplaced screws can show repair by someone unfamiliar with Parkers.36
  5. Have a specialist assess breech fit and hinge wear; worn hinges or an overstrained can let the barrels move away from the .37
  6. Look for peened hooks or pins and for shims; none of these is a lasting repair.38
  7. Check for shortened barrels, opened and lengthened chambers.39

History

Parker completed its first production hammerless gun late in 1888.40 The firm added H to its catalogue grade letters in 1889 and introduced PH in 1890.41, 42 Selective automatic became an option in 1901, and with them came the E suffix.14

In the 1917 catalogue the grades differ in their barrels, walnut and decoration.43, 44, 45 VH has Vulcan steel barrels; PH offers Parker steel or English twist, and GH Parker Special steel or three-blade Damascus.44, 46, 47 AAH offers Whitworth fluid-pressed steel or finest Damascus, with Circassian walnut and a gold shield.48, 45

DH offers Titanic steel or Damascus barrels, with imported walnut and a silver shield.49, 50 CH offers Acme, Bernard or Damascus steel, also with imported walnut and a silver shield.51, 52 BH and AH have gold shields and fine imported walnut, and both offer Damascus barrels as an alternative to Acme steel.53, 54, 55, 56

About 1917 Parker introduced a second automatic safety slide and a shorter .57 The slide's high point sits nearest the .57 The firm began making .410 guns in 1926, with steps beneath the barrels above the .58

Remington bought the Parker gun business in June 1934.59 It closed the Meriden works in December 1937 and moved selected machinery, inventory and workers to Ilion.60 Regular production and assembly ended in 1942, apart from occasional guns assembled or refurbished later for retiring officials.60

Sources

  1. The Parker Gun: Its History and Evolution, american-side-by-side. Louis C. Parker III / American Society of Arms Collectors, 2004. magazine · Archive
  2. Intro to the Parker Gun – 101, boxlock. Robin Lewis / Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  3. The Parker Gun: Its History and Evolution, remington-marks. Louis C. Parker III / American Society of Arms Collectors, 2004. magazine · Archive
  4. Intro to the Parker Gun – 101, grade-and-serial. Robin Lewis / Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  5. Intro to the Parker Gun – 101, frame-size. Robin Lewis / Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  6. Parker grades, vh. Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  7. Parker grades, ph. Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  8. Parker grades, gh. Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  9. Parker grades, dh. Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  10. Parker grades, ch. Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  11. Parker grades, bh. Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  12. Parker grades, ah. Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  13. Parker grades, aah. Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  14. The Parker Gun: Its History and Evolution, ejector-suffix. Louis C. Parker III / American Society of Arms Collectors, 2004. magazine · Archive
  15. The Parker Gun: Its History and Evolution, ejector-patent. Louis C. Parker III / American Society of Arms Collectors, 2004. magazine · Archive
  16. Intro to the Parker Gun – 101, Boxlock; Off face; Poor repairs. Robin Lewis / Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  17. The Parker Gun: Its History and Evolution, Ejector patent; Ejector suffix. Louis C. Parker III / American Society of Arms Collectors, 2004. magazine · Archive
  18. The Parker Gun: Its History and Evolution, Hammerless debut; Ilion transfer. Louis C. Parker III / American Society of Arms Collectors, 2004. magazine · Archive
  19. Parker grades, VH. Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  20. The Parker Gun: VH gauges and stock shapes, VH specifications. Parker Brothers, 1917. maker catalogue · Archive
  21. Intro to the Parker Gun – 101, Boxlock. Robin Lewis / Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  22. Intro to the Parker Gun – 101, Grade and serial. Robin Lewis / Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  23. Intro to the Parker Gun – 101, Frame size. Robin Lewis / Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  24. The Parker Gun: Its History and Evolution, Remington marks. Louis C. Parker III / American Society of Arms Collectors, 2004. magazine · Archive
  25. Intro to the Parker Gun – 101, repair-dates. Robin Lewis / Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  26. Parker research letters, original-records. Parker Gun Collectors Association. maker website · Archive
  27. Parker research letters, report-contents. Parker Gun Collectors Association. maker website · Archive
  28. Parker grades: identification and related models, trojan-differences. Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  29. Parker grades, reproduction. Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  30. Parker grades, custom-orders. Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  31. Parker grades, AAH. Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  32. Intro to the Parker Gun – 101, Repair dates. Robin Lewis / Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  33. Parker research letters, Original records; Report contents. Parker Gun Collectors Association. maker website · Archive
  34. Intro to the Parker Gun – 101, stock-head. Robin Lewis / Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  35. Intro to the Parker Gun – 101, refinishing. Robin Lewis / Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  36. Intro to the Parker Gun – 101, screws. Robin Lewis / Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  37. Intro to the Parker Gun – 101, off-face. Robin Lewis / Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  38. Intro to the Parker Gun – 101, poor-repairs. Robin Lewis / Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  39. Intro to the Parker Gun – 101, barrel-alteration. Robin Lewis / Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  40. The Parker Gun: Its History and Evolution, hammerless-debut. Louis C. Parker III / American Society of Arms Collectors, 2004. magazine · Archive
  41. The Parker Gun: Its History and Evolution, letters-and-grades. Louis C. Parker III / American Society of Arms Collectors, 2004. magazine · Archive
  42. The Parker Gun: Its History and Evolution, ph-dates. Louis C. Parker III / American Society of Arms Collectors, 2004. magazine · Archive
  43. How to Identify your Parker: catalogue attribution, catalogue-attribution. Parker Gun Collectors Association. magazine · Archive
  44. The Parker Gun: PH and VH catalogue description, vh-barrels. Parker Brothers, 1917. maker catalogue · Archive
  45. The Parker Gun: AAH stock and finish, stock-and-finish. Parker Brothers, 1917. maker catalogue · Archive
  46. The Parker Gun: PH and VH catalogue description, ph-barrels. Parker Brothers, 1917. maker catalogue · Archive
  47. The Parker Gun: GH barrels and stock, barrels. Parker Brothers, 1917. maker catalogue · Archive
  48. The Parker Gun: AAH catalogue description, barrels. Parker Brothers, 1917. maker catalogue · Archive
  49. The Parker Gun: DH barrels and stock, barrels. Parker Brothers, 1917. maker catalogue · Archive
  50. The Parker Gun: DH barrels and stock, stock-and-finish. Parker Brothers, 1917. maker catalogue · Archive
  51. The Parker Gun: CH barrels and stock, barrels. Parker Brothers, 1917. maker catalogue · Archive
  52. The Parker Gun: CH barrels and stock, stock-and-finish. Parker Brothers, 1917. maker catalogue · Archive
  53. The Parker Gun: BH barrels and stock, stock-and-finish. Parker Brothers, 1917. maker catalogue · Archive
  54. The Parker Gun: AH barrels and stock, stock-and-finish. Parker Brothers, 1917. maker catalogue · Archive
  55. The Parker Gun: BH barrels and stock, barrels. Parker Brothers, 1917. maker catalogue · Archive
  56. The Parker Gun: AH barrels and stock, barrels. Parker Brothers, 1917. maker catalogue · Archive
  57. The Parker Gun: Its History and Evolution, safety-slide. Louis C. Parker III / American Society of Arms Collectors, 2004. magazine · Archive
  58. The Parker Gun: Its History and Evolution, first-small-bore. Louis C. Parker III / American Society of Arms Collectors, 2004. magazine · Archive
  59. The Parker Gun: Its History and Evolution, sale. Louis C. Parker III / American Society of Arms Collectors, 2004. magazine · Archive
  60. The Parker Gun: Its History and Evolution, ilion-transfer. Louis C. Parker III / American Society of Arms Collectors, 2004. magazine · Archive

Revised