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John Mazza
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Posted: Fri Mar 27th, 2009 01:21 pm |
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Gentlemen: I have enjoyed a very well used ca. 1886 Parker hammergun for a few years now, and I just love it. However, the Parker bug has recently made me buy a ca. 1893 10 gauge EH hammerless that's in extremely nice condition.
Here's the question: The hammer gun's top lever does nothing but unlock the gun (right ?). The hammerless gun's top lever does more - it re-sets the safety, but does it do anything else ? (I assume that the act of lowering the barrels cocks the hammers - not the levering of the top lever...right ?) This new gun's safety seems to be a little "tight" in its action, and likewise, moving the top lever (with the safety off) takes some firm pressure. I am attributing this to the force needed to reset the safety. This gun is in really nice shape, could this tightness "lessen" with use, or is there a definite problem ?
Also, at times, when sliding the safety "off" or on, it seems to want to stop at an intermediate position (just covering the very bottom of the word "SAFE" engraved on the tang. This won't happen of you slide it briskly. Is this common ?
Other than that, this gun is amazing ! Again, coming from a hammer gun, I have little sense of what the top lever or safety is supposed to feel like/operate like.
Are these petty issues ?
Please let me know, as I still have 2 days left in the 3 day inspection period...
Thanks !!!!!
John
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Don Kaas
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Posted: Fri Mar 27th, 2009 02:29 pm |
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| Petty issues. IF you like the gun which you seem to do, have the action stripped and cleaned and the issues you mention will likely be resolved. Perhaps a new toplever spring might also help. The hammerless top lever moves the bolt and on a standard auto safety pushes the safety back, that is it. The safety rod often gets gummed up over the years.
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John Mazza
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Posted: Fri Mar 27th, 2009 02:32 pm |
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Thanks, Don.
I really do like the gun. (Heck - it's almost TOO nice to shoot...but I will !)
Even my better half likes it ! {That has to indicate something !}
Thanks again !
John
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Albert Zinn
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Posted: Fri Mar 27th, 2009 02:39 pm |
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John:
Don is right: buy the gun!!!
The safety should move back to the safe position easily and fully back (uncovering the word "safe"), without effort as you move the toplever over. If it does not, as Don suggests, it probably just needs some cleaning. This is a very simple mechanism.
Put up some pics if you get it.
Regards,
Al Zinn
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Albert E. Zinn
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Chuck Bishop
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Posted: Fri Mar 27th, 2009 03:36 pm |
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| When the gun is reassembled it is sometimes difficult to properly align the safety lever located inside the stock with the bottom of the safety button located on the underside of the top tang. As others have said, it should be easy to fix.
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John Mazza
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Posted: Fri Mar 27th, 2009 04:02 pm |
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Thanks Chuck !
Another question - if I was to dismount the gun and I desired to release the hammers (to save the springs), how would I cock the hammers prior to reassembling the barrels ?
(Do I even need to cock the hammers before I reassemble the barrels ?)
{Not yet having snap caps for the gun, I wanted to "dry fire" the dismounted gun by holding a block of dense wood up against the standing breech & fire away. This sounds easier than what I did last night: Carefull insert a spent 12 ga. hull (it'll just barely stay on) and close the gun. Then, I insert a long wooden cleaning rod until it bottoms out in the 12 ga. hull. I invert the gun, press the wooden rod against the carpet (to kep the shell firmly against the standing breech) & pull the proper trigger.}
Thanks !
PS: How big is the "un-matted" area at the muzzle end of the rib on an un-cut Parker ? This gun's un-matted end is only 1/16" long.
(The book says the gun has 30" barrels - which it does - so is this OK ?)
Also, the barrels measure a hair mroe than 30" long. (I mean, like 30 1/16 - max.)
My hammer gun's 30" tubes measure at exactly 30"
Simple manufacturing tolerences ?????
Thanks !
John
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Richard Flanders
PGCA Member
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Posted: Fri Mar 27th, 2009 04:29 pm |
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I'll address the reluctant workings. I am an advocate of dismantling every vintage Parker and cleaning and inspecting it. Every single one I have ever taken apart, except one, has been an absolute mess inside of corrosion, old oil, bugs, sticks, sand and gravel, sometimes worn parts, and, on side lock guns, loose screws. I never take a newly acquired Parker out to shoot it without first taking it apart and it sometimes has taken a week to get all the parts freed up and cleaned. Search my posts over the past few years and you'll find a few showing before and after pictures of the inner workings of Parkers I've dismantled. A cleaning and lubing generally fixes all the sticky parts issues and makes them safer.
Last edited on Fri Mar 27th, 2009 04:30 pm by Richard Flanders
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John Mazza
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Posted: Fri Mar 27th, 2009 04:35 pm |
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| Will do - thanks !
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Dean Romig
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Posted: Fri Mar 27th, 2009 04:45 pm |
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| John, due to the design of the hammers of a "hammerless" Parker they can be dry-fired with no damage to the gun or "firing pins". People generally use snap caps or the like simply out of respect for old doubles (or any gun for that matter) but it is not necessary with a Parker hammarless. The hammers' business end is conical and falls into a fitted conical recess in the frame so the 'pin' cannot break off from repeated dry-firings as in so many other guns. Last edited on Fri Mar 27th, 2009 04:46 pm by Dean Romig
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Chuck Bishop
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Posted: Fri Mar 27th, 2009 04:46 pm |
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John,
First, I don't feel there is any need to release the springs for storage. Others may disagree but if that's what you want to do, fine.
Second, Parker firing pins are part of the hammer assembly and Parker advertised that you can dry fire the gun with no problems associated with doing so.
Third, the problems associated with releasing the hammers on a ejector gun, then taking off the forend is that the ejector sears will need to be recocked prior to putting back on the forend. You can manually do this if needed by using a wooden stick. You will have no problem putting the gun back together with an extractor gun. After putting the barrels and forend back on, just recock the gun and you are good to go.
Fourth, I measured 2 of my barrels and both are short by 1/16". Don't worry about it.
Fifth, the blank space at the end of the rib matting can vary. Of the 2 I measured, one was 1/8" and the other was 1/32". Don't worry about it.
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John Mazza
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Posted: Fri Mar 27th, 2009 04:46 pm |
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| Perfect ! Thanks !
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John Mazza
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Posted: Fri Mar 27th, 2009 04:52 pm |
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Thanks Chuck !
You said the words I needed to hear - "Don't worry about it !"
Thanks again !
John
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Jack Cronkhite
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Posted: Fri Mar 27th, 2009 06:09 pm |
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Sounds like a done deal and good for you. Regarding the safety issue, I had the same problem with a VH from 1909. The action was totally crud filled upon dis-assembly, but it was not the crud causing the issue (directly anyway - although the crud build up may have been the root source of the problem). In fact, the small pin that holds the safety slide in its place had almost come off so the longer side of the pin was dragging against metal it should not have been touching. It was a simple fix, once the issue was determined. Another small pin that automatically resets the safety was missing on this gun because the stock had been pinned. I believe once your gun has been completely cleaned, you won't have a problem.
Looking forward to seeing your pictures.
Cheers,
Jack
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John Mazza
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Posted: Fri Mar 27th, 2009 06:13 pm |
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Thanks Jack !
I'll try to get some pictures soon, but I must advise you that my computer skills are almost non-existant - so it may take a while...
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