New Parker owner in Colorado - 1883 top-action 12ga hammer

[JeffKeacher]

Hi guys,

Just picked up a Parker from a gentleman here in Colorado. It's a 12ga top-action hammer gun, 30" barrels, grade 1, serial number 33977. Per the serial number lookup, it was made in mid 1883, which makes it 99 years older than me.

Condition is overall not bad. Yes, the wood is very oil soaked, and yes, the metal has quite a brown patina. However, the wood is all present, there are only a few small spots of surface rust, and there is just minimal pitting on the outsides of the barrels. The hammers lock back, and the triggers feel nice. Unfortunately, the insides of the barrels are rather pitted, though I haven't seen enough 131-year-old guns to decide if its more or less than normal for the age.

The serial numbers match everywhere. It appears that the barrel might be laminated steel (based on the "L"), which surprised me because I thought that process wasn't introduced until later.

And since everybody likes pictures...

http://i.imgur.com/SGoFQiS.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/fMTzXBE.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/N5ukgYc.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/OxEzvIq.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/oxj74Qm.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/wK0rFE2.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/cWuWB5f.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/EFtaSvH.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/yBMjEuq.jpg

I'm an engineer, and I find old mechanical things fascinating. What I'd really like to do is get this old girl back in firing condition, but I'm not even going to attempt that until I de-oil the stock and have somebody experienced take a look at the barrels.

In the meantime, I have a nice place for her on the wall and will leave the shooting to my more modern scatterguns.

Good to meet you all!

Jeff

[Dean Romig]

Hello Mr. Keacher,

Your Parker appears to be a L1 or a Lam1 which is a Grade 1 with Laminated Steel barrels.
There is no information in the ID & Ser# book most of us use as a quick reference for basic configuration on specific guns but there is information available to support a research letter on your gun.
As a non-member a letter would cost $100 but if you join the PGCA for $40 (annually) your research letter, as a PGCA Member, will cost you only $40. That's a savings of $20 should you want a letter on the gun.

[Eldon Goddard]

Jeff I am also an engineer and feel the same way. What field are you in? Laminated barrels have a very appealing pattern to me. Nice find.

[JeffKeacher]

Dean: Thanks! That's surprising that it's not in the book. Is that typical for guns of this era?

Eldon: Electrical engineering background, but these days mostly software engineering. How about you?

[Eldon Goddard]

My degree is a Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineer and I now work as a test engineer in the life sciences industry. Most of my school work was in mechanics of materials specifically composites.

[charlie cleveland]

those pitted barrels will be ok to shoot as long as one measures the barrel thickness..and keep the pressures low..i have several with pitted barrels and shoot them all time... charlie

[Christian Gish]

Jeff At a recent auction Parker SN 35783 was sold. The stock was broken completely at the wrist and badly repaired, also the left lock did not function. The auction estimate was $200-400. It sold for $3400. From the pictures in the Parker Grades section it looked like a grade 6. You can see pictures of the auction gun at littlejohnsauctionservice.com it is lot 934.

[JeffKeacher]

those pitted barrels will be ok to shoot as long as one measures the barrel thickness..and keep the pressures low..i have several with pitted barrels and shoot them all time... charlie

That's what I'm hoping, too. What I don't want to do is blow apart the barrels or crack the stock. From reading the forum, it seems that shells from RST are a popular way to go, both because they fit properly and because they are available in lower pressures.

[JeffKeacher]

Jeff At a recent auction Parker SN 35783 was sold. The stock was broken completely at the wrist and badly repaired, also the left lock did not function. The auction estimate was $200-400. It sold for $3400. From the pictures in the Parker Grades section it looked like a grade 6. You can see pictures of the auction gun at littlejohnsauctionservice.com it is lot 934.

Ah, nice. I'm not too concerned about what the gun is worth right now. I think I got a good deal on it, but it's difficult to tell. For the time being, I'm assuming that it's worth what I paid for it, no more and no less. :)

I think my biggest motivation for acquiring this gun was nostalgia. When I was growing up, my father had some sort of double-barrel hammer gun hanging on the wall by the fireplace downstairs. I always thought it looked cool, but I was too young at the time to appreciate what it was beyond some sort of antique side-by-side. I'm still not sure what type of gun it was, but now I get to have something similar of my own.

[Richard Flanders]

Welcome Mr. Keacher. My very best duck gun is a 32" F/F 1883 gun like yours. 33548. It has stout bbls and will handle stout loads and kills ducks at scary ranges. Mine has been restored. The bbls were pitted and have been lightly honed and there's still a lot of wall thickness. You'll want to pull the locking mechanisms to make sure the sears are good and all the screws are tight, which is very unlikely. If the locks need work Al Edge of Old Dominion Firearms is a magician with micro welding. He returned my sears to new condition for a very reasonable price. Get her all fixed up and I assure you you'll have some good shooting.

[Mills Morrison]

Nice gun. The wood looks like it has real potential