A Diamond in the Rough?

[Jay Oliver]

This might first appear to be “just another old lifter” and I thought so too. When I bought this 2 Frame 12 gauge lifter with 28” barrels, weighing just over 8 pounds with a 14 ¼ LOP. The description said it was missing the left hammer. When I got the gun, it turned out that the tumbler was broke as well. I got a tumbler, hammer screw and a hammer from Brian Dudley. I was able to change everything out on the lock and now the gun is functional again.

As I was looking over the gun I got to thinking that this hammer must have broken off the gun very early on in ownership as it did not seem look it had a lot of use. Unfortunately, it must have had some corrosion over the years as it was sitting. The locks look like they were clean with an abrasive around the hammers. The barrels and bottom of the receive look like they are coated in a urethane or shellac. I may try and see if I can gently remove that. I don’t know why someone would have needed to put a screwdriver to this Parker, but they weren’t thinking.

The good news is all the checkering is still very sharp. The bores are excellent and the gun is tight. Look at the breech of the receiver, I have never seen case coloring there like that before. This cannot have been shot very much. That hammer had to have broken soon after it was purchased and it has been sitting ever since.
I would like to find a left hammer that is a little better match and an engraved hammer screw. Then just try to get the shellac/urethane off the barrels and receiver.

I thought everyone would appreciate seeing this and perhaps speculate what might have happened to this old Parker…