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Mike Franzen
PGCA Member
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Posted: Mon May 11th, 2009 06:02 pm |
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I have been shooting Parker 12088 for a few years and love the gun. It is all original and other than 130 years of use has no major flaws. Two gunsmiths told me to get the ding out of the right barrel and the gun is in the shop now. After looking at Bruce's pics of redone barrels I was wondering if I should get mine redone by Dale. My gun has no great provenance or collector value other than it is all original. What do you think?
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Bruce Day
PGCA Member
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Posted: Mon May 11th, 2009 06:28 pm |
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Mike, of course we can't tell much without photos. They are only original once and if you still have good pattern left, my view is that I would not redo them. But if they are so worn that large areas are shiny and you can't see the damascus pattern, consider having them redone.
I own four damascus guns. Two are original. Of the remaining two, one was dark and dingey with patina and the other had been tried to be refinished by somebody else as an amateur project that didn't turn out well, so Dale refinished the latter two guns.
One of my original two is a little 20ga C, and has maybe 75% clear pattern. I could refinish but the rest of the gun is original, and again they are only original once, so I'll leave it at that. That is a rare gun, and some I know would not hesitate to send it off to Turnbull, re case color, get the barrels done, etc. It has some provenance, and I might be able to recover the costs of a correct full refinishing upon sale, but for me, I prefer the mimimal approach. So, your decision and if you post the photos you might get differing views, probably all of them equally valid.
Interestingly, I have exhibited all four guns and the ones that receive the most attention from the crowd are the two refinished ones and I have heard people mention how pretty the barrels are on those without mentioning the other two. The other two are more valuable guns for other reasons, but the refinished barrels sure attract attention. My experience with the crowds are that the newer and shinier the Parker looks, they more they like it.
Last edited on Mon May 11th, 2009 07:57 pm by Bruce Day
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Bruce Day
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Richard Flanders
PGCA Member
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Posted: Mon May 11th, 2009 06:43 pm |
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Bruces advice is spot on Mike. I've only redone one set of damascus bbls, a 10ga hammer gun that I've posted on the forum numerous times. There was quite a mismatch between the wood/receiver, which were/are all original and in fabulous condition and the bbls which were pretty rough, but with plenty of pattern. Now the gun looks nearly new and is a sight to behold. In general, I'd not redo a set of bbls unless there was little pattern remaining or some other reason to do so.
Attached Image (viewed 234 times):
 Last edited on Wed May 13th, 2009 12:34 am by Richard Flanders
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Bruce Day
PGCA Member
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Posted: Mon May 11th, 2009 06:58 pm |
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| My friend Richard's gun was an excellent example of a gun where all it would take to get the gun a great looking piece was a little barrel refinishing, and I didn't know how gummed up it was inside. Maybe the congealed grease preserved everything, like the Jeep still packed in cosmoline. Last edited on Mon May 11th, 2009 07:28 pm by Bruce Day
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Jay Gardner
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Posted: Mon May 11th, 2009 08:58 pm |
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I have had three sets of barrels re-done by Dale (and after seeing the 10 ga barrels he has now it is soon to be four).
As Bruce said - it is virtually impossible to tell you what you should do with your barrels with out seeing what you are starting out with. Bruce posted pictures of the barrels from my 10 ga DH and I am definitly having them redone. There is a lot of contrast and the colors were excellent. Looking at them in my office there is no way I would have had them restored. However there were areas on the barrels that glowed orange when in the sunlight. The pictures Bruce posted show that. I tried all sorts of stuff to knock off the rust but I had no luck so I sent them to Dale. He agreed that we should just try to clean them up. Obviously that did not work so they are going to be re-done now. My point is that there is a fine line at which point barrels should not be restored. For me, if there is not rust and the contrast is still good enough to see the pattern, then I'll let the next guy worry about restoration.
All three of my guns that have barrels redone by Dale are in good overall condition so it does not look like I have new barrels on an old gun (see below). That involved a little work on my part to get crud off the receiver and bring the shine back out on the wood but the results, at least to me, were exactly what I wanted: 100+ year old Parkers that look great, but not new.
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Weathered corn, an apple left unnoticed on the tree, the crunch of frosted stubble underfoot, wood smoke in the evening - these things remind me of the wild, fall days of boyhood...the best of those days were the Saturday's, afield with my dad.
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Bruce Day
PGCA Member
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Posted: Mon May 11th, 2009 09:12 pm |
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| Nice looking gun. Nice looking bird too, but I've shot so few of them I wouldn't know a good one from a bad one. They seem to know when I am coming to hunt them.
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Destry Hoffard
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Posted: Mon May 11th, 2009 10:56 pm |
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Jay,
You're a better man than I am if you can shoot with those big gloves on. I have to hunt bare handed even in the most bitter weather if I want to shoot well. I've got some fingerless wool gloves with leather palms that have flip over mitten covers for when I just can't take it. But even in those, I never shoot as well as I would have bare handed.
Destry
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Mike Franzen
PGCA Member
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Posted: Mon May 11th, 2009 11:35 pm |
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| I'll post some pics later tonight and see what you think. I'll show the stock too and see if that could use a touch up.
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Jay Gardner
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Posted: Tue May 12th, 2009 12:40 am |
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Destry Hoffard wrote: Jay,
You're a better man than I am if you can shoot with those big gloves on. I have to hunt bare handed even in the most bitter weather if I want to shoot well. I've got some fingerless wool gloves with leather palms that have flip over mitten covers for when I just can't take it. But even in those, I never shoot as well as I would have bare handed.
Destry
Destry,
I would never bet against you shooting anything, in feathers or in clay. Those gloves are actually pretty thin and I shoot in them all the time, regardless of temp and regardless of the firearm, including rifles.
Jay
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Weathered corn, an apple left unnoticed on the tree, the crunch of frosted stubble underfoot, wood smoke in the evening - these things remind me of the wild, fall days of boyhood...the best of those days were the Saturday's, afield with my dad.
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Dean Romig
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Posted: Tue May 12th, 2009 12:41 am |
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Destry, if there were thornapples, blackberry vines, bull briars and various and sundry other impediments to forward motion where "dem eloosive fowls" fly you too would learn real quick to love your gloves 
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Destry Hoffard
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Posted: Tue May 12th, 2009 01:01 am |
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Jay,
Betting against me shooting anything would be a sure way to win money. I swear Don had side bets out against me this past winter at the pigeon match with Davis. Hell I would have, he's seen me shoot.......
Dean,
I suppose that's true, down where I'm from it was just cat briar for the most part. Hell in those days we thought we were so tough we didn't even carry gloves usually. There's still a little scar on the back of my hand I remember getting on a barbed wire fence. We weren't really so tough as much as foolish.....
DLH
Last edited on Tue May 12th, 2009 01:02 am by Destry Hoffard
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C Roger Giles
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Posted: Tue May 12th, 2009 02:18 am |
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Destry;
I had the same problem with gloves and my wife came to my rescue a few years back at Christmas time with a pair of Orvis unlined (far less bulky) deer skin gloves. I use them most of the time even in the summer as it keeps hot barrels at bay. I find that if I can keep the wind off of my hands in cold weather they stay relatively warm. One consession, don't get them wet as all the plus factors in wearing gloves goes away right now. I might add that most shooters buy gloves too small for their hands and suffer bad scores because of ill fitting hand socks.
Also keep them away from Fred Prestons "Ringo" dog, he will eat them.
Roger
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Jay Gardner
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Posted: Tue May 12th, 2009 11:01 am |
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| For years I used the same Orvis gloves as Roger-Codger. About 5-years ago I switched to the thin unlined deerskin gloves made by Filson. They are a little thicker/heavier than Roger's Orvis gloves but I think they'lll last a little longer (unless Ringo get's ahold of them).
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Weathered corn, an apple left unnoticed on the tree, the crunch of frosted stubble underfoot, wood smoke in the evening - these things remind me of the wild, fall days of boyhood...the best of those days were the Saturday's, afield with my dad.
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Fred Preston
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Posted: Wed May 13th, 2009 12:23 am |
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| Gloves for the workin' man's gun. Ringo turned them down. Attached Image (viewed 240 times):
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Steve Huffman
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Posted: Wed May 13th, 2009 01:25 am |
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Last edited on Wed May 13th, 2009 01:26 am by Steve Huffman
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C Roger Giles
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Posted: Wed May 13th, 2009 02:36 am |
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I'd say Ringo's turn down on your nasty looking gloves proves he has good taste.
PTG Rog
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Bruce Day
PGCA Member
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Posted: Wed May 13th, 2009 01:28 pm |
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Jay and Richard, these prairie grouse work for me but maybe this fall, I can bag some ruffed grouse.
Regarding gloves, I've had Grips-Well, Orvis, , etc, but for me, roping gloves from the the local farm and ranch supply or western store work just as well. They have an extra layer of leather in the palm for running rope that works well for holding hot barrels.
Out here, the prairie is the floor of the sky.
Attached Image (viewed 175 times):
 Last edited on Wed May 13th, 2009 01:35 pm by Bruce Day
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Richard Flanders
PGCA Member
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Posted: Wed May 13th, 2009 01:35 pm |
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I had a lady geologist from Wyoming working for me last summer who had a pair of those roping gloves. I was MOST Impressed with the quality. For winter shooting I have thinsulate insulated Bob Allen gloves that are very warm. For summer I have some incredibly thin soft leather gardening gloves from the local hardware store.....
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Jim Williams
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Posted: Wed May 13th, 2009 04:30 pm |
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Yup, Bruce - Justin roping gloves AND refinished barrels for me:
Attached Image (viewed 151 times):
 Last edited on Wed May 13th, 2009 04:45 pm by Jim Williams
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Bruce Day
PGCA Member
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Posted: Wed May 13th, 2009 04:51 pm |
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| Looks like a D Titanic and a G damascus, very nice, everything right. Couldn't be better. Roping gloves and now we need to get you a Stetson or Resistol, Jim. Last edited on Wed May 13th, 2009 04:53 pm by Bruce Day
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