To restore or not to restore

[Michael Moffa]

Picked this up in Lost Wages from my Ivory Bead good buddies last January. I inquired of Mr. Gournet for a quote to redo the engraving. It was not inconsequential but excellent work will always command a premium. I've amassed the funds but am still not sure on (pardon the pun) pulling the trigger.

It seems that a previous custodian ( and that's all we are to these fine guns) had it redone and the engraving was scrubbed off. Now I have two more Gr4's with identical floor plate engraving and know what it should look like. The thing is with the redo cost added to the acquisition cost I will most likely be a little underwater on this. I'm on the fence on going forward. Who has an argument one way or the other.

One thing is according to researching the SN book it is the 5th Titanic barrelled Gr4 and could be the earliest still known.

[Reggie Bishop]

I am sure you will get lots of opinions. For me personally once a gun has been restored, the question of doing it again would be based solely on whether I would rather have the cash in hand or have a nice pretty Parker. That is why I tend to gravitate toward original guns in fairly high condition. But that is just personal preference and not any real logic. That is a nice Parker though!

[Mills Morrison]

Personally, I would probably do it, but then I just enjoy having guns restored.

[Eric Eis]

It's a great gun, but you will be totally upsidedown in the gun if you restore it unless you got it for a couple of hundred bucks which I doubt. Keep it as is and enjoy it as is.

[John Campbell]

My two centavos: Leave it alone. It's a nice old Parker. It has cachet as it is.

The resto path is fine for flogged out guns. This one isn't. But I would be concerned about the odd fit of the bottom plate doll's head. Or... maybe it's just shadow?

A Parker is only new once. If cared fore and used, it's art and human history.

[Mills Morrison]

I will add to my previous post that you should not expect to recoup your investment. All you will get is satisfaction from having it done

[Dean Romig]

I would be concerned about the odd fit of the bottom plate doll's head. Or... maybe it's just shadow?



There should be nothing there to cast a shadow. My guess it that if you remove the barrels and look down in the recess past the bolt trip you'll see the last three digits of a different Parker C-Grade.





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[Dave Noreen]

In that some previous caretaker has already messed with it, I'd favor getting a total proper restoration. Don't think I could live with the fit of that trigger plate as it is.

[Brian Dudley]

Yeah, it looks to me like the front of the trigger plate has been messed with so much that it has been rounded over all the way around. There is no point in restoring the gun without doing it right which means correcting that issue. Either by replacing the plate and engraving to match or repairing that one which would be a LOT of delicate work in itself.

It my opinion, any grade 4 or higher Parker should be made to be as right as possible, but you have to weigh cost and effort against reward for yourself.

[edgarspencer]

I had a nearly identical, and equally early CH, but had to give it up in a trade. Jeez I miss than gun. Seems i went through the serialization book and it was also one of the first 10 Titanic Grade 4s. Belonged to Canadian trap shooter, Robert Montgomery, who took the Silver Medal in the 1923 Paris Olympics. I was never able to confirm whether he did it with that gun though.

[Bill Murphy]

The pictured gun is beyond a normal restoration. A "one of the first" documentation is not enough to make this gun an important gun once it is restored. The floorplate abuse is hideous. Shoot it and enjoy it.

[David Noble]

The floor plate is unfortunate but I really like the over-all look of the gun otherwise.
It has a great profile and the wood is beautiful. Personally, I would use it just as it is if the stock is solid and the bores check out.

[Garth Gustafson]

I wouldn't do anything right now except shoot that gun and enjoy it. Maybe down the road you'll feel more committed to a full resto. That is a beautiful gun you have there and you are a lucky man to have 3 grade 4s.

[wayne goerres]

Just my two cents worth but I would have the plate spruced up and leave the rest of the gun as is. Its your gun and you only live once.You might as well have something your proud of.

[Michael Moffa]

I believe the gun has been restored once already and the surface was power wire brushed hence the degradation of the floor plate edge. To fix that correctly would require the TIG addition of metal and then very careful hand fitting. It would still not be right and will most likely leave a shadow line and funky case hardening colors. So I won't have that done. I just wanted to touch up the engraving and that will cost $2500.

I did take it dove shooting this past September, no birds though.

[Jerry Harlow]

I'd be using it just as it is. But if you had a few bucks to blow on it, and not spend $2500, you could have the floor plate scene recut. It would then stand out. I had the dogs and reeds recut on the sides of a D that had been polished. It made me happy enough and was cheap enough.

[Chris Travinski]

The floor plate looks like someone went crazy with a buffer the last go around. You can see evidence of that around all the screw holes on the sides of the action too. It's not impossible or even overly difficult to fix, it'll just take time and money. I think it's a fine old gun that deserves to be made right. You'll likely be into it for more than it's worth, but will your enjoyment offset that?? It's only money...you can always make more :rotf:

[Craig Budgeon]

Fix it or sell it since it is obvious the gun doesn't please you now.

[Bill Murphy]

I rescued a CHE 12 gauge in the same serial number range that was abused and incorrectly repaired. I couldn't live with it, so I sold it to a PGCA member who loved it more than I did. He continued with the restoration started by two previous owners and made it a very nice gun. He sold it off my Baltimore Show table a year or two ago to someone who just had to have it. As the tractor dealers say, there's a seat for every ass.

[Craig Larter]

From the pictures your gun looks like a money pit to my eye. If it was me I would sell it and move on.

[Michael Moffa]

To answer a previous question the floor plate serial numbers to the gun. It has very shootable dimensions. I'm a shooter-collector, some guys are collector-collectors and only want high original condition. I get that and have examples that would easily qualify but they are safe queens. To me the guns are to be taken and used and enjoyed and shared with those who don't know about them. How many Grade 4's make it to the fields? This one will and will not be sold but passed to my special snowflake who appreciates them too.

[Chris Travinski]

"This one will and will not be sold but passed to my special snowflake who appreciates them too."

Sounds like the perfect excuse to make it right again!

[Jim DiSpagno]

Eight years ago, at a small auction in W. Palm Beach Fl., I picked up a C grade 2 frame serial number 90681 listed as Ti4 S 12ga 28”. Some idiot hack sawed both sets of Barrels to 14”. The gun left Meridan with a dogs head butt plate and 28” Titanic steel Barrels IM and IM and a second set of 30” F and F with matching forends. Got it for no money so Chris Dawe redid the wood and I had a set of Vulcan steel Barrels that went on the gun like they were made for it. That gun now resides I Kansas and the owner just loves it. Weighed 8 pounds and balanced beautifully. Very early grade 4 with Titanic steel Barrels leaving Meridan early 1899.

[John Campbell]

To answer a previous question the floor plate serial numbers to the gun. It has very shootable dimensions. I'm a shooter-collector, some guys are collector-collectors and only want high original condition. I get that and have examples that would easily qualify but they are safe queens. To me the guns are to be taken and used and enjoyed and shared with those who don't know about them. How many Grade 4's make it to the fields? This one will and will not be sold but passed to my special snowflake who appreciates them too.

Kudos. A wise and well-considered position. And about all you'd need to make this gun a bit more prideful is to have those rounded edges of the bottom plate laser welded back up, the plate refitted, edge engraving restored, and the wear/patina matched up in that area.

If it were me, I'd send the gun off to Brad Bachelder and have it done. Cost for the work should be very tolerable.

[Kirk Potter]

Personally, I like bringing far gone guns back from the dead and restoring them to their former glory.. Although this ones not far gone you might as well have the work done.. If you plan on keeping it, then why not? I don’t really care if I’m under water on guns that I plan on keeping anyways. Also under water now might not be in 5-10 years anyways.

[Mills Morrison]

Personally, I like bringing far gone guns back from the dead and restoring them to their former glory.. Although this ones not far gone you might as well have the work done.. If you plan on keeping it, then why not? I don’t really care if I’m under water on guns that I plan on keeping anyways. Also under water now might not be in 5-10 years anyways.

You're speaking my language. Besides, the before and after photos are more striking if you start in really bad shape

[Brett Hoop]

You're speaking my language. Besides, the before and after photos are more striking if you start in really bad shape

Sir,
Please grant me license to use the "striking before and after photos " argument for pleadings with my wife.