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A.G. & A.J. PARKER and PARKER-HALE
PARKERRIFLING - and their miniature calibre CONVERTED REVOLVERS
See the Parker-Hale CMT rifles
, the Parker-Hale Targetscope
, the Parker-Hale Dewar rifles
plus Parker-Hale
Service Rifle Target Sights, and the Parker-Hale Optical Sight Set
See also: A CENTURY OF SIGHTS AND SIGHTING AIDS - by Edna Parker
"PARKERIFLING"
This tube sleeving system was developed by Alfred G. Parker
& Co. Ltd.,
and marketed under the "Parkerifling" tradename early
in the Twentieth Century - certainly prior to 1910.
The Company was born more
than twenty years earlier, in 1880.
The firm initially traded from premises
in Icknield Street, Birmingham and was joined by Arthur T.C. Hale,
who had become manager
by 1910, at around which time they moved to Whittal Street.
This address became
that of the famous "Bisley Works" subsequently stamped on so many
of the company's products.
The product range became most comprehensive and included
all mannner of especially built target service rifles,
sights and ancillaries,
imported and other British manufacturers' rifles, cleaning and maintenance paraphernalia,
targetry, ammunition and, of course, Parkerifling.
A.T.C. Hale became a director
at some point prior to 1925.
A.G. Parker's son Alfred J. Parker was also working
in the business by the latter half of the century's first decade.
By 1910, young
Alfred was designing aperture sights for the firm and performing remarkably
at Bisley
with a 'Long' Lee-Enfield fitted with one of his own sights.
Alfred
served in Belgium and France in the First World War and survived,
(unlike
John Tippins - son of Luke (L.R.) Tippins
, a contemporary armourer, and himself a fine shot), to return to the family
business.
Prior to 1928, Alfred left to set up his own company; Alfred J. Parker
& Co. Ltd.
For many years until recently (the business closed late in 2007),
the firm was at the "Armoury Works" in Moseley Road on the outskirts
of Birmingham city.
It was previously at Bath Street Old Schools in Birmingham
(the company was still at Bath Street in 1956,
but had moved to Moseley Road
by the mid Sixties).
Here he produced the first Twin Zero rear aperture sight
- a folding version.
Around 1930, Arthur Hale's involvement with A.G. Parker
had reached a significance
which led to the change of company name to Parker-Hale;
so it has remained to this day.
It seems that there must have been some distancing
between A.G. Parker and his son and,
although their product ranges were quite
similar, many identical items were separately named
although probably bought-in from the same source.
Alfred offered an equivalent barrel re-lining service for small-bore rifles
but,
whilst his father's refurbished barrels were stamped on the crown

"PARKERIFLED A.G.P.",
Alfred's stampings were simply marked
" RIFLED BY ALFD.
J. PARKER".
To the right is an image of the muzzle crown stamping.
The section through the brass olive used at the muzzle
can just be defined.
The A.G.P. Parkerifling acquired a superb reputation for accuracy,
entirely well founded.
The quality of the sleeves was such that the claim of
improved grouping over some new rifles was not unwarranted.
Even now, rifles
refurbished in this way half a century ago will perform to a high standard,
such was the quality of steel and workmanship.
A tired barrel could be brought
back to very useful life with a significant saving over the cost of a total
replacement.

........ Alongside is an image of a sales display
........cutaway of a Parkerifled barrel.
........The sleeving joint can be clearly seen.
The company advertisements often carried remarkable testimonials to their workmanship
and the success of their rifling system.
Copies of such advertisements published
over the forty years between 1925 and 1965 are shown below.
They make fascinating
reading.
........This
image
........and the one below it
........are taken from
........the catalogue of
........A.G.Parker
........for 1925.
........Grading of the
........rifled sleeves
........has become necessary.

Thirteen years
after the event,
the testimonials
for successes made
with Parkerifled
TARGET RIFLES
are still apparently
quite worthy of mention.
........By
1933, when this next
........catalogue was published,
........the company had become
........"Parker-Hale",
........although the testing advertised in
........"The Rifleman" - journal of the
........Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs -
........had been done by A.G. Parker & Co.
Such was the popularity of the Parkerifling process between the Wars,
the many thousands of rifles produced in the early 20th. Century being so regularly shot (pun intended),
that the company received continual enquiries for details of the system,
how it was manufactured and fitted, and indeed confirmation of it efficacy.
To relieve the pressure, Parker-Hale prepared an advertorial for publishing in "The Rifleman",
the monthly national journal of the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs.
This was a five-part series that appeared each month starting in December 1934.
We have managed to locate the relevant five copies of the journal, and reproduce the whole article here.
It is in the form of a searchable flip-page facsimile of the document, which may take a few moments to display.