Dissassembly Photos

[Brian Dudley]

I know there are dissassembly instructions in the FAQ section. But no photos. I just took apart a VH 12g. and I documented each step with photos.

Would there be any interest in me putting these into an album?

Maybe use the album photos as part of the FAQ section. ??

[Dave Suponski]

Brian, I think that would be a great idea. PM Robin Lewis and maybe he can help you put it on the FAQ.

[John Campbell]

Mr. Dudley:
Please do. It may save hundreds of Parkers the indignity of basement bodger gunsmithing! Please tell me your first photo is of properly fitting turnscrews!

Best, Kensal

[Brian Dudley]

Here is the link to my album of these pictures.

http://www.parkerguns.org/forums/album.php?albumid=307

The bit size photo is one of the first.

[Mike Phelps]

This was great, thank you!

[Jack Cronkhite]

Nice work Brian. For sake of clarity regarding the trigger plate screws, the one that is scored across the tip is the Left screw i.e. it is "supposed to be" on the same side of the gun as the left barrel. When removing, the mind can see it as the right side but I have to remind myself everything is "upside down" when removing them. In some earlier guns the rear center screw is the same length as the right and left. On those rear screws, there is a + scored on the tip. The unmarked short screw is "supposed to be" the right screw i.e. under the right barrel. All bets are off with non-original screws, so if all is properly indexed, I would place them individually into a pill bottle and mark the bottles. I've also learned to never say never and never say always but...

It is important to remove the plate as you describe using a dowel or nylon punch through the frame slot. I have seen messed up plates where someone tried to pry it off - ouch.

Figure 2 in this old instruction sheet I have, shows the dowel and where to insert. Maybe you could make one more pic, showing the dowel/tap method.
http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/cpg1410/albums/userpics/Parker002pgca.jpg

Thanks for your great work on this album

Cheers,
Jack

[Eric Eis]

This thread should be put in FAQ's

[Robin Lewis]

It will..... give me some time to work on it.

[Dean Romig]

Are ya done yet???

[Chuck Heald]

Along the same lines, I took a 1905 gun apart that looked like it was the first disassembly. This is why guns need a full disassembly, cleaning, and lube. Things were not working reliably.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c125/roaniecowpony/PICT0016.jpg

[Richard Flanders]

Chuck: That looks pretty normal to me and should clean up as good as new. Doesn't look to be much corrosion. I have some disassembly pics that are far worse than that! It's truly a wonder what the innards of these guns can digest and still function.

[Chuck Heald]

Richard,
Yes, it cleaned up fine, no corrosion as all of it was coagulated oils. It was as thick as tar in places. 100 yrs is too long for a strip and clean interval. This gun was malfunctioning from being gummed up.

[John Campbell]

Mr. Dudley:
Please consider one additional pic that would help prevent wood chips out of the stock head as the sear pin is removed:

As I've posted here before, a bungee cord (or surgical tubing) wrapped between the standing breech and buttplate will hold the action to the stock when the bottom plate is removed. This tension will allow removal of the sear pin and sears without allowing the action to bash around on the stock head and potentially chip off some of the old thin wood.

Once the pin and sears are out, remove the bungee cord and the action can be carefully taken from the stock. Safely as well.

Best, Kensal

[Dean Romig]

That's a great tip Kensal.

[Bill Murphy]

Supporting the stock with a bungee cord is a great idea. I do not have nearly enough hands to deal with sears and sear springs and pins while keeping the stock in place.

[Robin Lewis]

The pictures have been added to the FAQ section (#34) but without the bungee cord suggested.

[E Robert Fabian]

Another disassembly quick tip... take a pin that is a little smaller than the sear pin... I use a finish nail that has the point rounded of...after dry firing gun before disassembly drive sear pin out leaving smaller drift pin in when you get to removing sears just pull it out with your fingers this is also a big advantage assembling gun as you can push the smaller drift in while positioning sear with other hand when gun is back together just tap the sear pin back in driving the temp pin out.

[Richard Flanders]

Robert: That's exactly what I do. I use a slightly undersized piece of aluminum stick welding rod that is way over length and has one end bent into a circle for a handle and a bit of a taper ground on the other end. The tapered helps it go in during reassembly as you try to get it through the sears and the aluminum will not nick anything as you push it in and works very well.

[E Robert Fabian]

Takes the pain right out of it, you don't need three hands.

[Jerry Harlow]

I don't know if anyone else does but I have never seen this mentioned. Once the bottom plate is off and before one drives the sear pin out, to keep the stock head from flopping aroung I put the two stock through screws back in place. The under opening lever screw through the top of the tang will aid greatly and the bottom screw can be screwed back into the top tang.

[Brian Dudley]

The tieing back of the action and also the removal of the sear pin before trigger plate are both fine ideas by way of tips to make things easier.

The photos that I took and put up are simply a visual guide to help transfer woods to the hands/eyes that have to do the work. They outline the basic steps of the parts that are needed to be done. I could go into each variation of dissassembly, but it would not be completely required in my opinion.

[Brian Dudley]

Robin,

Thanks for putting it up in the FAQ's. It looks great. And good idea adding those additional tips on the bottom. I think all the bases are covered.

I do have a lifter to break down in the near future. So maybe we can do something similar for the hammer guns.

[Brian Dudley]

FYI,

I have also added a very comprehensive album on the dissassembly of a lifter hammer gun.

[LarryAngus]

Mr. Dudley:
Please consider one additional pic that would help prevent wood chips out of the stock head as the sear pin is removed:

As I've posted here before, a bungee cord (or surgical tubing) wrapped between the standing breech and buttplate will hold the action to the stock when the bottom plate is removed. This tension will allow removal of the sear pin and sears without allowing the action to bash around on the stock head and potentially chip off some of the old thin wood.

Once the pin and sears are out, remove the bungee cord and the action can be carefully taken from the stock. Safely as well.

Best, Kensal

Regarding the bungee. I am a novice with Parkers and soon learned that you need three hands to remove the sear pin with out wrecking the stock. I used a velcro strap, the kind you wrap around telecommunications cables (half inch wide, ten inches long). It worked great and was my "third" hand. The smaller line up "pin" was also very helpful. I went slow and was quite proud of myself since I did not have to go to my gunsmith and shamefully ask for help.:)

[Chuck Bishop]

The hardest part I've found in reassembling a Parker is compressing the one piece sear spring, then aligning the sears with the holes in the frame.

Has anyone designed a jig for keeping the springs compressed while putting the sears back in place? Is a jig possible to design to do this?

[Brian Dudley]

In my opinion, the older style 2pc. sear springs are harder to depress than the 1pc. style.

[John Campbell]

Chuck:
I will heartily second your position! Many in the US believe a gun ought to work :"til it don't" then take it to the gunsmith. Kind of like expecting your car to run "til she quits" with no maintenance and all the fluids the factory put in! (like my ex-wife thought)

Best, Kensal.