Tech question about a ringing noise

[Chris Travinski]

I recently aquired another Parker and when I was running some function tests I came across an odd noise. When the right barrel is fired everything is as it should be. When the left barrel is fired, there is a ringing from inside the reciever that resonates for about three seconds. I haven't used live ammo, but when dropping the hammer on a snap cap it's really loud. I'm assuming something to do with the main spring on that side. Does anyone have any experience with this, cause or solution?

[Patrick Lien]

I have had half a dozen Parkers that did this and always on the left barrel and all were 1.5 frame or smaller. I never had a 2 frame do this. I had a Remington 12 skeet that did this and my squad mates were convinced it was getting ready to blow up every time we shot doubles. I just got used to it. I have no idea what causes it though.

Patrick

[John Powers]

Snap caps do wear out, does the problem occur when switched. Possible hammer spring broke, it'll still fire with a broken one, but the coil or two broke might cause this ring. Just a guess, better it go inside and exam. Thanks

[Chris Travinski]

It does the same thing using spent shells instead of snap caps too.

[Brian Dudley]

Some guns just do this. I have a DHE 1-1/2 frame that is my primary shooter and I notice a faint ringing when firing. And this question has been posed here a couple times before.

I am not really sure what exactly causes it.

[Chris Travinski]

Fair enough, if Dudley says it's good then I trust it's good. Hopefully it won't be that noticeable with live ammo. Thanks

[Dean Romig]

Try holding your thumb against the top lever and keep it there when you pull the rear trigger. That told me where one of my Parkers was ringing. The lever acted like a tuning fork on mine - I never gave it a thought after I found out where the ringing was coming from.

[Fred Preston]

Did ya ever try answering it?

[Chris Travinski]

There was no one there, but there was also no flaming bag of dog poo so...

The top lever was the first thing I thought of because I seem to remember it mentioned here before, however it's definitely something internal. I was inside the quiet house when I was checking it out, maybe with some live ammo and a little background noise it won't be that noticeable.

[James L. Martin]

I had 2 Miroku made Browning's that rang when I shot them , nobody seems to know why some guns ring ,but it seems to be nothing to worry about.

[Mills Morrison]

My 8 gauge does that with the 8-12 gauge mates

[wayne goerres]

Gremlins.

[Scott Smith]

I had a 2 frame 12 ga Trojan, and a 12 guage Sterlingworth that rang upon firing. I am not a physicist, but would guess that the ringing is related to harmonics. A vibration that results from strong springs, creating an audible ringing noise. Sort of like a tuning fork. I don't think it is indicative of any problem. Both the Trojan and Sterlingworth performed flawlessly in a variety of conditions, and over a long period of time. Just my thoughts.

[Kevin McCormack]

Recoil, torque and internal stock wood bearing on metal parts. Browning O/Us, which I owned and shot in competition for many years, (mostly 12 gauges), would exhibit this identical phenomenon. In the case of the Browning and other O/Us, FN gunsmiths claimed that because of the angle of the firing pins, one or the other (over or under) pins within their springs would have adequate room to vibrate the springs upon detonation, causing the wave of vibration to travel to the barrels and "release", so to speak, upon the vent rib or along the forend iron.

This produced the familiar "singing sound" heard upon shooting, which lingered for a few hundredths of a second after firing. The theory being that either one side or the other of the firing pin race and spring alignment of a SxS, or the upper or lower barrel of an O/U, was "tight" or "loose" in terms of transmitting the tuning-fork-type sound as described.

Particularly rapid firing in succession, as in skeet doubles or in bunker trap, would cause a dampening effect on the first detonation as the gun recoiled, thus attenuating the vibration upon the first shot, but allowing a lingering tone on the second shot, clearly audible as a "ringing" sound".

According to harmonic physics, the higher the quality of the steel, the more "finely tuned" was the ringing sound perceived, due to the more even transmission of the sound waves along the straighter lines of laminar flow of the higher quality steel.

[Dean Romig]

We should all read Mr. Travinsky's original post wherein he specifically states that he hasn't experienced this phenomenon with live ammo.... But that it is really loud when he uses snap caps.

[Richard Flanders]

I dry fired my 1-1/2 frame VH12 yesterday when I was ready to put it away and when I fired the left bbl the gun rang like a bell. I think the hammer hits the frame when there is no shell in it and just triggers a resonance when all factors are just right. If the hammer had hit a firing pin it wouldn't hit the frame, if I have my vision of the internals correct. I've never really noticed it before but I v rarely dry fire them. This one sure rang with a good high-frequency tone of relatively short duration.

[Jim Signore]

My #2 frame Trojan also rings when dry fired. I've shot it a ton but never paid any attention to see if rang with live ammo though. But that said, never had a problem with it either, so I generally don't think to much about it.

[Pete Lester]

I have a two frame Trojan that rings when it is dry fired or fired. I have a 1 1/2 frame VH that rings so loud I could hear it over the bang of the shell going off. The ringing guns have become much quieter as I have grown older...................

[Jeff Hartin]

new to owning a Parker and have a big GHE #2 frame that rings with both barrels, snap caps and live shells. I'd like to have it eliminated if anyone knew for sure how to do it.

[Brian Dudley]

Some guns do it, some dont. It is a matter of resonance in the frame.

I had an A grade in the shop recently that rang the loudest I had ever heard. It was very loud on the one barrel.
Part of my work was a full strip and clean. Along with a bunch of stock work. When I was done, it did not do it anymore. But I did not do anything specifically to address it or find out the cause.

[Richard Flanders]

Gift the gun to me; that will solve your problem for good!! :rolleyes:

Has anyone ever considered this ring to be nothing more than a resonant frequency thing?

[Chris Travinski]

Jeff,
Where did you pick up that GHE?

[Jeff Hartin]

Chris, bought it from S Barnett, for use as a clays gun. 32" barrels, 8 lbs 5 oz. I think it is loose Mod, tight mod, can't recall chokes exactly. I am still getting use to it, always been more of a game gun shooter until a big tournament sporting shooter that convinced my I would struggle shooting only 20 ga or light 7/8 loads in a light 12 ga gun.

[Richard Flanders]

I think this issue is no different than running a wet finger around the rim of a wine glass. You do it just right and the glass sings/hums loudly. Same with a steel gun. Somehow when the hammer drops it does so just right and triggers the resonant frequency of the steel and it sings out. I wouldn't be surprised if the loosening and tightening of screws and putting some oil or grease here and there would change or eliminate it.

[Bill Murphy]

Wrap the top lever in adhesive tape. See if that stops the ringing.

[Chris Travinski]

Jeff,
The reason I asked was because Robin Hollow recently sold the gun that I was originally talking about when this post started years ago. Mine was a 30" gun in crisp next to new condition. It would have been funny if we were talking about the same gun.

[Daniel Carter]

All of my Parkers ring, some only one barrel. Have always found it something I liked about them. The 2 that ring both barrels each has a different tone and with ear protection and a solid wood to wood mount it can be heard when fired.