1875 Parker Bros 12ga

[Micah16858]

Hi, I frequent this forum quite a bit, and now I've got a question about a shotgun I've just inherited. I figure someone here will know something about it, lol. It's a Parker Bros 12ga double barrel, exposed hammer shotgun. It has double triggers. It's not in the greatest condition, but I think it'll look a bit better if I oiled it up. The only numbers I could find on it was the patent date, November 13th,1866, a second date, March 23rd,1875, and the last number, I assume it's the serial number, is 8230. That's found on the top of the forearm grip, and on the receiver under the barrel. It has a gold shield on the top of the grip. There's some lettering I can't quite make out on the barrel rib, I assume it's Parker Bros address. I'll try to upload pictures, I'm on my phone right now, if that doesn't work I'll have pics up tomorrow. Does anyone know what it's worth? It's got no real sentimental value to me, so if I can chuck it and buy a couple more glocks I'll be happy. Thanks

 

[Jim Watson]

If it has an 1875 patent date, then it had to have been made after that date.
There are no detail records for that early, but Parker hit 10,000 in 1878, so your gun was made sometime in 1875-1878.

It is known as the "lifter action" because you lift on the bar in front of the trigger guard to open the barrels.

 

[Micah16858]

Parkerguns.org says that serial numbers 6749 through 8834 were made in 1876, so I'd say that's the year.
It has no grade markings anywhere, other than the serial number. This makes me think it's a "dollar grade", but I'm not quite certain.

 

[Jim Watson]

Dollar grades are the fancy ones.
Looks more like a Grade 0 to me. But then I didn't keep searching until I found the exact year for you, either.

 

[Micah16858]

Well I just looked at it again, and I found a "1" on the barrel lug, I believe that's the frame size, and I found a "T" , and a little plus sign. It looks like a "4", without the slanted line. It doesn't have any fancy engraving on it, just a gold shield on the grip, so you're probably right about it not being a dollar grade.

I also found what looks like "s230" on the trigger guard.

 

[Jim K]

I have no doubt "S230" is the serial number, with the "8" blurred into an "S"; we need better pictures.

Please stick to just a light oil on that gun; do NOT clean it, sand it, polish it or do anything else to it to "improve" it.

That gun has the early lifter mechanism. The subject of Wilbur Parker's March 23, 1875 patent was a tapered bolt locking into an angled slot in the barrel lump. Pressing up on the lifter allows the bolt to be moved backward by the barrel opening. The top lever was a later arrangement, though lifter guns were made until c. 1900.

Jim