the silent auction 8 ga

[charlie cleveland]

as most of us know there was a 8 ga parker in the silent auction ...well MILLS won that auction...as most know this gun was in the worst shape a parker could get in...it hadmore wiggle in it than a red worm trying to be threaded on a hook...seriosly there was a 3/16 gap between the barrel and breech face...there was a bent loop made out of 1/2 wide steel band that slipped on the barrels and down to the britch to keep the gun from opening...the gun would open and closed but there was very much play side to side...the barrels were so rusty you could not force a shell into the barrels...i would safely say this gun had not been fired in90years or better...you just cant imagine how this old gun was treated and abused...the stock has lots of breaks in it...a sheet of copper was used with nails and srews to strenthen the stock then they took copper wire and wrapped it around the copper patch and stock. then they silver soilder that wire all over.. it made for a very unusal patch but a strong one...surprizingly the hammers and firing pins worked pretty good... the barrels were 34 inch when they left the factory but are now 27 inches...the top rib has been replaced with a half inch tall piece of iron bar stock and has at least 2 lbs of silver soilder on the top rib and bottom of barrels.. the bottom of the barrels were the barrel latch is located had 1/4 inch of slack in it the weld had broke loose... MILLSwas really happy with this gun and was going to try and get it in shooting shape so he carried it down to DARLINGTON GUN WORKS AND THEY TOLD HIM IT WAS NOT WORTH FIXING...ANDi guess they were right money wise...so i had asked MILLS about the gun and he let me have the gun...... so i m gonna try to fix it.... charlie

[OH Osthaus]

way to go Charlie

pictures as you go please

[charlie cleveland]

well after breakfast i grabbed the old 8 ga fishtail and went to the shop...i first broke the gun down...the barrel latch and the ejectors would move 1/4 inch they just slid back and forth on the barrels...i lined them up and center punched them then i welded them in place...then after about 2hours of filing and fitting they were back in good shape...next i worked on getting shells to go into the barrels okthis was another hour....i then cleaned out the barrels with a 10 ga copper brush...30 minutes doing this i then fitted paper shims to the barrel lugs and the forearm musta took an hour doing this...i know metal shims will soon be put there...i then loaded the hulls and fired them 3 times each in the barrels...i had a problem with the ls fireing pin sticking in the primer but soon had that fixed...well i deemed the barrels plenth thick and safe to try and shoot...i used tripple 7 a black powder substitute...first i started out with 30 grains shgot ok but like shooting a 22 no recoil..i then upped it to forty grains and a 1 1/4 ounce of bb shot...set up can at 35 steps the old gun really rolled that can...next i upped the powder to 50 grains and 1 1/4 ounce of bbs.... had a old mailbox so uesd it as a target at 35 steps...manif that had a been a turkey it woulda been all over for him....put those bbs thru and thru that mailbox... still got a lot of work to do to it but hay ive brught back another old parker from the grave... and its a 8 ga to boot... more as progress lets me... charlie

[Bill Murphy]

I've seen the gun and Charlie's description was benign. It is much worse. However, if someone would be interested in a Test Fire with the replacement breeching mechanism in place, I would be willing to conduct the test fire and get a video to prove that such a gun could be safely fired. Let me know. I have the ammunition for a Sherman Bell type test but not to the level of destruction. My opinion is that this gun, if brought up to a level of fairly close headspace, would survive testing. What a video to show at a PGCA annual meeting.

[Mills]

Charlie reports that the gun is back on face and has been fired without the loss of any bodily parts. In fact, it is on schedule for another test fire.

[Mike Franzen]

Is this the 8 gauge wreck that was on Gunbroker a couple years ago?

[charlie cleveland]

it is the same gun.got given to the pga some way...they put it in the silent auction and MILLS won it and let me have it...sure wish i hada kept up with who first had this gun woulda liked to know some of its life history... charlie

[Mike Franzen]

I bid $600 on the gun and was high bidder. Never could get a reply from the seller about buying it. I might have some info from that auction. If I can find it I'll pass it on if you like.

[Mills]

I am sure the turkeys and deer are less excited about this than we are.

[Bill Zachow]

Charlie, you da man!!!!!