I inherited this Parker...

[Tim Leonard]

Hi,
I'm new to Parker but not new to guns by any means.

On Christmas, as my 95 year old grandfather was giving me an 1894 Win and my dad an 1892 Win, My grandmother told me that since im the only grandson really into guns I can also have the Parker Shotgun. It was kind of awkward to take 2 guns on Christmas so I will go back down to her house in the next week or so and collect this family treasure.

So this Damascus Parker hammer gun has hung on the wall in their house for at least 50-60 years. My grandmother is 95 and it belonged to her grandafther. so that makes it my double great grandfather's. She wants it to stay in the family and i of course promised her that it would. So i have only handled this gun a few times and I do know that one of the locks is broken, as it wont stay cocked. other wise its in pretty decent shape 30 inch 12 gauge. i did check the serial a few years ago and it dates to the late 1880s there not much engraving to my memory. the only issue is that great grandpa was frugal (Scottish immigrant chicken rancher in Hollister CA) and apparently preferred to use the barrel to rattle the henhouse door and scare off foxes and coons than waste a round and shoot one. so there are a few dings in the barrel. the wood is very good and not dinged up but has a nice dark brown patina, probly from hanging over the fireplace 50+ years.
So sorry i dont have more specs or pictures but like i said, i will take possession in teh new few weeks and will post more data then,

my first question is who is a good gunsmith or 3 who can examine my shotgun and repair the lock and certify the barrels good for shooting ?

2)assuming #1 checks out, some sources of good low base shells approriate for damascus barrels. I do hunt pheasant several times a season and would LOVE to cook my grandmother a nice pheasant dinner with game taken by this gun.

more details later, but thanks in advance for any help.
Happy New Year,
Tim

[Bruce Day]

Re-done hammer gun barrels and a high condition old hammer Parker.

No gunsmith will certify that your barrels are safe to shoot. One might state that he sees no bad conditions with the gun. The best you can do is to get the dents removed, and have the barrels measured for wall thickness, at least .025 and most of these old Parkers were .035 or greater. No cracks, pin holes, etc. Lots of people shoot these guns with RST shells.

Good barrel refinisher at 816 444 2040.

The California Side by Side Society is active, the pres lives around Livermore, and members regularly shoot these old gun, including hammer Parkers.

[Brush Buster]

Tim ,Welcome to the world of Parker guns and to the PGCA. Bruce is right on target ,RST and you can't beat these old Hammer guns for Fun and Pheasants !!