Here's a Trojan I just acquired...

[Walt Kowalski]

Looks to be not too bad except for some scratches and a chip on the butt plate...

[Walt Kowalski]

More wood

[Walt Kowalski]

By the way, what kind of wood is this? Did they use the same type on all Trojans?
Seems similar to mahogany (by the grain)

[Bill Murphy]

American Black Walnut

[Walt Kowalski]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

American Black Walnut

Ahhh walnut!
I should have known. Should refinish nicely!

[B. Dudley]

Yeah, that buttstock will clean up nicely. Will be a fine gun once put back together. And Yowsers, that rust is something else! Hopfully it has not done too much damage.

[Walt Kowalski]

Originally Posted by Brian Dudley

Yeah, that buttstock will clean up nicely. Will be a fine gun once put back together. And Yowsers, that rust is something else! Hopfully it has not done too much damage.

Thanks!
What method of "cleaning up" this stock would you recommend?
I have used Murphy's on it and nothing seemed to happen so it is fairly, clean, dirt-wise but I hate scratches on firearms...;o)
Do you thing sanding and actually, refinishing is the way to go, or leave it as is and just use it?
I am also thinking about sending it somewhere to have a professional job done with some rust bluing of the barrels and maybe some case coloring done (nothing too costly but I will spend some reasonable $$. I have most of the rust eliminated already and it looks decent. Need a professional opinion, though, to take it further to "shooter" status...

[Dean Romig]

Do NOT sand it. Use a solvent to remove the old finish if you want to refinish it. Recut the checkering if you wish but do it correctly. When it is just how you want it then apply the finish, be it a nice oil finish or shellac or French polish.

[J.B. Books]

It's your gun, do as you please. A Trojan is a fine gun but few are collectors pieces. Know that what you spend on restoring will not be returned if you sell it. You have a nice gun but there is nothing unique about it (I do not mean that to be an insult). There are two schools of thought, leave as is or restore (not refinish). Sometimes people do partial restorations to replace what is broken, such as barrels worn silver, checkering worn smooth. Some think recasing is risky, warping a frame. Fresh case colors look nice, they are expensive and they start to wear almost immediately. If you decide to restore start slow, do one thing at a time. Perhaps a barrel brown, and or a freshening up of the checkering. Looks like the toe of the stock is chipped, perhaps add a period correct pad and change the LOP to what you want. I have some orginal guns myself, I have had a gun fully restored and others partially restored. It's all been part of Parker collecting and shooting tuition. Going forward I will probably only do partial restoration of guns that I plan to keep and shoot, I doubt I would ever recase a gun again. Refinishing barrels, freshening up checkering and cleaning up boogered screws gives the best bang for the buck on making a badly worn or abused Parker pop.

[Walt Kowalski]

Originally Posted by Pete Lester

It's your gun, do as you please. A Trojan is a fine gun but few are collectors pieces. Know that what you spend on restoring will not be returned if you sell it. You have a nice gun but there is nothing unique about it (I do not mean that to be an insult). There are two schools of thought, leave as is or restore (not refinish). Sometimes people do partial restorations to replace what is broken, such as barrels worn silver, checkering worn smooth. Some think recasing is risky, warping a frame. Fresh case colors look nice, they are expensive and they start to wear almost immediately. If you decide to restore start slow, do one thing at a time. Perhaps a barrel brown, and or a freshening up of the checkering. Looks like the toe of the stock is chipped, perhaps add a period correct pad and change the LOP to what you want. I have some orginal guns myself, I have had a gun fully restored and others partially restored. It's all been part of Parker collecting and shooting tuition. Going forward I will probably only do partial restoration of guns that I plan to keep and shoot, I doubt I would ever recase a gun again. Refinishing barrels, freshening up checkering and cleaning up boogered screws gives the best bang for the buck on making a badly worn or abused Parker pop.

Thanks...good advice! This Parker will not be sold in my lifetime, I can assure that!
What happens after I'm scattered to the four winds is anyone's guess but my last will and testament will say that my guns will be taken care of for sure...