This is normal for any gun other than a Trojan that has had any real shooting and use. The Parker style forend does not compensate for wear at all so, once there is any it will cause the loose on the hook when open.
Graded Fox guns will do the exact same thing. as the forend is of a similar design.
Parker Trojans and Fox Sterlingworth are not susceptible to this issue as they have spring loaded snap-on forends. The spring pressure maintains rearward pressure on the frame knuckle. Thus maintaining the tightness of the hook when open. Thought they are not as attractive, they really are a better design in this regard.
Other makers like Lefever built in adjustment that the gun owner could make with the turn of a screw. That is if the screw was not froze up.
If it really bugs you enough, it can be fixed by adding material to the back side of the forend lug either by soldering on a shim or welding and file fitting.
I have seen several examples of where the bottom side of the forend irons are staked just behind the lug slot in order to displace the metal forward towards the lug. This does work effectively as well. I am almost positive that the factory did this as I have seen it on WAY too many guns to be a coincidence.
James Hayes was at one time working on a spring loaded solution to this for graded guns. But it never got out of the prototype phase and implemented on graded guns. Only a form of it on the Trojans. I own the prototype gun that this feature was installed on by Hayes.
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B. Dudley
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