Parker Hale M85 Serial Number Checks & Provenance on Manufacture (Records)

[Lee Enfield]

Sadly none.

Well, that certainly implies that the m84/86/87 actions are all numbered together - and also implies a much lower production total than expected.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Gil Boyd]

I think you could allude to that, and not be far off the truth. I am continually amazed at the way the company was run...........and so may I add, do the people that worked there to, it was all over the place!!!

The only rational piece of judgement seems to have come from the renumbering and re modelling on the C3A1 order from Canada!!!

[Gil Boyd]

I will give you what I can see under what groups of models I have. For completeness I copied them accurately from the actual records presented to me by Bill/Eddie and others as PH had finished trading. These were their records of rifles they handled and worked on, so not as complete, but pretty close to reality looking closely at EXCEL sheets, which does your eyes in...........how accountants can do this all day I'll never know lol

M84 - S/N 01596J - 02036J
M85 - S/N 00101F - 00458F
M86 - S/N 01762C - 02260C
M87 - S/N 01763C - 02115C ONLY 30 RECORDED

The time each developed stretched all over the place and the last entry above shows just how out of numerical sequencing the whole process was, except for the M85 and the C3A1 rifles where a numerical sequence was followed to a point.............the company needed a good ex RSM to run the numbering process.

That was hard work and took a few hours so please don't ask for the world on your next traunch of questions!!!

[Nigel]

M85 - S/N 00101F - 00458F

Gill
Thanks for doing all that hard work. Hopefully I've got this right but for the M85 does this mean a total production of 357 ?
Nigel

[Promo]

Gil, as you had requested to be posted in public: any records on TX1200 / M82 Serial Z-59235? If not, any records for the same serial with F or R prefix? Thank you!

[Gil Boyd]

Promo,

Sadly nothing listed at all under any of the prefixes on that number. Without the previous numbers of the C3A1 project it could of course have been one of those destined for the upgrade!

Reason we decided on the open policy on search of Parker Hale records was, several potential buyers/sellers in the past, some who clearly only came onto Milsurps the one time and then dissapeared were asking the same questions as our members trying to beat each other bidder/seller to the post.
Begging the question who was selling the original rifle, so we ask for a more transparent approach in future.
Gil

[Lee Enfield]

Gil, as you had requested to be posted in public: any records on TX1200 / M82 Serial Z-59235? If not, any records for the same serial with F or R prefix? Thank you!

Hello Promo,
I recently ran across a Parker Hale 1200 rifle stated to be marked as Canadian Centennial "1867-1967"

serial numbers for these guns so far:
Z-28507 "100 Years Canada 1867-1967" (I've got pics of the marking)
Z-273-- "Canadian Centennial "1867-1967"
Parker Hale | The Firearms Forum

[Gil Boyd]

Nigel,
As these were the only records that survived that I hold from Eddie Taff and Bill Smallwood, I would have to hazard a fairly reliable guess, and I appreciate for histories correctness, that there has to have been more M85's manufactured as it was a very good seller for PH. Had they won the MOD contract which the L96 finally did, with the M85 coming second, we would probably have had a more reliable number because the company probably would have survived!!!

[blurrededge]

Hi Gill,
I may have the chance of acquiring an M85, I'd just like to check if you have any info on it please. the serial No is 00340F

Thanks

[desperatedan]

Hi Gill,
I may have the chance of acquiring an M85, I'd just like to check if you have any info on it please. the serial No is 00340F

Thanks

Without wishing to pre-empt a reply from Gil, if you use the search function here you can find previous info on such things - see post numbers 207 and 208 on this page https://www.milsurps.com/showthread....47454&p=426658

Hope this helps as a start!