Parker Bros DH Grade 3 Titanic Steel 32″ 20 Gauge John B Winston SxS Side By Shotgun & Case 1925 C&R

SOLD FOR $9,525.00
LSB#: 
180531JL01

Make: Parker Brothers

Model: DH Grade, Hammerless, With Titanic Steel Barrels & Individual Ejectors

Serial Number: 211438

Year of Manufacture: 1925

Gauge: 20 Gauge, 2 1/2” Chamber

Action Type: Side by Side, Double Non-Selective Trigger Shotgun with Ejectors

Markings: The barrel rib is marked “PARKER BROS. MAKERS. MERIDEN. CT. U.S.A. TITANIC STEEL”, with two arrows pointing toward the lettering. The underside of the barrel set flat is marked”T” in circle, “HT / A”, ” and “3 6 3” under the right barrel, “J.G.” in oval under the left barrel. The underside of the lug is marked “20 / 0” and the left with “211438”. The top of the forend iron has the serial number and “PAT’D MAY 7,1901″. The sides of the frame are marked “PARKER BROS” on banners. The water table is marked “PAT’D AUG. 15, 1905 / PAT’D JAN. 18, AUG. 16. 1887 / PAT’D OCT. 25. 1910.” on the right lug. The left lug is marked with “DH” over the serial number over “3”. The lower tang is serialized to the receiver. The receiver has decorative engraving with the Parker Bros. banners amid scroll engraving with a pointer scene on each side, border engraving on the fences, pheasant scene on the trigger plate. There is also decorative engraving on the exposed portion of the forend iron and latch and border engraving on the rear of the barrels.

Barrel Length: 32”, with solid, concave rib with wavy lines, which tapers from 0.520″ at the breech to 0.265″ at the muzzles. The wavy line engraving stops just short of the muzzle at a line across the rib. The barrels just meet at the muzzle.

Choke: The barrels are Improved Modified (L) and Modified (R) choke.

Sights / Optics: This shotgun is mounted with a white front bead and a smaller white mid-bead, set into the concave solid rib.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are a two piece checkered walnut set with splinter forend, capped pistol grip, ventiated orange rubber recoil pad. The forend has a few scattered light compressions and bruises with well defined checkering that is slightly smoothed. The buttstock has several scattered light compressions and light scuffs. There are no chips or cracks. The belly has an inset silver-colored plaque which is marked “JWB”. The recoil pad has hardened with age and is disfigured appearing to have been compressed with scattered light-moderate wear, in about Fair-Good condition. Drop at comb is 1 3/4”, drop at heel is 2 3/8″, the cast is about neutral. The LOP measures 13 3/4″ from the front of the front trigger and 12 7/8″ from the front of the rear trigger to the back of the pad, 12 5/8″ and 11 1/2″ to the back of the wood. The stocks rate in about Very Good-plus overall condition.

Type of Finish: Blued barrels, case-color receiver and forend iron.

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bores are bright. There is no erosion in the bores.

Overall Condition: This shotgun retains about 87% of its current metal finish. The barrels have thinning finish on the edes of the rib and the muzle with only a few scattered light marks, some infrequent, scattered and very light freckling and some very light finish wear at the rear. The wave pattern on the top rib stops a fraction of an inch from the muzzle and the barrels meet at the muzzle indicating that the barrels have not been cut (32″ also matches the length listed for this serial number on P524 of “Parker Gun”, Price 7 Fjestad which also indicates that the ejectors are original. The receiver has mostly gone to gray with some of the case-color’s figuring visible on the sides and bottom and the strongest case-color in the unexposed portions such as under the lever, on the water-table and the top of the forend iron. The trigger guard and bottom tang are mostly worn to white. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear with good detail on the engraving. Overall, this shotgun is in Very Good condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The shotgun features dual non-selective triggers and selective ejectors; the tang mounted safety returns to ‘safe’ when the action is opened. The shotgun has no play in the frame to barrel fit. The hammers fall with authority, the ejectors throw shells energetically and the triggers are crisp. We have not fired this shotgun. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This shotgun comes with a leather leg of lamb case, a three-piece wooden cleaning rod with brass fixtures and a canvas case for the rod sections. The case has separate compartments for the stocked receiver, the barrel and the cleaning rod. The exterior of the case is marked “JOHN B. WINSTON” matching the initial plate on the stock, the lid is marked “3 / 32” on one end and “PATENTED / DEC.17.07.” on the top. The lid’s strap and “hinge”-piece as well as the carry handle have come off though the buckle for the strap is still present. The bottom of the case has come off though the pieces have been retained in the case. The case has scattered missing, broken, loose or fraying stitching with extensive scrapes, scuffs and marks on the exterior. The case is in about Poor-Fair overall condition. The cleaning rod shows light wear in the wood with tarnish on the brass fixtures, in about Good-plus condition.

Our Assessment: This Parker Brothers DH Grade Hammerless comes to us from 1925, near the height of the “roaring ’20s”. The DH Grade was the first grade offered by Parker with their new black Titanic steel barrels and many buyers found the DH to be the ideal choice for a higher grade Parker, not thinking the difference in price between the DH, CH, and BH to be commensurate with the increase in price. Despite its long and likely useful life, it has bores that look like they could be on a new-production gun and a lockup tighter than some new-production guns. This example has it’s original finish and lots of it with the correct barrel length and special features according to Parker’s records. The markings are still clear as day and the high condition can likely be attributed to the stalwart leg of lamb case which appears to have taken the brunt of the wear this shotgun has faced in most of a century. This shotgun is a beauty and would make a great addition to any collection, especially an avid bird hunter or Parker collector. Please see our photos and good luck!

CA Legal or CA Private Party Transferable: This C&R shotgun can be transferred in California.

Parker Bros DH Grade 3 Titanic Steel 32" 20 Gauge John B Winston SxS Side By Shotgun & Case 1925 C&R
Parker Bros DH Grade 3 Titanic Steel 32″ 20 Gauge
John B Winston SxS Side By Shotgun & Case 1925 C&R