Gun Stuck Closed

[John Helms]

My wife inherited her grandfather’s Parker. According to the S/N search it is a 1905. The original damascus barrels were replaced by Parker in the 60s (we have the originals) with modern steel barrels.
Right now, it is stuck closed. The top lever is off center to the right and will move further to the right but will not go far enough to break the gun open. The safety was stuck in the fire position but by manipulating it and wiggling the aft trigger, I got it to move to the safe position.
Does anyone have any ideas to get the gun open? I am very familiar with guns but new to Parkers and don’t want to damage it.
I have attached pictures to show the position of the top lever and of the receiver.

[Dean Romig]

John, how forcefully have you tried to open the action?

If I find one of my Parkers seems to be stuck closed (which has been an extremely rare occurance) I hold the lever all the way over and thump the gun at the hinge pin across my knee as if I were trying to break a stick of wood... This has always worked for me.

Others may advise against this method but if it's going to open, it will usually open with this method.





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[John Helms]

I tried that with no luck. The top lever doesn’t seem like it will go far enough to the right. My other shotguns go further and have a positive release when I move the top lever.

[John Campbell]

Try removing the forend first. Then try to open it. This sometimes works...

[John Helms]

No luck with that either.

[Austin J Hawthorne Jr.]

If the gun has been unused for many years perhaps congealed oil has hardened between the barrel flats and receiver. A squirt of penetrating fluid into that area may loosen the barrels?

[John Campbell]

There are some MAJOR considerations here:

Did you use/fire the gun before this happened? If so, have both barrels been fired?
If only one, see a qualified double gunsmith!
If both have been fired and it still won't open, see a double gunsmith to avoid damage to the gun.
If you fired the gun prior to the lock up, with what ammunition? High speed? Imports?
In any case, your best bet is to consult a qualified double gunsmith.

One of the cardinal rules of good gunsmithing is to NEVER force anything...

[John Helms]

The gun has not been fired in probably 40-50 years so I don’t know the answers to the above questions. Nothing has been forced at all.
My next step is to follow the advice above and find a reputable gunsmith to look at it. The problem is finding one in the Montgomery, Alabama area. I don’t want to ship it anywhere.

[todd allen]

Might want to gently, (with the safety on) run a cleaning rod down each barrel and make sure that there is not something in the chambers

[edgarspencer]

If I recall, the new bolt design had not yet come out, and a friend had precisely the same issue with a gun he left with me. It was the bolt, still engaged in the barrel lug, and due to wear of the offset pin, and bolt, rotating the top lever pushed the bolt ever so slightly to the side. In the end, and, as John suggests, I resorted to doing something I wouldn't ordinarily do. Putting the gun in the wood jaws, I placed a hardwood stick against the top lever and gave it a firm rap with the mallet. Opened right up, and continued to do so each time the gun was closed gently. On closing the gun somewhat more forcefully, it locked right up again.

[Phil Yearout]

Might want to gently, (with the safety on) run a cleaning rod down each barrel and make sure that there is not something in the chambers

I was thinking the same thing; old fired shells, or maybe snap caps? My Fox Sterlingworth 16 locked up on me on a recent South Dakota trip; the strikers in the snap caps were too low and the firing pins were hung up. Fortunately it was my back up gun and I didn't need it. Got it open later and raised the strikers. But actually, I'm thinking the "gummed up" thing is the most obvious problem.

[Ken Descovich]

Make sure it's not loaded before there is any trigger pulling.

[Milton C Starr]

The gun has not been fired in probably 40-50 years so I don’t know the answers to the above questions. Nothing has been forced at all.
My next step is to follow the advice above and find a reputable gunsmith to look at it. The problem is finding one in the Montgomery, Alabama area. I don’t want to ship it anywhere.

Im usually like that as well when it comes to shipping a gun , however I think on double guns especially vintage ones its best to send them to a expert they arent ar15s where just anyone can work on them.

[Bob Jurewicz]

John,
Try this:

"I have had the same experiences as Harry C with insufficient rim recess. My fix for getting the gun to open was to place the receiver and barrels in a well padded vice ( bottom of receiver and top of barrels at the breach) and carefully and slowly tighten. I often would hear a click, the top lever would move free and when removed the gun would open. I now have a complete set of reamers."
http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=27257&highlight=can%27t+barrels&page=2

This is from a 2019 post on the same problem. It is possible gun was put away because it would not open, so, cases may still be in chambers.
Bob Jurewicz
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