Restoration

[Bird Dog]

I have a 1909, Grade DH, 1 1/2 frame, 4 weight barrels, titanic steel Parker that I purchased from a friends family when he passed away. I got this info by running the serial number on this parkerguns web page - thanks!

It is in overall good shape. Only minor scrapes in wood and no cracks. It opens and closes like a vault. There is a small ding on one of the barrels, the bluing is mostly gone and it has been shortened a few inches. I was offered $1,000 by a Cabelas rep. I did call someone from this site last year before buying and he thought that based on the condition it could be worth more like $1500 as is. I decided to buy it as it is a nice conversation piece and has some sentimental value.

I was thinking of getting it reblued and the ding taken out. I don't want to put alot of money into it to exceed its value, but I think rebluing would be nice. Any idea what this would cost? Anyone have any recomendations on a gunsmith in the Allentown, PA area?

Also if anyone has an idea if $1500 is a reasonable value, please let me know

Here are some pics.

Thanks!

Lee

[Bird Dog]

Some more pics

[Mills]

Looks like the barrels may have been cut, which hurts the monetary value, if not really the shooting value. Hard to say what it is worth, but safe to say more than Cabela's offered.

[OH Osthaus]

the barrels have been cut - if you give us the serial number we may be able to tell you by how much. I wonder if any choke remains

if you are going to put any money into it, I would check to see if the keels can be replaced, or the ends filled to both make it look better and keep moisture out

[Kensal Rise]

The gun looks VERY nice as is. The blue from your pics isn't bad. I'd leave that as is. Any reblack would destroy it's history. I'd have the dent removed and the muzzle gaps filled. Also the chokes measured. Even Cyl. & Cyl. isn't terrible.

Otherwise you have a very fine DH. Well worth preserving... NOT restoring.

Get a GOOD shop to do the work, too. Del Grego is not that far away. Whatever you do, don't take it to the local "black rifle" gunsmith.

I'd estimate value well above $1500... so Cabela's is not an option.

[Ed Blake]

I would not do a thing to it except take the dent out. The keels are gone but the barrels appear to still be touching, so they were not cut by much. Personally I don't buy guns with cut barrels and $1500 would be about the limit I would go. It's in very nice shape and has value despite the barrels.

[Bird Dog]

Thanks for the all the responses. I think I'll just look to take the dent out for now and clean/preserve it!

I am going to pay the $40 to have the factory records sent to me. I assume that would let me know the original length of the barrels. Not sure when or why it was shortened - maybe to open the choke up a long time ago? I'm curious to see if the original purchase was made by the family I bought it from.

[Pa SxS]

I'm planning on being at Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays in Coplay Pa tomorrow. If you want to, bring your gun along. I can check your chokes for you. If you post or PM your S/N, I could bring your letter along with me and give it to you. Bring along a check for $40 made out to PGCA.

[B. Dudley]

That dent can be taken out without having to reblue. Bluing really is not in very bad shape. Some marks will remain on the outside where the dent was since the metal does look marred up there. The only way to get rid of those marks is to strike that area and reblue. But the condition of the rest of the barrels does not really warrant all that work.

[Sam Ogle]

Cabelas are not trying to cheat you: They buy guns for one reason only: To SELL.
They have to make a profit, as all businesses do.
Were I working in a Cabelas store bidding on that gun, $1,500 would be a generous
offer. That's more full retail price. It's a nice gun, but the cut barrels would run buyers off, and along with the dent in the barrel would make a profit on that gun a tough go.
Sam Ogle