A Grade - 10ga TA Restoration

[Jay Oliver]

I am long overdue in posting pictures of this restoration. This is a 10 Gauge “Premier Quality” grade A Top Action Hammer gun serial# 31841 made in 1883 on a #4 frame. It was engraved by Harry Gough. This was one of 8 consecutive numbered 4 Frame 10 Gauge Premier Quality guns in the serial number range 31839 – 31846. There is a 2009 article in Parker Pages called “Parker Locks and Hammer” that discusses these 8 guns.

Someone had severely altered the stock in the past and the barrels had been poorly browned in the past. Brian Dudley coordinated the restoration work, did the butt transplant and many other things that I appreciated. The barrel engraving was re-freshened and the barrels were refinished(by Breck Gorman).

One of the many things Brian and I discussed was if this high grade gun had a skeleton buttplate. There was no evidence of one. It should be noted the the 8 guns in this series had some variety of small detail differences. We decided to put a steel buttplate back on it with engraving appropriate for an A grade(I really like how this turned out).

The butt transplant looks great and I love the figure in the wood. The stock dimensions were returned to original specs mention in the PCGA letter.

The barrels have were cut long ago from 32” to 28”,though it shoots well and did well at shooting sporting clays. If I ever do run across some #4 frame 32” barrels I will add them to this fantastic gun.

I couldn’t be happier the way everything turned out on this.

Here is a link to the initial thread before restoration: http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=28151

First 3 are before pictures…

[Jay Oliver]

Here are some more pictures. 1st on is a before on the barrels before they were re-engraved and refinished.

[Chris Robenalt]

It just doesn't get any better Jay! Brian did an excellent job on the stock and wood as always! Where can I get one? There's just something about the romance of hammers!

[Harry Collins]

Stunning!

[Mills Morrison]

That is great and the restoration really turned out well!

[Garry L Gordon]

What a great thing to have done to that wonderful old gun.

[charlie cleveland]

that gun is a work of art...charlie

[Brian Dudley]

Thank you for posting about the A grade Jay. I really appreciate it.

When I found this gun, it was a mess and I did not really know what to do with it by way of making it right. I decided to let the new owner of the gun to decide that if they wanted me to do the work. Fortunately Jay and I were on the same page about it being the beat decision to Put the gun back to completely original specifications as far as we knew.

The gun was the textbook perfect case for a butt transplant. A stock with a perfect head and wrist, but a back end that was not salvageable.
See here a few photos from the actual butt transplant process for those who may not know how it is done or what is involved.

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As far as the buttplate goes, the original was on the butt still but it was so hacked up and reduced in size that it was not usable. It had a long narrow spur, which I replicated with the replacement plate.
One would think that an A grade would have an ssbp. And 3 of the 8 guns that are known about have ssbp on them. But, there was absolutely no physical evidence that this gun ever had an ssbp on it. The solid plate on it was original. And Jay was also on the same page as sticking with that, though it defied convention as one would expect.
And I instructed Geoffroy on what I wanted to see out of the engraving on the plate as we had no reference for that. I think he did a great job on it.

[Karl Ferguson]

Brian your talent and attention to detail is amazing ... very nice gun Jay

[Wayne Owens]

Brian, did the original butt plate have a serial number on the inside? Remarkable work!

[Brian Dudley]

Brian, did the original butt plate have a serial number on the inside? Remarkable work!

No. The butt was messed with so much that the buttplate was thinned and also reduced in height greatly. So a lot of the toe, where the serial number usually is, was removed. But the wood surface under the butt was unaltered and the screws were original and matched the plate. And the heads were engraved the same as the screws on the action. What survived of the plate was pretty rusty and pitted. The only remnants of engraving on the plate was At the spur and heel, it was faint and was definitely Parker factory engraving.

[CraigThompson]

I'm a sucker for a 10 gauge no doubt , but this one is quite impressive !

[Brian Dudley]

And if I didnt say it already to you Jay, thank you for becoming the caretaker of this gun and allowing me to help make it right, or as right as it can be. So far they have not figured out a way to stretch barrel lengths.

[Randy G Roberts]

Wow. That's some really nice work and brought back to the original dimensions. Hope you find that second set of barrels some day Jay. Fabulous work Brian!

[Breck Gorman]

Absolutely gorgeous. That is one handsome 10g.

[Jay Oliver]

Thanks Brian for posting pictures of the butt transplant process. This was a fun project and it was great working with Brian on it. I feel like this A grade got the restoration it deserved. I enjoyed seeing this gun brought back to being something special.

I am looking forward to shooting this gun more this fall. At sporting clays it doesn’t kick much with 1 1/8oz of shot and 19 grains of Red Dot…and it is a lot of fun!

[chris dawe]

Great job !

[Jay Oliver]

I got out for 50 rounds with this beauty today. I had only shot it a few times when it was first finished, so I had fun walking around the sporting clays course this afternoon. Even with 4 inches cut off the barrels it felt like an Improved Cylinder gun(I will pattern it sometime soon). It shot 1 1/8oz RSTs very well and I was able to figure most stations out. I hit some long targets that pleasantly surprised me. A great afternoon :)