Gun Won't Open

[Harry Collins]

I appreciate all the kind words of encouragement and advice. Believe me I tried it all and now know three dozen ways not to do it. The stock, I believe, is original to the gun as the serial numbers are under the trigger guard bow and it looks like Parker inletting. There is darkness from oil, but it does not show through and the wood is not punk. Here is what I did:
1) Reversed the trigger spring to push the triggers forward
2) Rounded the front of the Safety Tab
3) Backed the front tang screw sleeve out a half turn to index the screw (it was 1/4 turn past center)
Again thanks to all for sharing your experience and knowledge.
Harry

[Southpaw]

Harry, did that all work. BTW all my family is from Winchester and Richmond.

[Harry Collins]

Todd, it did indeed work. I'm shooting wobble trap this afternoon with the owner of the gun. I have way too much time in this gun. I thought It would be an hours work and he could have the gun back the next day. Like most everything else I've tried it just didn't turn out as I had expected. We agreed beforehand that if I couldn't fix it he would send it off to be fixed. I'll find out soon. Do you ever come this way to visit?
Harry

[Southpaw]

Its been a few years. All grandparents have passed and still have relatives in that area and some family land but nothing big and uncles and cousins that still live in that area sort of take it on. Everyone is spread out and I live in Atlanta, but deep down that is home since born there and those are my roots. Both sides of family date back in that area from early to mid 1800's that much I know and I think some on maternal side go back to 1700's. Lord I could go on and on about stories in that area. As a kid spent a lot time there around Xmas so we would go bang around hunting quail mostly in the Richmond area on mother's side of family that had a couple of hundred acre farm that attached to other relatives and close friends of family property. Those days hunting around there are sadly over.

Go drink a cold Ale8 for me and shoot that gun, if you happen to mix with it with a little bourbon afterward, even better, can't get more kentucky then that. BTW I was at the Greenbrier resort a year or so ago and they claimed to be place that invented the mint julep and won't argue it but I still have my wild mint growing that I got from the farm along the creek from Richmond, I think it makes the best julep. I don't care what bourbon you prefer in a julep but if you don't use the right mint as intended, it's just not right.

[Ruff Hunter]

I would have glass bedded the action with the tang screw backed off to the point where everything worked fine, thereby reestablishing the original stock dimensions. Since I have not read otherwise, I am under the impression that the action and the wood surfaces are still properly mated when the tang screw is loosened. Then obtain a replacement tang screw from CSMC and fit it to the action so it would be both tight and properly indexed. From what I am reading, it seems like that would have solved the problem without reversing springs or filing triggers.

[J. A. EARLY]

Originally Posted by Harry Collins

The gun was sent a shop to be tightened up after purchase. When my friend received it it would double when the rear trigger was pulled first due to the weak sear spring. I do have the top tang screw indexing. The last time I took it apart I looked for places on the stock where things might be galled or rubbed. No dice. I think I've narrowed it down to the Safety. When both hammers are released the Safety can not be returned to Safe. I can do that with other Parkers. I'll let you know.

Harry

Harry,

I am sorry I gave the advice to reverse the trigger spring which I knew would work to allow the safety to reset and the gun to open. The smith who cranked the screws down so much that the wood was compressed probably created a hair-trigger on the front trigger, thus with a front trigger that was now pressing the sear, when the rear trigger was pulled on a loaded gun the barely engaging right barrel sear released. He obviously did not test fire the gun. Otherwise he would not have sent it out to possibly kill someone.

I know you did not over tighten as the "smith" did, so now with the spring reversed you should feel a little slack, which was not there before.

One thing that was not in the equation was if it was a replacement trigger, which had not been fitted to the gun. Slack between the triggers and the sears with the trigger spring reversed is not a bad thing. Obviously not the original design. No slack and pressing on the sears as you already know was bad. Hopefully there is now slack in the triggers.

I'll keep my useless advice to myself in the future when someone asks about a problem I have seen and leave it to the experts here. If it continues to double the sear/hammer mating may need to be recut. Very dangerous as we all know. Free advice is only worth what you pay for it and I regret posting.

[Southpaw]

[QUOTE=Jerry Harlow;236271



I'll keep my useless advice to myself in the future when someone asks about a problem I have seen and leave it to the experts here. If it continues to double the sear/hammer mating may need to be recut. Very dangerous as we all know. Free advice is only worth what you pay for it and I regret posting.[/QUOTE]

Jerry,

I am new to this forum, but as I understand how forums are suppose to work it's based on communication of ideas and opinions. I don't think you have anything to apologize for at all. I for one have appreciated your posts, your views, ideas and you honestly tried to help with someone that was having a problem that was asking for ideas. I actually think Harry tried what you said and he said it worked and he was going to try it with live rounds yesterday afternoon. Hopefully he reports back because I would like to know since still learning a great deal about these guns.

Keep up the good work. Btw sometimes printed words come across as harsh and critical especially in quickly worded posts. Sometimes messages can be sent in a way similar to beer muscles and no way would someone comment that way to your face.

You are obviously a conscientious man to even post a second guess of your thought and as I am just someone from the peanut gallery I would like to Thank You and others that take time to share their advice, opinions and knowledge, there should never be any problem or censorship of that ever. I think that is cannon of American Society we seem to be loosing our way on and it starts in nooks and cranny's of our psyche, even in places like this forum.

BTW since its President's Day will share one of my all time favorite passages and wish Americans today could embrace some of these words and take them to heed.

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Teddy Roosevelt, April, 1910- Heyday of when Parker Guns were in production by a man that appreciated fine guns. Most of the fellas and ladies that are on this forum are learned people that are familiar with this quote so will spare you the larger context what was intended in Teddy's parody.

Okay stepping off my soapbox now.

[Harry Collins]

Sadly the shoot was called off and we didn't get to test the Parker Sunday. I have to go to the VA this afternoon and afterward I will go to my tool & die man to find the thread on the rear tang screw. He may have one lying around. Justin and I were thinking the same thing on this.

Harry