Please help determine value and condition of my Parker Brothers 16 gauge

[Bruce Hering]

I have a question regarding the comments above on barrels being shortened:

Looking at the muzzle picture the OP provided it appears to me the the barrel walls are touching and the plugs seem to be in order. I have seen 28" guns cut to 26 and they all showed noticeable space between the barrels at the muzzle which would indicate to me that they have not been cut. I would assume a research letter would solve this question.

Comments would be appreciated by me.... Thanks

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Bruce Hering

Looking at the muzzle picture the OP provided it appears to me the the barrel walls are touching and the plugs seem to be in order.

I don't see any evidence of "plugs" in place. To me it looks like those triangular sections below both the top and bottom ribs and made of plain lead. If the barrels had been shortened by Parker Bros. the steel keels would have been replaced.





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[Bruce Hering]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

I don't see any evidence of "plugs" in place. To me it looks like those triangular sections below both the top and bottom ribs and made of plain lead. If the barrels had been shortened by Parker Bros. the steel keels would have been replaced..

Dean: OK... "keels" and yea they do look like something other then steel but that does not answer the question as far as the barrels touching each other. Also, there is the possibility the muzzle area of the barrels has not been "cleaned up" and as I am sure you know, different steels respond differently chemically to air, sunshine, time, and use (they do have the look of lead). It is also my understanding that in order to bring the barrels together after a "cut down" the ribs would need to be striped and relayed which is more then most local, non factory cut off jobs get.

Just thinking out loud.