Can't attach forend

[George Brown]

I removed the forend on my Parker with the hammers released. What do I have to do to be able to put the forend back on?

[Harry Collins]

George,

Is your Parker an ejector gun? If so you may need to recock the ejectors on the forend. You can do that by pushing them against a piece of wood like the work bench.

Harry

[Dean Romig]

Be very, very careful in cocking the ejector hammers. Many a forend has been damaged when it slips off the corner of the workbench. Instead, use a stout hardwood dowel about 8" or so in length and while firmly holding the forend in one hand press the dowel firmly against one hammer at a time until it cocks.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Come on Dean, you know Collins is too poor to afford something as expensive as a dowel. When he says "work bench" he really means the edge of the seat on the outhouse.

DLH

[George Brown]

I used a small piece of oak to push the circular spring loaded part and moved a small part in the end of the forend which locked it open so that I could re-assemble the gun. Thanks for your help. Now does anyone know where I can find info on Parkers that were upgraded by Pachmayr?

[Harry Collins]

Destry,

Shhhh.....I didn't want to be the cause of jelousy.

Harry

[Dennis Potter]

The ejector tumblers (hammers) on many guns can trip when the forend is off the gun. A technique to remember that seems to work in most cases, and is safe and easy to do; take the barrels off, pull the extractors out on the barrels to the ejected position and replace the forend assembly on the barrels and latch it. Then take a piece of wood, rest the muzzles on the carpet and and gently push each extractor back into the recess. The tumblers should now stay in a cocked position, and allow reassembly of the gun. But, if an ejector sear is broken it may not stay cocked and need repair.

[Dean Romig]

Thanks Dennis. I guess not many of have ever thought of that method. Sounds foolproof.

[George Brown]

Thanks, great advice. George

[henderson Marriott]

This did work, in a sense-for me. BUT, when the forend assy is placed on the
barrels and latched, it will not allow the barrels and forend to reassemble to the
rest of stock action. The end of the forend is in the way. Take the forend off, rejoin the
barrels to the action, extractors closed in as described. Then, when the barrels are almost
closed completely-attach the forend and latch. "Seems to work in most cases". Indeed.
But not easily.
This Parker is a 1920s VHE 2 7/8(3 in) inch chambers. Stiff and about 95% condition.

Parker forends are like LC Smith forends. Take them off when you must- but not too often. Cock the hammers first.
Fox forends work easier and are tough-IMHO-Thanks Dennis! (I like to resurrect old dead threads and old or ancient shotguns!)

[Todd Muirhead]

Have a 12 gauge hammer less Parker, Ser. 225065.
Took the gun apart to clean it, now the forend will not go back on. I've tried the wooden spoon end trick to push the one back, but it will not latch. I think it is in need of repair. I'm in Athens TN, if anyone knows a good Gunsmith.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/lrdl7twnuc0qalnpbzdmz/for-end1.jpg?rlkey=dth1p8qq8q9o5r1p2ipm6zqtr&st=p4ft049j&dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/x1mpxdvqanvowxpfteeik/for-end2.jpg?rlkey=bcecu4df1fkec5ttjrj0dmrpk&st=0v8rvug4&dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6fi0czuee9ls2047vwauv/for-end3.jpg?rlkey=k2r1egg8yuuswtwh8nefw2le8&st=l9t5rgcx&dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/l7sbacf4b5h8g6lnebgvr/for-end4.jpg?rlkey=bc027tcpsnbp58cx4kcllasd7&st=fejp13sk&dl=0

[Reggie Bishop]

One of the ejector hammers is not cocked. Can you take a wooden dowel or similar object and move it to cocked position?

[Todd Muirhead]

Yes, I've tried that. Wrote I did in my post. I can push it up, but it will not lock into place. Spring pushes it back down.

[Dean Weber]

Todd,

Check your PM. I can send you some pictures which may provide some assistance.

[Dean Romig]

The foot or catch on that ejector hammer may be fouled with hardened residue or it may be broken off.





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[Todd Muirhead]

Got it fixed! Thank you Dean Weber. Using a soft chair to sit in, I placed the forend between my legs, used a wooden dowel to press the spring back, then in the front, used a plastic pen tip to push down the pin so it aligned in the down position with the other. Spring stayed locked back, and I was able to assemble the gun again. Once I saw that pin was raised, was a 5 second fix. No vise needed, just a soft chair.

[Tommy Neely]

I’ve followed Dennis’ thread and opened extractors and installed forend. I’m not able to get the extractors to lock in the closed position. I’ll point out that the extractor tumblers on my forearm are cocked, is this a problem or as it should be. Fearful that my extractor sears are damaged. Anyone have any thoughts or advice.

[Dean Romig]

Tom, you're using terms associated with both extractor guns and ejector guns and this makes your question confusing for me.





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[Tommy Neely]

I should have stated the ejector tumblers (hammers) are in the cocked position. I can pull out the extractors to the ejected position and am able to attach the forearm to the barrels. Following Dennis’ thread, I should be able to push the extractors in using a wood dole but the they want lock in place. Am I doing any better with my terminology?

[Dean Romig]

I think what I'm understanding Tom is that the ejector hammers in the forend will not stay cocked... Am I right?

The actual ejector rods in the barrels are free floating and they do what the ejector hammers in the forend tell them to do.





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[Tommy Neely]

Dean,

The hammers are cocked. When the barrels are attached to the receiver I cannot attach the forend. I can remove the barrels from the receiver, pull the extractors out on the barrels to the ejected position and am able to attach the forend. With the forend attached, using a block of wood, I attempt to push each extractor back into the recess position but they will not lock and stay in the recess position.

Denis Potter posted on this thread explaining this solution.

[Tommy Neely]

Problem solved. The hammers on the forend were not fully cocked,even though they appeared to be. Lesson learned.

[Michael Hatton]

Y’all saved my evening reading this thread. Just picked up a 1911 grade 3 from my favorite gun shop this afternoon. Took it apart to lubricate the pivots and add some crystalline wax. Then, ut oh could not get the fore end back on. Found a small piece of wood moulding and resolved as noted. Just mailed the research letter application and check to Chuck to get the history on this beauty. Will bust some clays tomorrow. The forum is a great tool for those of us who like the old stuff. Mike

[henderson Marriott]

Fox, LC Smith, and Parker Bros. among other fine American and English double guns have small re-assembly techniques and tricks-of-the-trade.
It might be a good idea to permanently post assembly/re-assembly detailed instructions
so marked under the Parker General Discussion-if these are not posted elsewhere. It might save time and in some cases preserve Parker forends...along with hammers or extractors against unnecessary damage.

Measure twice, cut once.

[Clark McCombe]

I’ve had the idea of a little video library for just these types of issues. Even with the very good explanations here, I’ve had some difficulty getting a Forend put back on. Hope to have some discussion at the Southern about how we might go about a video project.

[Larry Stauch]

I have occasionally had this problem and I have solved it by having the gun with the barrels on it standing up on its butt. Then I put the forend tightly against the barrels and forcefully start pushing it down toward the receiver. It takes some strength to do this, but it recocks the ejectors and the forend will then latch onto the barrels. It's kind of like the dowel method but using the gun to do it instead of the dowel.

[John Allen]

I recently had a similar problem on my DHE 20. The ejector hammer would not recock. After many hours of trying dowels and the corner of my work bench. I gave up and sent it to Darlington Gun Works. Turns out the ejector sear was broken. They fixed it and had the gun back to me in 2 weeks. The price was very reasonable and the ejectors work fine. The folks at Darlington are really good to work with.

[Dean Romig]

Joe Breda of Breda Machine made a bunch of ejector hammers and they look and act just like originals. They do need some fitting though.





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[Daryl Corona]

I solved the problem by staying away from guns with ejectors.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Ejectors? As we used to say on the farm--useless as tits on a boar hog