Another new guy
 

I recently was handed down my grand-father's grand-father's shotgun. Serial 9784, which as far as I can tell should be 1877. 12ga hammer lifter with damascus barrels. Again as far as I can tell it appears to be a grade 2. It's in decent-ish shape except it seems to have a couple of broken springs; the left hammer has no spring to it at all, and the right firing pin doesn't seem quite right. Does anybody reproduce the springs for these things? I haven't actually taken it apart yet to fully survey the extent of the issues. I'll get some pictures up once I take some.

Oh and I guess about me. I live in SW Michigan. Besides the Parker pretty much everything else I have is fairly modern, mostly WW2 era or later.

Welcome Jeff.
There are people here who can make and install replacement springs for your heirloom Parker.
Me. Tom Carter can make correct screws and Mr. Dave can make replacement firing pins.

Welcome Jeff

we would like to see pictures -

for an evaluation of repairs

Brad Bachelder is a respected doubles gun smith in Grand Rapids

http://www.mastergunmakers.com/

And you might also contact Brian Dudley via PM on this board or http://bmdgunstocks.com/

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you guys
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...psueehmi7l.jpg
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...pswpa1y0w0.jpg
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...psbltgyefr.jpg
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...pspqfsn2pw.jpg
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u...psp3ycemid.jpg

someone in the family, my father I think, took it apart at some point to diagnose the issues, since when I took the lock assemblies off today, the left locks mainspring was missing entirely. (you can see the pin hole is empty in the pics I posted) If you want more detailed pictures of anything in particular I'll try to get some, but I'm dealing with a point and shoot camera.
As you can see the wood is pretty good. It spent many a year wall-hanging, but i think she could have a few more "bangs" in her.

That is a very nice, well cared-for Grade 2. If the bores are good it should have a few more lifetimes of "bangs" left in it.
Bring it to Bachelder's in Grand Rapids for that missing spring and a safety check.





.

Yeah, I'll have to make a trip up to Grand Rapids I guess. I'm in Kalamazoo, so that isn't a long trip. She is a pretty thing. My only SxS actually, I don't own a modern one. I'm honestly astonished at the wood looking so good, I almost feel like there had to have been a refinish if not a re-stock somewhere along the lines. The wood does look generally right for a grade 2 of that era though. And the engraving, it seems like early mid-grade lifters didn't have birds and dogs but instead just scroll-work, right? From what I know of my ancestors, it being ordered with all the functional upgrades but not a lot of pretty makes sense. I do know that my Great-Great-Grandfather was missing his right thumb, the whole reason he ordered a Parker Lifter in the first place, or so says the story. My 95 YO grandfather is the oldest left and some of his stories of this gun are from his child-hood...