Advice needed on coaching a Parker 12 gauge

[Romney Stewart]

I just inherited my great grandfather’s 12 gauge Parker shotgun. As best I can tell the serial number of the gun shows it was manufactured in 1901 and it is made of Vulcan steel. It was missing some screws and I took it to a gunsmith who repaired it, but there is a dent in the barrel several inches down that the gunsmith says make the barrel unsafe to shoot as is, so his recommendation station is to stagecoach the gun and cut the barrel off at some point below the dent. My questions are 1) am I better off leaving the gun as is in its original condition but unshootable, or 2) what barrel length should I have the gun shortened to that would make it a great Parker coach gun? Is the value of the gun completely ruined if the gun is coached even though it’s more fun and functional? I have attached a few pics. Thanks for any advice!

[scott kittredge]

DONT CUT THE BARRELS !!! take it to a smith that know side by sides
scott

[George Davis]

Do not cut the barrels, they can be fixed by a good side X side gunsmith!!

[Dean Romig]

Most dents can be lifted and the work can be made nearly invisible.

By all means - don’t cut those barrels. Your great-grandfather would never forgive you.

Find a gunsmith who knows and has experience on classic sxs guns. IMO your guy gave you bad advice.

Cutting the barrels on that gun would reduce its value from $1200 to $400 tops.




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[Steve Huffman]

If your gunsmith put that screw in the trigger guard I would find a different gunsmith !Please show the dent and also did he put a screw on the right side of the receiver . if so please show in a picture .

[Ed Norman]

Romney,
I bet if you give the general area where you live the members in here may know of a gunsmith near you that could look at your gun. good luck

[Dean Romig]

Please show us a picture of the dent.





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[keavin nelson]

Romney,
you would be amazed at the dents that can be raised, and many have. And as someone else said, find a new smith. A picture of the dent would help, and your location to recommend someone that might be close by. I have raised numerous dents with my Hosford tool. Most you can't see.

[Paul Ehlers]

As others here have said. Please get the gun to a qualified gunsmith who knows Parkers. After looking over the pictures you posted. I see several items that need to be addressed besides the dent in the barrels. By the looks of things the gun has been disassembled sometime in the past & several screws have either been lost or replaced by incorrect screws & that's only what can be seen externally, who knows what might have been done internally. One of the main issues I would have looked at is the fit of the stock to the action, if I'm seeing things correctly you may be missing both of the tang screws that secure the stock to the action or they may just be loose and need to be fit up correctly. The one thing your smith got right was to not shoot the gun until the proper repairs have been completed.

All of these issues can probably be addressed to bring your grandfathers gun back to the condition he would be proud of, but it will the take time, financial commitment & a qualified gunsmith who knows Parkers to do so.

Good luck & let us know how things go with this one.

[Romney Stewart]

All, thank you very much for your great input and advice. I will move forward with finding a different gunsmith that really knows side by sides in an effort to try and get the dent fixed and avoid coaching the gun. I live in the greater Provo/Salt Lake City, UT area - if anybody knows a good side by side gunsmith anywhere in this area that they recommend I could reach out to, that would be much appreciated!

[Jerry Harlow]

You didn't take it to a gunsmith. You took it to an idiot.

[Andrew Sacco]

Join the PGCA and get a research letter on the gun so you can (hopefully) get some history on it.

If I'm reading the serial # correctly there ARE records available.

[Brian Dudley]

Based on the screw he installed on the guard and his advice on the barrels, My recommendation is to loose that “gunsmiths” number...

[Michael Moffa]

I can heartily attest to the skill of Mr. Dudley and his ability to right the wrongs on your VH. Send it to him for a extremely competent review.

[Bruce Day]

You didn't take it to a gunsmith. You took it to an idiot.

A butcher with a chop saw.

[todd allen]

The best advice I can give is never act on the first opinion when it comes to fine guns, such as a Parker.
Glad you checked in with the PGCA before proceeding on the first opinion.
Parker values thrive on originality. That should always be the first priority.
You're in good hands here.

[allen newell]

Dave Fjelline of Lincoln, California is an extremely competent gunsmith. He specializes in Parkers exclusively. His turnaround time is fast and his workmanship is excellent. He has done work for me and I can attest to this. He's done work for Dean as well and Dean has spoken highly of him and referred Dave to me.
Dave's contact info is: 916-521-1334.

[Romney Stewart]

Thank you very much for the recommendation and contact info! I visited on the phone with Dave Fjelline yesterday, and I am shipping my gun to him this week to assess - and hopefully fix those dents in the barrel. Crossing my fingers...!

[Mike Franzen]

Good call

[Romney Stewart]

Many thanks to all for your help on this thread! Dave Fjelline completed the needed work on my Parker and it is wonderful shooting condition now - so very glad. He was incredible.

Quick question - is re-bluing the gun barrels something that forum members would recommend doing to this older 1901 model? If so, I would send it back to Dave to do it. Granted, my gun is one of the lower grade Parkers so resell value isn't the main driver in this case, but I'm unsure if rebluing the barrels and steel is a death sentence for a Parker or not. It would probably look nicer with it, but maybe old and uneven steel coloring is a better kind of beautiful on a Parker. Any thoughts?

[Dean Romig]

The blueing on your barrels is very thin and it would sure make the barrels look good, but then, what about the rest of the gun??





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[Chris Pope]

You have graciously accepted some awesome advice here on the PGCA discussion forum- which is why, as a novice Parker person like you, I appreciate this place so much.
I would just throw in that, aside from the fact that your great grandfather's gun is an American gem (I don't care what grade it is,) it is most importantly a part of your family's history with stories to tell. Whether you decide to blue the barrels or not just document in writing what you have done and who did it. It becomes part of the Parker's provenance and increases its value to those whom you pass this on to after your departure from the earth. Two of my most prized possessions are my great grandfathers deer rifle and my grandfathers .45. When your great grandson, or great granddaughter or great great nephew inherits this they will then own their 4 times great grandfather's Parker...what a great story...now I want to research to see if there's a discussion thread here where members share photos and stories of their forbears firearms!...
Best of luck!

[Romney Stewart]

Great feedback and thoughts, thanks so much. I am going to keep the gun as is for now - old and beautiful!

[Dean Romig]

You’ll never regret that decision.





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