Stuck Parker Barrels

[Jerry Andrews]

What causes Parker barrels to not come off the frame? I can take the floor plate off and disengage them manually but they will not come free once the gun is assembled. It cocks fine and works OK, VH grade, 162XXX range. Thanks much, Jerry

[Dave Suponski]

Jerry, It sounds like the unhooking pin is sticking. Take off the forend and see that the pin that protrudes from the front of the frame is free.

[Dean Romig]

Or it could be crud build-up in the mechanism.

You didn't try a set of barrels from a different Parker did you? This should never be attempted without first removing the cocking hook from the barrel lug.... (voice of experience) :eek:

[Bill Murphy]

Free up and lubricate the cocking slide. Most guns will come apart if you fire them. Only ever had one that I had to disassemble.

[scott kittredge]

close the gun ,take safety off and pull the triggers and than try to take the barrels off like you would. sounds like it needs to be cleaned ?

[Leighton Stallones]

Scott is right. I have to pull the triggers,releasing the hammers on my VH to take the barrels off also. Nearly drove me crazy before I discovered it.

[Jerry Andrews]

I need to figure out the mechanics of these Parker guns. I can assemble a Smith or Fox in a dark room but I've not been much into the Parkers but I think I'm gonna be. I need to figure out exactly what makes this gun work. I have all the Parker books, somewhere in there or in the DGJ there should be schematics. Jerry

[Dave Suponski]

Jerry, Go to our home page and click on FAQ. The tenth question down has a great link to Parker disassembly and reassembly. Also on the home page is a link marked "Technical Info" There you will find a great breakdown of parts with the correct terminology.

[Bill Murphy]

Jerry, Parkers can be disassembled in the dark.

[Jerry Andrews]

I'll get to the point where I can take one down and reasseble in the dark. This gun will not whip me, but I want to understand WHY it's doing what it's doing, not just fix it. If I use a hook from another set of barrels, they stick also. So...it's not the hook, it must be in the floor plate mechanism i.e. the cocking slide or the unhooking mechanism or something in that area. It can't be much and I will figure this out. Jerry
PS. If the hammers are down and that unhooks the gun, that's certainly a place to look and see what's different there.

[Francis Morin]

When you dis-assemble a Smith you want to make sure both hammers are cocked first- When you dis-assemble a Parker, assuming you can freely remove the forearm and barrels with the gun cocked, I use a block of soft pine on the breech face and let each hammer down against that- also a good way to determine depth of firing pin indent into a primer when live firing.

The barrel lug hook must be clean and free of crud, also the cocking side and the protruding pin at front of the receiver must move back and forth freely.
Jerry, another good idea is to code the three floor plate screws so that you re-assemble them in the same order.

As far as a 'field strip in the dark"- I'm not so sure in my case-- long time since we stripped and then re-assembled the M1 Garands wearing blindfolds.
I like all the light I can get on my gun workbench and shop area, sign of old age I guess.:bigbye:

[Jerry Andrews]

Is a Parker supposed to be uncocked, or decocked then before taking the barrels off? Is that standard practice with Parkers? I've looked this gun over a bunch now, and I can't really see what the problem is...yet. I'm about to knock the GHE apart and study it with the stock off to try & see the difference. Jerry

[Jim Akins]

Jerry when you have the triggerplate off check the unhooking slide ( it is at the front of the plate and slides in a mortise). sometimes it is stuck by crud or rust and won't slide forward when the forend is off. There is a small tab at the front that pushes the cocking hook forward to release it from the cocking slide, I have seen it broken off. At times the rod that pushes the unhooking slide back when the forend is installed is stuck in the back position and won't allow the unhooking slide to move forward when the forend is removed. In my experience these are the only things that would stop you from removing the barrels. You might also check the cocking hook to verify that it is the original one for the gun, there is usually a # on it.

Jim A.

[Bill Murphy]

Jerry, let us know what you find out.

[Jerry Andrews]

Sure will Bill and gang. I replaced the shingles on my house today from a hailstorm....months ago. That's what happens when it hails during fly fishing time, stuff gets shuffled! I'm going to fly into this thing tomorrow with a fury and knock er' for a loop. I'll post when I finish. Still looking hard for a pair of internal hammers for a Lefever DS if someone ends up with a blown up gun or a clunker. Jerry

[Jim Williams]

Is a Parker supposed to be uncocked, or decocked then before taking the barrels off? Is that standard practice with Parkers? I've looked this gun over a bunch now, and I can't really see what the problem is...yet. I'm about to knock the GHE apart and study it with the stock off to try & see the difference. Jerry

No, it shouldn't be required, but it is OK to do it that way (in other words, it should work either way). As far as I can tell, all dry-firing does to help unstick the barrels is that, with the forend removed, the shock of the tumblers hitting the stops jars the stuck release mechanism so that it releases the cocking hook. You could accomplish the same thing by striking the triggerplate with a rubber mallet after the forend is removed. This isn't required if it is operating freely. When you remove the forend, the cocking medhanism should disengage the hook without assistance, whether it is cocked or not. When you remove the triggerplate, look at the spring loaded release mechanism located in the front of it, and note how it lines up with the other end of the knuckle pin on the inside of the receiver (when it is re-installed). That is how it works. This release mechanism should slide forward freely under its own spring pressure (its' a pretty stout spring). It rides in a track in the triggerplate. The rails of the track can get gummed up and cause it not to return forward when the forend is removed.

For reference, go to the Home page and click on Techical Information. Look at the parts diagram and find part numbers 21 and 27. #21 is the release mechanism ("Unhooking Slide") and is installed in a track on the inside of the triggerplate, in the forward, "doll's head" section. #27 is the pin that is installed in the receiver and protrudes from the knuckle of the receiver when the forend is removed. When the receiver is fully assembled, these parts line-up internally. Putting the forend on the gun depresses 27 so that it is flush with the knuckle, and causes it to push internally on 21 and make it slide rearward. This then causes #22 (Cocking Crank, found in the receiver by looking down in the slot of the water table, right between the two forward-most screws seen on the sides of the receiver) to engage #23 (Cocking Hook of the barrel). The barrels won't come off when these two are engaged, because they must stay engaged to cock the gun when the action is opened. Now in reverse, removing the forend allows 27 to move forward and protrude from the knuckle again. This allows 21 to then move forward in the triggerplate track under its spring pressure, which then moves 22 (Crank) and disengages it from 23 (Hook). Now when the action is opened, the barrels will come off, regardless of whether the action is cocked or not. Hope that helps. It's really pretty simple when you can see the geometry of the parts-in-hand, not so simple to describe in words.

Jim