wm parkhurst
I need sone help with a wm parkhurst 12 guage double barrel shotgun.It has a silver shield on the bottom of the butt stock.All of the metal around the hammers is engraved as is the center rail between the barrels. The forearm and hand grip of the butt stock is also engraved in a diamond pattern with silver brads in the center of the diamonds.The barrels have a silver and black swirl blueing on them.any help with this is appreciated thank you
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I have only one listing for a shotgun with the name PARKHURST (without the WM). The name was used by two makers, one English and the other Belgian. Look on the bottom of the barrels under the forearm for proof marks. If the gun has English proof marks, crossed scepters or halberds (spear/battle axe) with a crown over that and letters in the intersections then it was made by J.P. Clabrough & Bros. If it has Belgian proof marks, the letters "ELG" in an oval with a crown on top it was made by Simonis Jannsen & Dumoulin. After 1906 the gun was made in Belgium only. Confirm the markings for more information. 0 -
It does have the elg marking on it .How might i go about finding a approximate year and value ? The only info i have found show a low value but the pictures i saw did not look like this one they were more of a plane jane style 0 -
Junior
Thanks for confirming the "ELG" proof marks. That tells us that the gun was made in Belgium and the maker was known by the name Simonis Janssen & Dumoulin who was located in Liege Belgium. There are no serial number-year made tables for these old guns but most were imported from 1880 to 1914 when World War One cut off exports from Europe. The design you describe in the wood is known as checkering and serves a dual purpose, decorative and in gripping the gun. The shield on the bottom of the butt stock is merely decorative and gives the owner some place to engrave his initials. The swirls on the barrels is indicitive of damascus barrels (more about that in a moment). Value? The value of these old guns depends on the condition of the gun, the amount of original finish remaining on the metal and wood as well as the mechanical condition. Values can run from a high of maybe $175 for a prime example to less than $10 for something a junk yard would refuse. Most sell for decorators in the $50 to $100 range . Damascus barrels. Describes how the barrels were made. The barrel maker took two or three ribbons of iron and steel heated and twisted and beat them into one ribbon. This one ribbon as then again heated and wrapped around a mandrel and hammer welded into a tube to form a barrel.
These barrels were designed for the ammunition in use at the time which was black powder and chambered for 2 3/4 inch shells. They were not designed for more modern high pressure smokeless powder 3 inch or magnum shells or steel shot. I caution everyone not to try to shoot these old guns because I don't know what condition they are in.0 -
thank you for your help it is greatly appreciated and clears up a lot of my problems 0
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