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View Full Version : Parker refurbish/partial restore help


Ian Cummings
04-09-2021, 06:26 PM
Hello fellow enthusiasts. I only have 1 Parker and it's a rather sentimental piece. I was looking to see if someone could please lookup the serial number 109572 to let me know the specifics of the gun. I know it is a 12 ga SxS hammerless but other than that not much else I know about it. Specifically I'd like to know what style butt plate would have come with the gun. I'm looking to find an old one I can restore or a new production copy. I just don't know what design it would have had. Currently the butt plate was replaced (poorly) with a piece of rubber and not the nice grind to fit style. The background of the gun is below.

This Parker I have was my grandfather's small game gun. He was the one who taught me to shoot but sadly died when I was 6. My parents didn't know much about guns and in my ignorance at 11 years old I thought it would be a good idea to fix the "rust" on the gun and make it blued like my pap's other (newer) guns. A broken stock and a barrel bluing disaster later my parents took the gun to a local gunsmith to fix at the time. I remember him saying I ruined the gun's value trying to work on it. I felt terrible at the time. The gunsmith polished and reblued it and fixed the crack in the stock. At the time, I didn't realize it But my parents elected to replace the butt plate as cheap as possible but with cushion for an 11 year old.

Anyway 25 years later, I still have the gun but it has sat unfired since I was 16. I oiled and cleaned it 2x a year since. At this point I'd like to semi restore some parts and looks of the gun. The bluing is still pristine and so is the cracked / now fixed stock. I'm quite handy now and was able to strip the badly over oiled stock and give it a nice uniform oil finish.

Dean Romig
04-09-2021, 06:34 PM
Welcome Ian!

Can you post pictures for us to see your heirloom Parker?





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Harold Lee Pickens
04-09-2021, 08:02 PM
Brian Dudley makes reproduction butt plates that are very nice on the eye and the wallet.

Mark Britton
04-09-2021, 08:48 PM
Welcome Ian What a great gun ! YOU did NOT ruined the gun. Not only is the story still there you added to it ! Thank you for shareing. Pictures would be great.

Brian Dudley
04-09-2021, 09:20 PM
Brian Dudley makes reproduction butt plates that are very nice on the eye and the wallet.

Allow me to clarify. I do not make buttplates. I have a supplier.


And based on the description of the gun, he may be out of luck on being able to properly fit a plate onto the stock.

Ian Cummings
04-09-2021, 10:27 PM
Here are some pictures. Everything was apart as I cleaned the gun all inside and out. Lots of residue was there. I'm guessing my parents didn't pay the gunsmith to clean it all over. I took pictures of the old cracks which are still in good shape with the (I assume) acraglass type repair. I've bent and twisted and added alcohol to the dry wood and did the same and the cracks never expanded or showed any liquid run indicating it was loose. The gunsmith must have used the acraglass everywhere including the back end of the stock which he filled in the spur and globbed it all in the back to make a straight edge rather than a curve. The forend is the finished color. The stock at the wrist was almost black it had so much oil in and around it. I'm waiting on fixing the butt end of the stock before I put the final color on. I might also try to fill in the minor gap at the barrel break lever. Would a burn on shellac filler be a good choice there?

I purchased some light power shells from RST for when I finish the rebuild. I feel like I should fire it after all these years when finished.

Also if anyone can link me a picture as to what the butt plate should look like for this model gun I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

todd allen
04-09-2021, 11:14 PM
This gun is definitely a worthwhile project. Especially with the connection to your grandfather.

Bill Murphy
04-11-2021, 06:16 AM
A difficult restoration that will never recoup your expenses. Maybe a basic return to shooting condition would be the best route.

Mark Britton
04-11-2021, 09:05 PM
Bill I see and agree with every thing except ! This is not a Gunbroker gun. It's a family gun, one I wish I had. I will never (and knowing going into it ) will ever recoup my investment With the guns I own now but I belive my sons know it's a family gun NOW. Got to start somewhere !

allen newell
04-14-2021, 08:55 AM
Restore it Mark for your family and legacy