New to me Parker 12ga.

[DouglasDeHart]

Good morning,

Very new to the world of Parker Shotguns and was referred to this forum by a friend. Looking for advice on what to do to this Parker to make it a solid shooter.

Was in my local gun shop last week and couldn’t help myself when I saw a Parker 12ga on the shelf for $550. I have shot the gun. I have also researched “bringing the gun back on face”- as the biggest issue that I can tell is the barrels lose or wiggling when I close the gun. I have contacted Turnbull about doing this repair.

Aside from that issue- I wanted to get advice on the condition of the gun I bought. Replacing the screws that you can see in pictures have heads worn. Replacing the orange site with appropriate bead? And lastly how to properly replace the butt pad that is chipped.

Was also hoping if someone could tell me if the bluing on barrels is original?

The wood is also rough but I like the patina and think it should be left as is.? Or any suggestions to lightly polish? Not sure what I would use for that.

Thanks for looking and I Look forward to learning more.
Doug

[Rick Losey]

nice find- but be careful you do not end up in a money pit situation

please do not take this wrong - you can have a great shooter here

however

a repaired 2 frame 12 V grade is not going to be a high value gun- and repairs are not inexpensive (30" barrels?)

if it is off face - absolutely fix that - it will just get worse. -

the stock has been pinned - likely due to a split inside the head. if the wood is solid - it can be repaired better and with a veneer of walnut to hide the bolt hole it will look better

the other option it to find a good take off stock - it will likely need a little fitting- but its much more reasonable for this gun than a new stock

other than that - shoot it and enjoy it

[DouglasDeHart]

Thanks for the info...I didn’t even know the stock had been pinned. Or what that meant until now.

So it doesn’t look like I should have purchased this one? I don’t worry much about value, but it would cost me at least 450 to have it tightened....that’s a lot to invest. Perhaps once that is done I can try my hand at restocking the gun. Barrels are 28”.

[tom leshinsky]

no, you got a good buy but it does need some work. It is one of the most common Parkers
that is why OH said be careful it could become a money pit. Get the off face repair and you will have a good shooter. get prices from some of the gunsmiths here to compare with Turnbull. Reproduction butt plates are around $15

[Rick Losey]

Thanks for the info...I didn’t even know the stock had been pinned. Or what that meant until now.

So it doesn’t look like I should have purchased this one? I don’t worry much about value, but it would cost me at least 450 to have it tightened....that’s a lot to invest. Perhaps once that is done I can try my hand at restocking the gun. Barrels are 28”.

i don't think its a bad purchase - but what additional money you spend on it will determine that

check the recommended gunsmiths list on the board and see what the on face will cost - that must be done correctly but does not have to be that expensive

stock wise- the repair is not difficult if you have a little skill, the tools and the patience to do it right - BUT - make sure the wood is solid and oil free before proceeding

there was a thread on that process - not sure if you can see the pictures if you have a photobucket account

http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=517&highlight=staple

Brian Dudley has graciously posted a instructions on disassembly
http://parkerguns.org/forums/album.php?albumid=307

[Brian Dudley]

The gun was not a terrible buy for what it is in the condition it is in. Obviously as low as possible is always best with a gun in this shape. But you have to start somewhere and a shootable VH for $500 is to be expected.


Make sure that your gun is in fact off face and in need of repair in that regard. Looseness on the hinge when the gun is open is typical for a well used gun as it is just the nature of the design of the forend and hinge. What is important is if the gun is tight when locked closed. Movement when closed could be an off face condition or could just be a loose lockup. And a loose lockup can be improperly mistaken for being off face.

It is hard to tell if the barrel blue is original or not from your photos.

And replacement of the Ithaca style raybar sight can be done without much trouble. But likely not with a factory bead. A modern brass or aluminum style bead would be the ticket since it has already been opened up larger for that current sight.

If the stock head is tight and has no movement, I would just keep the stock on it as it is with the pinned head. Unless you want to mess with restocking. Remember... money pit.

If you put $450 into breech work, then you are already into it for more than it is worth.

[DouglasDeHart]

Thank you for all the great info and advice thus far.

And yes Brian the looseness happens while the gun is closed. I am not sure how to tell the difference between odd face or lose lockup as you mentioned.

[Craig Larter]

My advise would be sell the gun and recoup some of your money, it's a money pit. Lean more about Parkers and the what original condition both mechanical and finishes are correct. Save your money and eventually buy yourself a gun that doesn't have issues. Your purchase is a cost of the education in vintage guns believe me we have all been there. In my case as a long time collector, I still make mistakes that end up costing me money. Your best decision was to join this forum and the PGCA, an investment which will pay you back in spades.

[DouglasDeHart]

Ugh. The only place around me I think I could sell it is where I bought it. Not sure how that would go.

Hunting is secondary to my fly fishing and bamboo rod making. To purchase a gun for much more would probably be a stretch for me financially.

[Rick Losey]

Douglas,

check around for a better price on tighting the gun- you can shoot it with the pinned stock if its solid

where are you located, someone might be able to point you some place

and - please post some pics of your rods - there is a photos Friday page -

BTW, are you the same DeHart on the Classic fly rod board?

[DouglasDeHart]

I am the same DeHart on Classic Fly Rod Forum...2 kids with another on the way has cut into my rod making time lol.

Located in South Jersey if anyone has suggestions on getting gun tightened.

[Rick Losey]

:rotf:

Patrick McManus once wrote that having kids was a fun hobby that quickly got out of control

maybe we'll meet at the Catskills rodmaker's gathering some year

[Brian Dudley]

Up and down movement when closed is a loose lockup. Side to side is off face.

If it is loose lockup, the barrels will be away from the face and you will see light between barrels and breech face. Pull down on the barrels and see if you can see light still while applying pressure. If no light is visible, then you know it is just lockup that needs to be corrected. This could be corrected by replacing/refitting the bolt, or through a few other methods depending on who is doing the work and how they want to do it.

There is nothing wrong with doing the minimal work to make the gun shootable, and then doing just that... shooting it.
However, I kind of second Craigs statement on the subject. Bail and save up for a better gun and learn about what to look for. When VH 12g guns are the subject. Twice what you spent will buy you a good gun without any of the issues you currently have with this one. $1,000 - $1200 may seem like a lot, but in the Parker market (or even more generally speaking, the quality double market) it really isn't a lot.

[Jerry Harlow]

Just my 2 cents, not always welcomed.

If you build fly rods, you have skills. If you want to keep this gun:

1. Replacement large size reproduction spurred butt plate from N.C. Ordnance. Fit it yourself.

2. If off face, buy shim stock package from Brownells and fit correct thickness over roll joint to tighten barrels to frame. Remove stock from frame and with a hair dryer get out as much oil as possible. And if you are really skilled, find out how much it needs to tighten up, remove roll joint (not an easy job but possible), measure, and buy an oversized one from Brian Dudley and replace it ($125 I think).

3. Leave everything else alone including Ray-bar sight, screws, pin in head of stock, and shoot it. Shootable for from $40 (butt plate and shim stock) to $160 (if you go with the oversized roll joint).

4. Clean bluing and all metal with Frontier 45 pad and oil, or Chore Boy copper pad (similar to former). Do not use steel wool.

Now your Parker beginning collection has a rainy day/field gun.

[DouglasDeHart]

Welp. Local shop offered
Me no more than $150.00......

[Dean Romig]

That's wholesale..... Try retailing it.





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[DouglasDeHart]

Just want to thank everyone for the input. I called the shop I purchased from and explained that the gun would just take too much work for me to get it where I want it. Owner allowed me to trade it back in towards another gun....

He showed me a Parker V Grade 16ga that was probably the nicest feeling gun I've ever held. It was actually the first time I'd ever held a 16ga side by side shotgun, I had no idea just how light and balanced they feel.

For $950- I studied it over and over before making a decision. The action was not tight, side to side or up and down. No case coloring left....I was about to pull the trigger and buy it thinking I could have that fixed until I spotted a hairline crack that looked to have been fixed in the stock.

I decided to pass, taking the advice from the forum here and will wait until I can find what I want in a decent condition. I plan on becoming a member and hopefully can get a decent 16ga from one of you guys on here.

Thank you again for the advice. My education shall continue.

[Dean Romig]

A wise decision Douglas.





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