1906 20ga VH Stock

[Jim Pasman]

Looking for informed opinions on whether or not it's worth or possible to reshape the stock on my 1906 VH 20ga. First some background; the gun letters as a straight gripped VH hammerless ordered by Pacific Hardware in Los Angeles in November 1906 and delivered late April 1907. There is no reference to the double ivory beads, no Remington repair codes on the barrel flats or mention of the filing grooves and new stock in its current condition although everything is numbered correctly.

Looks like the stock was replaced as a CPG (with wood much "nicer" than an original VH), barrels blued and the safety looks more contemporary than would have been original to the gun. The issue is the girth of the stock wrist - it's almost a half inch thicker than a 0 frame gun should be (pictures provided for comparison with another 0 frame gun). It may be that a previous owner was shooting very heavy loads and had the gun reconfigured.

Can the stock wrist girth be reduced and re-checkered? She's a sweet little grouse gun and I'd like her to handle like the original 6 pounder she was.

[Rick Losey]

I see no reason why not

contact Brian Dudley - although he may respond soon any way

[Jim Pasman]

Thanks, Rick, that's where I was headed. The guns been altered enough that one more improvement won't hurt it...

[Brian Dudley]

Yes, your stock should be able to be thinned out without any trouble. If you have good wood to metal fit, and the stock is just fat, it can be nicely worked over to look correct for a Parker stock.
I see no photos of the whole stock, but depending on how the grip is shaped, I could even be converted back to a straight grip and have a proper SG guard put back on the gun.

Also, the gas lines in he breech face are also an aftermarket addition to the gun.

[Dean Romig]

Interesting that someone would cut gas vents in the breech face... I wonder why?

Are there Remington repair codes on the barrel flats? Remington made stocks are typically thicker in the wrist and that looks to be a very well made stock - possibly Remington, but the 'nose of the comb' doesn't look like Remington or DelGrego.

Looks like a 140XXX serial number. Yes, it does have the post-1917 safety button.

[Jim Pasman]

Thank you, Brian. I sent you a PM. Not sure I considered returning to a straight stock because of reconfiguring the trigger guard but that's been touched up, too.

[Jim Pasman]

Hi Dean - no repair codes on it and the numbers on the replaced stock are stamped much larger than original. If it was sent to Remington, it should have codes but maybe not?

[Dean Romig]

Well, there are no order books after 1919 and if it went back to Meriden there would be no record of it. Like I said, the nose of the comb doesn't look like Remington or DelGrego but more like late Parker Bros work.... who knows? We never will.

[Dave Suponski]

The stock on the gun seems to have a full comb add the thick wrist and this stock could have been ordered that way as a replacement.

[Brian Dudley]

I had a VH that had gas lines put on the breech face as well. Mine has a full circle cut around the pin hold and then the straight line to the outside.

[charlie cleveland]

nice gun...i bet you right about someone shooting heavy loads in this gun and ordered the thick wrist...what does it weigh with the thick stock on it...charlie

[Brian Dudley]

I don't think that stock is factory or Remington work.

[Dave Suponski]

Thank you for your opinion Brian.

[Dean Romig]

I had a VH that had gas lines put on the breech face as well. Mine has a full circle cut around the pin hold and then the straight line to the outside.

Brian, do you remember the serial number of that VH? Do you know who machined the gas ports in it?
I know of a Grade 6 hammergun that has those and the work was most likely done by a Mr. Bechtel in 1920. All of the work done to the gun was done at Meriden and it is all a matter of record but in the owner's notes on the gun it was sent once to this Bechtel but no mention of the work that was done. I'm betting Bechtel did the gas porting on the grade 6 - he was a highly respected gunsmith. Brechtel lived and worked in Cleveland and this Parker resided in Cleveland as well. Brechtel apprenticed with and worked for LeFever and finally went on his own as a gunmaker and gunsmith.



.

[Dave Teasdale]

What it the theoretical benefit of the gas lines?

[Dean Romig]

Theoretically they allow gas to escape from pierced primers an sometimes along the chamber walls when using brass shells. The hot gas (flame) has been known to chip and sometimes fracture stock heads and to travel back along the plunger channels toward the shooter's face. I have no idea how effective these ports might have been in eliminating or reducing these problems.

This porting process was patented by W. & C. Scott early on.

My apologies to Jim Pasman for so wildly veering from the original topic of this thread.

[Jim Pasman]

NO apology necessary! This is how we learn....I appreciate everyone's interest in the topic.

I'm totally guessing, but, the gas lines in my gun don't look as professionally crafted as the picture of your hammer gun. The stock on mine has a Remington cap with no repair codes on the flats or barrels. If the original straight stock was replaced with a "beefier" pistol grip and combined with the gas ports, I'm thinking there could have been damage to the original stock due to the loads being used. Since I use RST shells, I would like to see if I can get it back to its original configuration.

Thanks, again, for everyone's interest.

[Brian Dudley]

Dean, Here is a photo of the breech face on the VH that I mentioned.
It is Serial number 125396. The Frame is in my Parts bin. It was originally a 32" straight grip gun.
I think you bought the trigger guard off it from me.

38273

[John Campbell]

This is a rather exact copy of Messrs. Scott "gas check" patent of about 1879/1880. Probably aftermarket work. But well done.

[Dean Romig]

Thanks Brian. I wonder if that one may also have been done by Bechtel... we may never know. I wonder where that gun resided and was used... Ohio maybe?

[Jim Pasman]

nice gun...i bet you right about someone shooting heavy loads in this gun and ordered the thick wrist...what does it weigh with the thick stock on it...charlie

Sorry I missed your weight question, Charlie. According to the bathroom scale method (my weight without versus with the gun) it now weighs 6.5 ponds versus the original 6. Surprised the scale could handle all that after Christmas and New Years...:rotf: