My 1899 Parker 12 gauge

[Harry Collins]

Shane,

I have a few Parkers I picked up for $350.00 and less that I shoot. I would have to have yours in hand to know if I would shoot and use them.

Harry

[D. Shane Burton]

Harry, since the 16 GA barrels were only cut approximately 2 inches, making them about Improved Cylinders, would they be safe to shoot, do you think? Especially if I had a gunsmith put the slightly out-of-round one back in round? Check out the picture:

I'm thinking the 16 GA is in good enough mechanical shape to be a shooter, but I'm going to have a gunsmith look it over first. It's a little bit loose. The 12 GA is basically a wall-hanger/parts gun.

http://img43.imageshack.us/i/p9100048s.jpg

Shane

[Harry Collins]

Shane,

They don't look enough out of round to worry about. It is hard to tell from the photo just how thick the barrels are. I would find a gunsmith that is capable of measureing barrel wall thickness. If it is loose the cost of tightening would more than the gun is worth. How is it loose? Is it back and forth or up and down or both?

Harry

[D. Shane Burton]

Well, the barrels lock down completely--no up and down looseness. It just seems to have a small bit of play. I guess I really need the gunsmith to determine that. You can just feel a slight probably side to side give in the closed barrel to action fit, not even enough to be visibly noticed, just felt. This is without shells in it. I don't have any other side-by-sides, so I don't know exactly how bad it is.

I wish I could hand you the gun through the screen so you could check it out.

Thanks for the help, Harry. I'm going to bring it in and see what they tell me. It would be nice if I could at least get a shooter out of the 16 GA. I also believe these guns will look far better if I clean them, and now that I know they're not that valuable, I think I'll clean off 100 years worth of grime and see how they look. Any objections for the sake of patina? Or would cleaning be okay?

Shane