In addition to being more lavishly engraved and checkered than the A1 Special, the characteristic Parker recessed hinge pin is not present. There are gold birds inlayed on the sides and bottom of the frame, combined with fine scroll engraving. Unique to the Invincible, the frame has barrel side clips on the bolsters and was rebated so the stock fit behind the frame to prohibit splitting of the stock head. The checkering and engraving patterns are superbly executed.

Invincible serial number 230329 is a 16 ga. and the others are 12 ga.

There were three Invincible Parkers produced.

The "Quality A. No. 1 Special" was introduce around 1907. Its price at that time was $500, a very handsome sum at the time.

The A1S has extensive engraving and checkering, it has a gold shield and gold grip cap as well as gold plated triggers. There are three or four extra beads around the bolsters on the frame. On many A1 Specials, the inside surfaces of the water table, the standing breach and barrel flats, will display an engine turning finish.

The stocks were made of the finest Circassian walnut which was dense enough to allow the very fine checkering done at about 32 lines per inch.

The barrels are marked on the top rib indicating the quality of the steel used at the time. Only the finest Whitworth steel was used on the earliest A1 Special guns produced and in later years, Peerless Steel was used. Ejectors were standard on the A1 Special.

The quality of workmanship was superb, wood to metal fit and engraving richly enhanced the graceful lines that made it so pleasing to the eye. The balance was, as with all Parkers, centered for comfort and ease of use.

There were approximately 79 A1 Specials produced.

The Grade 7, is also called the AA grade. Most were hammerless and in that case an 'H' was added to the name; the 'H' stands for hammerless. An 'E' (AAHE) is added to the grade if the gun has ejectors. Early AAH guns were marked as "Pigeon Gun" on the top barrel rib. The first AA was seen about 1895 and at that time, it was Parkers highest grade. It sold for $400 and in 1895, it was a very expensive item.

The early AA guns engraving tended to be deep chisel but later the engraving became lighter in style; although both were elegantly done by the best engravers of the time. The stocks were made of the finest Circassian walnut which was dense enough to allow the very fine checkering at about thirty lines per inch. The stock has a gold shield and gold pistol grip cap. Stocks were fitted with a skeleton butt plate as standard but recoil pads were an option. The barrels were made of the finest Damascus steel or Whitworth fluid steel. The hammer gun barrel bolsters have the characteristic teardrop sculpture and hammerless guns have one or two extra beads around the barrel bolsters.  Ejectors were a standard option found on the AAH grade.

The AA grade was intended to appeal to the pigeon shooters of that era.

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The Grade 6 grade was introduced about 1875 and at the time was the highest grade produced. It was initially sold for $300 (the $250 and $300 Dollar grade).

The barrels were made of the finest Damascus steel and later were available also with Acme fluid steel barrels. The hammer gun barrel bolsters have the characteristic teardrop sculpture and some hammerless guns have a single bead around the barrel bolsters. The stock is the finest English or Circassian walnut, highly figured with a gold shield and gold pistol grip cap. The stock is elegantly checkered and has fleur-de-lis carved side panels. Stocks were fitted with a skeleton butt plate as standard but recoil pads were an option. The engraving is of the finest quality and dogs or game scenes are a standard motif.

Ejectors were a common option found on Grade 6 hammerless guns, which would make the grade designation AHE.

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The stock was made of the finest Circassian walnut and adorned with fine checkering, a checkered side panels with carved fleur-de-lis. It had a gold shield and gold pistol grip cap. Stocks were fitted with a skeleton butt plate as standard but recoil pads were an option. The barrels were of Extra Fine Damascus and later, when available, Titanic and Acme barrels were offered. The hammer gun barrel bolsters have the characteristic teardrop sculpture and some hammerless guns have a single bead around the barrel bolsters.

The grade 5 was strictly a custom ordered gun.

Ejectors were a common option found on Grade 5 hammerless guns, which would make the grade BHE.

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The barrels were mostly made of Bernard steel but some were made with Damascus until some years later when Acme steel was offered. The stock was of Circassian walnut and had more figure than that used on the Grade 3; with a silver shield and silver pistol grip cap. Stocks were fitted with a skeleton butt plate as standard but recoil pads were an option. The checkering was fine and deep, at about twenty-four lines to the inch but it was less ornate in design than the higher grade Parkers. The stock side panels were sometimes checkered and they have angular points. The engraving is similar to the lower grade 3 with dogs and scroll work. The barrel bolsters on hammer guns were sculptured with an abbreviated teardrop bolster, unlike the full teardrop found on higher grades.

Ejectors were an option for CH Parkers. CH grades with ejectors are desirable to collectors and can add to their collector value.

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The DH had Damascus barrels until Titanic Steel barrels were offered as a popular option. The stock was made of Circassian walnut. The stock commonly has a silver shield behind the tang, nickel or silver plated triggers and spear-pointed extensions to the stock side panels. The checkering on the stock is more elaborate than lower grades and is a deep, twenty lines to the inch. Stocks were fitted with a skeleton butt plate as standard but recoil pads were an option. Dogs were almost always a feature of the engraving on the sides along with some extensive scroll work. Before 1897, almost all grade 3 guns had Damascus barrels and Titanic Steels after that date, that is, until the Acme Steel barrels were introduced.

The Grade 3 hammer gun was the lowest grade to have sculptured barrel bolsters.

Ejectors were an option for DH Parkers with ejectors (DHE) are desirable to collectors which can add to their collector value.

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It was a popular gun for the owner that wanted a gun with more adornment that the average gun and was willing to pay about $20 more for a gun that looked better and was well balanced. The Grade 2 had a higher quality of American walnut which has some figure.

Most Grade 2 guns have Damascus or Parker Special Steel barrels. They were significantly better engraved than the lower grade guns. Quail, ducks, snipe and woodcock are common figures in the engraving of the frame sides and bottom; the forend latch and screw heads are also engraved. The checkering was deeper and finer than lower grade Parkers. After about 1880, the hard rubber dogs head butt plate and a white metal shied behind the top tang became standard on the Grade 2. Because of the added embellishments, it was very popular with Parker customers.

Ejectors were an option on GH grade. These guns with ejectors (GHE) are desirable to collectors and can add as much as 50% to their collector value.

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The early grade 1 guns had English Twist barrels and in later years Twist Steel and Laminated Steel barrels were used. About 1917, Parker started using fluid steel barrels and marked the barrel ribs with Parker Steel. As can be seen by the production numbers, the Grade 1 guns did not sell as well as the higher priced Grade 2 or the lower priced Grade 0.

The characteristics between the Grade 0 and the Grade 1 were minimal, they had slightly better quality wood and a little additional engraving around the screw heads on the frame.

Ejectors were an option on PH grade. These guns with ejectors (PHE) are desirable to collectors and can add as much as 50% to their collector value.

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It had Decarbonized Steel barrels in the beginning and later used Plain Twist, Stub Twist or Plain Steel barrels. The early grade 0 guns were back action lifter guns and evolved into the front-action lifter. In 1899 the hammerless grade 0 , the VH, was introduced and it used Vulcan steel barrels. The grade 0 was the mainstay of Parker production and the fit and finish was excellent. They have little extra finish in the way of checkering or engraving and the wood used was plain, straight grain American walnut. The engraving was a simple border around the frame. The early guns had plain metal butt plates and later ones have hard rubber dogs head butt plates. The frame, forend iron and locks were casehardened.

Ejectors were an option on VH grade. These guns with ejectors (VHE) are desirable to collectors and can add as much as 50% to their collector value.

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To reduce costs even further, the latching system was changed and around 1920 the rib extension was eliminated. Engraving was nonexistent and the checkering patterns were simple and done in a course 12 lines to the inch. The Trojan frame is uncharacteristic of all the other grades and is surely done to further simplify production. Even the butt plate was changed to be less involved, dropping the traditional dogs head in favor of a straight, molded black plastic or rubber butt plate with only a few horizontal lines across it. The forend latch hardware was replaced by a simple internal spring latch and is removed by pulling on the top of the forend.

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This identification process isn't exact because the surviving records may have discounted prices listed and it makes accurate identification difficult and objective. Their were a few $300 guns listed but they remain elusive. The $250 guns are a treat to see and hold. They are finely engraved and the best materials of the day were used. Depending on the year produced a variety of sales prices were used, making identification even more difficult. The common range for dollar grade is $250 - $50.

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The Single Barrel Trap guns were introduced in 1917 and are designated by the letter S (single) followed but the standard Parker Grade designation. There have been no SBT guns cataloged in a grade lower than C. The SBT was introduced as an SC and sold for $150. The engraving and checkering qualities follow those of the double gun.

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In 1984, Winchester Arms revived the Parker gun but because Remington Arms held the rights to Parker, they labeled it "The Parker Reproduction by Winchester".  Originally introduced as a DHE grade, it was later expanded to BHE and A1 Special grades.  Production continued until the owners of the manufacturing company in Japan closed their doors in 1989.  Sales continued while supplies remained but that ended sometime around 1997.

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Charles Parker entered the gun business because of a demand created by the outbreak of the American Civil War.  It all started in 1861 when James Mulholland entered into a contract with "Parkers' Snow CO." to help fill an order for 50,000 Model 1861 rifled muskets.  Later, in 1862, the Parkers Snow CO contracted to produce 15,000 muskets.  Any Mulholland contract muskets found will have the date 1863 stamped on the lock-plate; those under the Parkers Snow contract are stamped 1864.

Muskets made under both contracts are marked "PARKERS' SNOW & CO, MERIDEN, CONN," on the lock-plate.  They have three barrel bands holding the forty inch, 58 caliber rifled barrels to the stock.  The metal has a bright finish.  The overall lenght of the musket is fifty-six inches.

Production numbers: Approximately 5,502 under Mulholland contract and 15,000 under Parkers Snow contract.