New Member with first Parker

[Jay Oliver]

Hello Everyone,

My name is Jay, and I am a new member and have really enjoyed learning about Parkers on the forum and website. I live in North Carolina and am happy to be a new member of PGCA.

I just bought my first Parker 2 weeks ago. It is a 1901 GH 12 gauge with 28” Damascus barrels M/F on a #1 frame, SN#104209. The gun is in very nice shape. Most of the case coloring is gone, but every screw looks unturned, a few small scratches on the barrels and stock, nothing major. A beautiful gun and I love it! I have already sent off for the Parker letter.

I couldn’t wait to shoot it and put a box of RST low pressure shells through it shooting clays. The gun performed flawlessly, though I need some practice getting used to the full choke(I can work on that). After I got home from shooting I notice a small piece/chip of wood missing by the butt plate. I went back and tried to find it but no luck and I knew the odds were slim to none. Please see pictures below.

This is something I would like to get fixed. In the second picture you can see the rest of the stock is in good shape. I wish I could let it go, put some oil/finish on the exposed wood and forget about it…but I don’t think I can. The rest of gun is too nice in my opinion not to fix it. However, if everyone says let it go and enjoy the gun I'll understand. This is something I would not take on myself. I have seen some good examples on the forum of stocks that have been refinished.

Any recommendations? I am leaning towards shooting it over the next couple of months and then having the stock and forearm professionally refinished and recheckered over the summer(when I am fishing mode). I would leave the rest of the gun as is. Any thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated. This forum is a great resource and I am glad to be a new member.

I have been so impressed with my first Parker that I know it won’t be my last.

Thank you,
Jay

[Hammer Gun]

Jay, I would not refinish the gun nor recheck it, I would just get the repair done and enjoy what looks to me to be a nice gun, congrats on your find, I am sure a few PGCA members can do that repair for you two come to mind, Chris Dawe, or Brian Dudley, Gary

[wayne goerres]

I agree completely. If the rest of the gun looks like the pics. than you have a really nice gun. I would leave it alone.

[Dean Romig]

Fix the chip only (or don't fix it at all). GH Parkers with wood in that original condition are few and far between.

[Jay Oliver]

Thanks for the welcome and the advice. I honestly thought that to fix a chip like that you would have to re-do the entire stock or should to make the repair blend in. That's good news! If it really is that "simple" I will definitely get it fixed.

I should also add that this is usually my kind of luck when a get something new or at least new to me. Somehow or another...my fault or not...there is evidence of my ownership. I have accepted that though and am happy this repair will not be as involved as I had originally thought.

Thanks,

Jay

[OH Osthaus]

If that toe chip came off while shooting RSTs
And it was not dropped or bumped into something hard

The chip was broken already, it just decided to fall off because it was being handled.

[Jay Oliver]

I contacted Brian Dudley and will be sending him the gun on Monday. Thanks for all of the replies and suggestions!

Jay