In House Shipping:
Make: Parker Brothers
Model: GH Grade 2
Serial Number: 123462
Year of Manufacture: 1904
Gauge: 12 Gauge, 2 1/2” shells
Action Type: Side by Side, Double Trigger Shotgun with Extractor
Barrel Length: 30”, with solid, concave rib with wavy lines. 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 left barrel is choked Full, the right Improved Modified, both fixed.
Sights / Optics: There is a silver-colored bead set into the front of the concave solid rib.
Weight: 7 lb., 8.4 oz.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two-piece checkered walnut with splinter forend, capped pistol grip, straight comb, checkered black hard rubber Parker Bros. buttplate with recessed hunting dog, and an initial plate inlaid to the belly (not marked). The forend has an inlaid steel tip. The wrist has some tiny losses around the edges. There are scattered nicks, dings, scuffs and scratches. The heel has a relief for the original buttplate's extension, currently filled with a separate piece from the replacement buttplate. There are no cracks. The checkering is well defined. Drop at comb is approximately 1 3/4", drop at heel 3". The LOP measures 14 1/8" and 13 3/8" from the fronts of the triggers to the back of the buttplate. The plate has very little in the way of wear with well defined checkering and good detail in the dog. Overall, the stocks are in Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Browned Damascus & Case Color
Finish Originality: Original, numbered parts match.
Bore Condition: The bores are mostly bright. There is some scattered minor erosion and stubborn fouling in the bores. The barrels have a few small dents visible in the bores. In this writer's opinion, the bores rate 7/10.
Overall Condition: This shotgun retains about 75% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at all edges. Exposed case color has mostly gone to a light patina with some strong color on the water table and inside of the forend iron. The barrels have generally strong damascus patterning with some light patina blending well with original browning. There are scattered light nicks and small scratches. There is some minor surface oxidation with infrequent erosion. The screw heads range from sharp to tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this shotgun is in Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The action locks up with no play. 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: None.
Our Assessment: This Parker Brothers GH Grade 2 Hammerless comes to us from 1904. The Grade 2 filled a gap between the lower grade or “knockabout” guns and the higher grade or “fine” guns, offering a finer quality fit and finish, engraving and style in a gun which could still be taken to the field without feeling like you’re ruining a presentation piece. This example is a 12 gauge with 30" barrels choked Full and Improved Modified. The gun is in nice shape for its age of more than 120 years with the majority of its original finish, decent bores and a tight lockup. The original buttplate has been replaced with a nice reproduction. Whether you want to add to your Parker collection or restore it to take back out in the field, this classic shotgun would make a nice addition to any collection. Please see our photos and good luck!