Grade 2 lifter 16818 from storage

[tom tutwiler]

Morning all,

Because I'm fed up with snow and because I just got a new gunsafe, I dug out a lifter I'd purchased about 8 years ago as a wall hangar. Got it from Texas and it had a crack in the stock next to the receiver and also a cracked breachbolt. After receiving it, I decided to send it to Bill Schwarz (probably spelling it wrong) in Ga to repair the crack and make a new breachbolt and do nothing else. Wall hanger it was. When I got it, I had noticed some pretty significant pits in the bore and a pretty good ding about 4" from the end of the right barrel. Gun wasn't tight, but wasn't too loose. Anyway, I got the gun back and cleaned up the barrels a bit and put it away. Well this morning I dug her out (to put in the gunsafe) and decided to actually look her over and also to take a few measurements. First off, accordingly to the s/n book she left the factory in 1879 as a D2 10 gauge with 32" barrels and that's what she currently is. She tips (literally) the scales at 10 lbs 3 oz. on her number 3 frame. Barrels are marked with a D and a H, and 5 12 and they actually ring like they are supposed to. LOP is 14 1/4" to the steel buttplate with a 2 3/4" DAH. Checked the chambers and they are indeed still 2 7/8". Bore diameters measure are .788. I checked the outside diameters of the barrels with my digital caliper and at 4" from the breech they are both 1.094. Narrowest of the barrels is .900 and that is 28" down the barrels. Anyway, far from perfect, but taking the outside diameter and subtracting the inside diameter and dividing by 2 would indicate that the min barrel wall thickness (not counting pits) is circa .055 28" down from the breech. At the end of the chamber's, the barrel wall thickness appears to be .163. Anyway, in theory at least, the bores could be honed quite a bit and still have enough barrel thickness to shoot light (RST type) loads. Anyway, I think this might have the potential of being shot, after of course I get someone to look her over a bit more then I have. Also, a few pictures: PS. This gun has really nice wood. What checkering she did have is just about gone from being over 130 years old. PS. Both choke are 20 thousands. With backboring to clean up the bores, they would certainly tighter up a ton.

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[Paul Harm]

Looks like a shooter to me. I've got some that look a lot worst that I shoot all the time. Couple of pits won't hurt anything. Paul

[Bob Brown]

I'd have it checked out then shoot the heck out of it. I picked up a similar one a few months ago. #18502, D2, 32", 3 frame 10 gauge with a capped pistol grip. I bought it without having seen it. It has a different set of problems. The bores are excellent and I don't think they have been messed with. Unfortunately someone thought a nice hot blue would look good. Separated ribs and the forend loop appears to be held on by epoxy. The things people did to these fine old guns! Oh yeah, the lifter looks like it had broken and a straight piece of steel welded on. Still, it's the only lifter I've ever seen and interesting none the less.

[Russ Jackson]

OK Guys ,For you all more knowledgeable than I , I always understood Only the #3 Grade " D " Grade Hammer Guns and up had the filed Barrel Bolsters ,Toms gun has the filed bolsters and it is listed as a # 2 , Could this be a special order ,or a Grade 3 without the Game scene engraving ? So much to learn and so little time !

[Bob Brown]

The bolsters look just like on my D2.

[Harry Collins]

Tom,

Try a brass shim on the hinge pin to tighten it up. I would do nothing more than remove the dent in the barrel. .020 constriction is just about perfect with lead for upland birds and non tox shot (NiceShot) shoots best out of less constriction than more. I have three 10 gauge Parkers. One Twist and the others Damascus and I shoot them all with RST and Sherman Bell' loads.
You have a wonderful shooter that's begging to go afield.

Kindest, Harry

[tom tutwiler]

Thanks folks. Interesting old gun for sure. Regarding tightening it up, just for fun I took one of those metallic address label's you get when you give to a charity (my wife gives to lots of them) and cleaned the hook with alcohol and then peeled and stuck the label (cut to the hook size) to the hook. Goodness gracious, that little bit (maybe .008 in thickness) tightened the old girl up like a vise. Even the forearm which was a tad loose before is now tight against the action and barrels. Would by chance that work well enough to give her a go?

[Jeff Kuss]

Here is a grade three bolster.

[Russ Jackson]

I don't know why ,I was thinking the Bolsters were rounded looking down on the standing breach ,I don't own a grade 1 or a grade 2 Hammer gun ,so I am really not familiar !

[Paul Harm]

Yes that would be ok to give her a go. Some of mine only took .0015 to .002 to make tight again. Your fix may wear out quickly, but good enough to try. Paul

[Kurt Densmore]

The breech balls on grade 2 top lever hammer guns are not sculpted.........that is probably where the confusion lies. Any of the grade 2 lifters I have seen have the sculpted breech balls. I have also seen one listed as a grade 1 with twist bbls with sculpted breech balls. As you can see by the photo, the grade 3 sculpting is a little nicer.

After putting the foil shim in place grease it good and it will proably last a long time. I often time use a layer of clear packing tape on the hook. Clean the hook with a degreaser and apply the packing tape in layers until it is tight. Trim with a razor blade and make sure to grease it and it will last a long time. They are a lot of fun to shoot clays with and hunt with. Load up some black powder loads you will get lots of attention at the club... some of the old tight choked guns are great for the Annie Oakley shoot....I can usually keep up with the guys that have single barrel trap guns.

If the gun is tight, on face and not pitted terribly bad it is certainly a shooter.....looks nice and honest.

Kurt

[Russ Jackson]

Kurt; This gun is a Grade 3 Top Lever,looking down from the top ,it appears almost the same, this is what I was seeing and asking about ,but as you say in the second Pic. the side has a little more sculpting ! Thanks for the post .

[Robin Lewis]

If you go to the Parker Grades page and look at the pictures it should answer your questions. The pictures come up small but if you click on any of them they will increase in size and should give you a good view.