Parker Hale musketoon

[capper]

I’ve just taken in a musketoon with a smoothbore barrel, the stock has the Parker hale roundel but the barrel has no markings whatsoever, the barrel is blocked with a steel bar but doesn’t look like a deactivated version. Has anyone seen an inert musketoon sold by Parker hale? The lock functions & the nipple is as normal. It may have been a model but because there are no makers marks on the barrel & the bluing isn’t the normal standard, I’m at a loss as to whether it has ever shot or was it sold as inert originally. Anyone know of these or ever seen one?

[ashf9999]

Yes, what you have by the sounds of it is an original PH inert musketoon. It won't have a serial number or proof marks either, as in your case it was never a functioning firearm. If the barrel wasn't blocked, by virtue of its age (or lack of it) it would be on-ticket. I have both inert and live PH ones, and they are very nice
Bluing on my inert one is perfect, so possibly your one suffered a mishap previously or has been re-finished (though I don't know why it would need it).

[svincett]

Hi I’ve got a smoothbore ph musketoon it’s on my shotgun licence it’s live firing

The bore is marked up at ‘719 which is quite a big bore

I’ve also got a .577 ph rifle

They’re good fun !

Cheers Steve

[markH]

I seem to remember they did both. My first purchase was a smoothbore '58 and I'm pretty sure they also did inert versions. I worked there early 80s.

[markH]

.719 seems very big indeed, that's a 12 bore proofmark.

I used to shoot .58 round ball in mine.

[capper]

Yes, what you have by the sounds of it is an original PH inert musketoon. It won't have a serial number or proof marks either, as in your case it was never a functioning firearm. If the barrel wasn't blocked, by virtue of its age (or lack of it) it would be on-ticket. I have both inert and live PH ones, and they are very nice
Bluing on my inert one is perfect, so possibly your one suffered a mishap previously or has been re-finished (though I don't know why it would need it).

While the blueing is complete it just doesn’t have that normal mirror finish I’m used to seeing on PH. Although the barrel is blocked there is no paperwork to say it’s deactivated & appears that if the blockage was removed it could be used, I’m just wondering if the barrel was blocked then the breech plug fitted.

[ashf9999]

While the blueing is complete it just doesn’t have that normal mirror finish I’m used to seeing on PH. Although the barrel is blocked there is no paperwork to say it’s deactivated & appears that if the blockage was removed it could be used, I’m just wondering if the barrel was blocked then the breech plug fitted.

There won't be any paperwork to say it's deactivated...as technically it was never active. It has never been through proof. There will be no proof stamps for anything, including deactivation. I'm assuming it is a 100% PH inert unit. I've never taken my inert ones out of the stocks to look in detail about plugs.

I've read that when PH went defunct (or at least stopped making the Enfield repros) a number of components were sold to an Italian manufacturer and these were turned into guns of hybrid-manufacture for a while, but I think the Italian ones were only live - ie not inert.

So don't panic that there is no documentation to say it is a deact. This is treated no differently to, for example, the inert Indian guns from Henry Krank. These are freely sold legally off-ticket and are made on the same production lines as proofed live guns. They turn up at fairs and sites like Arundel Militaria with some frequency.

I've some PH sales lit from the time that I'll try and scan in when I'm next in the office (as I've bust my scanner at home).

You are committing no crime by possessing it as inert. If you want to try to convert it live then that's up to you, the proof house and your FEO...

[ashf9999]

Just looked at my 2 inert ones.

One is an 1858, PH unit with PH roundel on stock, but no maker or other marks on the barrel. Came in its PH box with all the accessories.
The other is an 1861 (longer barrel), again with PH roundel on the stock and 'Parker Hale Birmingham' on the barrel. No other marks to the barrel. Trigger guard strap marked '1860 Warrior' (so a year earlier than the lock...).

Sticking a rod down the barrels they seem to terminate at the point where the breech block would screw to the barrel (so similar length to the live), but I'm not going to see if they unscrew as, to be honest, they are probably stuck fast. (My live one was a bu**er to shift).

Don't forget that due to the age of the design, these inert guns do not fall foul of the VCR act regarding replicas...

[capper]

Thanks for the information from all of you regarding this Parker hale, I haven’t decided whether to keep it or move it on but can’t deny it’s a good looking piece.

[steve medlock]

I do have a spare smoothbore PH Musketoon barrel which would convert it to something useful?

Steve.