Parker-Hale .451 Three-Band Rifle……. (F 1131)

Parker-Hale Three-Band in .451 Muzzle-Loader

This is the one you want if your serious about shooting these front stuffers.  The attention to detail and finish is excellent – they have built a really solid, usable version of the old mainstay of the British Army from the Victorian period.  It is understood that these rifles were actually built on the original machinery used to build the rifles all those years agao.  Apparently, it was dug out of storage and to a certain degree, restored and re-used giving a very close to as possible rebuild of the original rifles.

The result is an imposing weapon with some considerable weight to it and a very fine treatment of the finish.  The action lock-plate and hammer have a vivid case colour hardend finished to them. Fully appreciating the damage the muzzle-loading propellnt and process can cause, Parker-Hale went a stage further and finished the barrels in a heavy duty black paint which was baked on and specialy formulated to resitist the corrosion associated with spent black powder.  The result stands here looking almost unused.  The conditon is excellent for both the metal-work and the woodwork.

This rifle has more of a feel of some of the early prize rifles in its solid build and finish.  It is a weighty piece and long, but all of that will soak up recoil.  Even the cleaning/loading rod is of a fairly heavy gauge and adds to the feel of the weapon.  Overall the rifle is 52″ long. The round black barrel is 36″ long to the hut face.  The trigger Pull is 14″ to centre.  Beautiful chequered walnut stock.  The barrel is marked along the top between the bands “PARKER-HALE LTD. BIRMINGHAM  ENGLAND”.  The superb vibrant lock plate carries a Royal Cypher behind the hammer, however underneath the crown are the letters “P – H” and in front of the hammer just simply “PARKER-HALE”.  Brass trigger guard and butt-plate.  Serial number “H 1098” on LHS of barrel.

Mounted in the normal position are the standard miltary ladder type rear sights.  The fron tsight has been replaced with a tunnel type target sight which takes different inserts.  Secured to the wrist upper is a long distance aperture type sight with ful graduation and adjustment in both planes.  One clever extra has been added somewhere along the line and that is a brass sheild about the percussion nipple – this shields the area around it from corrosive blast and has preserved the condition of the weapon considerably.  Multi-grove rifling in .451′ calibre.  These are known to be fiercely accurate for their class and good examples are dissappearing fast – to my horror I have even seen a de-activated example lately !!

If you want to shoot military muzzle loading this is the rifle to get.  Condition – Very fine.

FAC Required – Sock No’ F 1131

£ 1095.

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