What do I have?

[Mike McKinney]

Kurt, I don't believe anyone who has offered thoughts or advice is trying to "pull your chain" or mislead you. If you want a range of value, you will at least have to post quality pictures and from your description it won't be high dollars. Most of us consider the value of a family heirloom as "priceless". If the Damascus tubes are in good shape and have adequate barrel thickness and is on face there is probably no need to have them sleeved, many members of this board shoot thousands of rounds through Damascus barrels, most load or buy "low pressure" shells for the benefit of the wood and the fact they have been made a while (many years). You won't get many better answers unless you post good pictures and by the way, chances are good that having the gun modified by sleeving is not a good investment, unless the barrels are no good and you want to fix it. You are the owner, you can do with it as you wish.

[Dean Romig]

Kurt - don't sleeve it. Why destroy a set of beautiful Damascus barrels that may be perfectly safe and shootable?

I and many other PGCA members shoot most all of our Damascus, Twist, Laminated, Bernard, Stub Twist... barreled guns. We simply shoot appropriate loads in them. Most 'off the shelf' shotgun ammo is made to operate semi-auto shotgun actions and is a bit too stout to please our old guns.
There are ammo companies that cater to the guys who shoot these "dangerous" old guns, such as Rio and RST. They produce low pressure loads that still have the velocity we need and kill game just like the 'off the shelf' ammo.

Where do you live? If you're nearby I would be glad to have a look at your 'Family Parker.'






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[Harry Reed]

Condition of the barrels is the 1st consideration on shoot ability. I am not qualified to make that kind of determination. But, if the barrels are in shootable condition I would use RST lite shells. The Damascus construction is not as much a factor as the barrels condition.

http://www.rstshells.com/store/m/2-12-Gauge.aspx

[6pt-Sika]

After reading your initial post it sounds as if the bores are nice by your description . If it were me I'd probably just shoot some of my low pressure reloads and go about my business . But I can't sit here and tell someone else to do that . What you need is to find someone with a wall thickness gauge and check your barrels . If they decide they're thick enough and ring true I'd say go to town !

[wayne goerres]

Kurt you haven't said where you are from. There are Parker people in almost if not all the states in the us. You may be able to have someone look at the gun for you and determine if it is safe to fire. If the gun is in safe condition RST makes shells with loads for every thing you might wont to shoot. And they don't cost 2K nor will they ruin your gun.

[charlie cleveland]

you ask for a vaue to be placed on the gun i believe the guns value would be in the 800 to 1000 dollars...and since this gun as you said has damascuss barrels no gun smith will tell you that damascuss is safe to shoot...sounds like your barrels are in decent shape go and find somebody to measure the thickness of your barrels at the bores end...nearly everbody would agree that 35 thosands is safe i myself have some that are thinner that i shoot..but thats up to you....charlie

[kurt coon]

Wow. I am impressed by the responses I have received from my original post. You guys are great. I live in mid Michigan, about 25 NE of Grand Rapids.
I have been storing this gun in a silicone sock, since it was given to me about 35 years ago. I pulled it out tonight and shouldered it, and it just felt so good, the balance, the weight, just everything felt like it was an extension of me.
I would love to carry this into the field, and shoot a bunny or two or some pheasants or take it to the skeet range and bust some clays.. I have done extensive research on Damascus, and learned that proofing a barrel can destroy it. I don't want to go there. My main concern is, will I destroy this fine firearm by pulling the trigger?

[Dean Romig]

You're in luck Kurt.

Take your gun right over to Brad or his son Parker at Bachelder Master Gunmaker in Grand Rapids. He has worked on many, many of our Damascus Parkers. A nicer, more honest businessman you will never meet. He has refinished, repaired, or restored a great many Parkers and he has done excellent work on a few of mine. He can measure the wall thickness of your barrels and tell you if it is safe to shoot. How lucky can a guy be to live that close to Brad Bachelder!

I'm jealous!






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[Big D]

+1 for Brad. he's da man!

[Jim DiSpagno]

I second that X10