Scratching the "itis" again

[Richard Flanders]

Jack. I have used my 1886 toplever for pheasants using Shermans load #79 with 1oz - 1-1/4oz of lead shot. Just put in extra undershot cards for the lighter loads. It's a bitch to carry for a day but you sure don't stop your swing with it and it powdered some pheasants that day. I got to watch Trigg shoot a 10ga for the first time that day and he dusted one also. I think that if I ever found a nice light 10 I'd use it for all my pheasant hunting. Unfortunately, it's hard to beat Murphy to any light 10 that comes up for sale. There's one in Alaska now but the bbls are wayyyy too thin and corroded and the way too high price is inflexible or I'd own it. The one I saw at the Novi Mich show this past weekend would do quite nicely were it in better condition.

Harrys shim idea works well. I have a bunch of .0025" shim material that's very springy and tough that I use or you can buy a cheap set of feeler guages and cut up the blade of the proper thickness.

[TARNATION !!!]

Thanks Richard. Well, this one won't be chasing much for some time to come, if ever. I don't know enough about the twist barrels but here is what I found on opening the package. (The seller was up front on the whole thing, so no surprises and for 95$ I wasn't expecting a whole lot) The barrels have been cut to 28". Lots of rust pitting on the outside but not that bad in the bores. The rib has been re-soldered in a a very sloppy fashion. The left barrel has a ring of weld. Don't know if that even makes it a candidate for the guys who know how to repair/restore such barrels.

It is 10ga. It has a DHBP with spur but it is broken across the base and the bottom of it has been drilled and screwed to hold in place.

The action is very loose in all directions.

The forend wobbles quite noticeably

The head of the buttstock is broken in a few places but worse, somewhere along the line I think someone may have used a draw knife to remove wood for whatever reason to the point the spur of the buttplate rides more than 1/4" above the wood.

Now all that said, it is an intact gun (except the last two inches of barrel length).

If the barrels can be made serviceable, it may be fun to play with the rest. If not, well it was sold as "good for parts" an idea that I don't lean toward, given that it is "all there". That may be heart over mind.

What are the thoughts of those who have re-furbished one of these?

Cheers,
Jack

[Richard Flanders]

Sounds like a challenging restoration project. If you decide to part it out I bet you could sell the hammers, hammer screws, and internal lock parts, especially the main springs, for more than what you paid for it.

[Brush Buster]

Jack; I recently had a set of barrels done by Dale Edmonds and they are beautiful !! They looked pretty rough when I sent them ,same kind of thing ,I ask Dale to assess them and he thought they were good candidates and redid them ,What do you think ?

[TARNATION !!!]

I think they look very nice. The biggest concern I have with mine is the ring of weld and what that might mean. I will contact Dale Edmonds to see what he thinks Thanks. Jack

[Autumn Daze]

Russ,Very nice! Hammer or hammerless gun?

[Brush Buster]

Dave; Thank you ; It is an EH grade I picked up at a local show about a year ago ,It is, of course you know this but some may not " A 10 Ga." also it is on a # 2 frame ,and weighs a little over 9 lb's with its 30 " barrels !What is a little different is the thickness and the depth of the stock ,it is just a little ,maybe an eighth in. or so thicker and a little deeper from top to bottom than a standard 12 Ga. stock and for a light 10 ,it feels really nice and balanced when you swing this gun ! Also still nice and thin in the wrist ,like all Parkers !

[Autumn Daze]

Russ,That is a great looking gun! And on a 2 frame frame it must be a joy to shoot.I have a couple of 10,s.The top gun is my EH.The funny thing about this gun is the engaving is very lightly done.The bottom gun is my NH.I shot this gun this past Sunday at trap.The boys were rolling on the ground watching this old girl destroy targets with an 1 1/4oz. of 8's.Both guns are 30" 3 frame guns. I really should take them out for some ducks as my town has a rich history of duck hunting on Long Island Sound here in CT.Now if I can only find a nice light 10 for grouse...

[Brush Buster]

Thanks for the compliments on the gun Dave , yours are both very nice also ,and the gun on the top in your pic. has gorgeous wood on it !I believe it is your EH am I correct ?

[Autumn Daze]

Ya Russ,The EH is on top..