Parker AHE 20 gauge

[Mike Shepherd]

In reference to this thread:

http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=3141&highlight=cabelas

Well the gun popped up back on the Cabelas website and I managed to get it into my gun safe.

The good news is:

The original 26" Acme barrels have .022" minimum wall thickness.

The original forend ejectors work flawlessly.

The barrels ring

The engraving is very good.

The gun is light - 5 lbs 14oz

Tight and on face, lever to the right

There is 13" LOP of original wood, 14-1/2" over the extension.

The bores are very good.

I really really like the gun

The bad news is:

The stock extension is not the original piece of wood and is not all that well done.

The 30" Titanic barrels that were added later have a minimum .011" wall thickness. And they passed London proofs at that - I found the Christie's listing online and it said they were .009"

The forend that goes with the Titanic barrels is a DHE and I think the wood is not done by the factory. The fit of the barrels and forend iron are excellent so they may have been done by the factory. Nothing shows up on the Parker letter in reference to these barrels.

Stock is loose - when the pin/screw under the thumblever is tightened the stock tightens back up but the screw is out of time and rubs the bottom of the thumblever

The back trigger is two pounds heavier than the front trigger.

Here are some poor pictures taken by me. I know they aren't very good but they were the best I could do today.

[Rich Anderson]

You can have the stock extension painted to match the grain of the rest of the stock. i don't know if I'd use the titanic barrel set with only .011 thousands of wall thickness. The gun was there for a very ong time, sold and returned. My question would be why?

[Bruce Day]

The gun has some real positives and needs some careful work, but I think it can be returned to A level. The best part about it is the wonderful engraving. I've seen it and handled it several times, knew its recent history and I wished Mike the best with it.

[Gregory Miller]

It would sound like this wonderful old Parker has found a good home. Plenty of people with the skills to bring it back and saving an AHE is something worth doing in life.

[scott kittredge]

nice a 1" pad would bring it to 14" do away with ext. scott

[Mike Shepherd]

Thanks to Bruce for sharing the information he had on the gun, it was very helpfu. And thanks to Richard, Greg, and Scott. The stock painting and leather covered pads are all certainly viable ideas.

Daryl Halquist has been coaching me a little on taking pictures of guns. I think these are better.

[scott kittredge]

you could also sleeve the 30 in. barrels to a 28 ga:) scott

[scott kittredge]

you could also have 28 ga full length tubes put in the 30 in barrels :) scott

[Mike Shepherd]

The 30" barrels passed London proof with .014" thin spot per the Christie's London auction listing. The thin spot is about 9" from the muzzle. I think I will just shoot them if the mood strikes me - of course with low pressure loads.

But thanks for the innovative ideas.

I changed some camera settings and took some more pictures. The engraving is better than I have been able to convey through my photographs. Please excuse me posting so many repetitious pictures. I think they are marginally better than the pictures I posted on this thread earlier.

Best,

Mike

[Bruce Day]

Nice camera work. Takes just a little set up time and the results are so much better.

As for the suggestions:

Most people like skeleton butts, so much more graceful than a padded rubber butt. Painting woodgraining or replacing the butt extension with a better matching piece of wood are options.

Wouldn't full length liners and reducing the bore to 28 ga significantly alter the balance?

This gun always had great engraving, and I'm glad the sellers were able to be more realistic. Lots of opportunities with the gun.

[scott kittredge]

might be a little off, but get to shoot it, and keep fingers :shock:

[Mike Shepherd]

The original 26" Acme barrels have plenty of wall thickness. The minimum wall thickness is .022"

The 30" Titanics added later have the .014" minimum wall thickness. I believe that in that location 9" from the muzzle the risk is in getting an unrepairable dent by dropping, closing in a car door, or otherwise banging the barrel in the thin spot. The dent would not be repairable. I woudn't be interested in shooting the 30" barrels if the .014" thin spot was at the end of the forcing cone.


Best,

Mike

[Rich Anderson]

I don't think a set of Briley ultra light 28ga tubes would upset the ballance of the gun.

I would also strive to retain the SSBP. The easiest and least expensive way to make the stock look right is to have the extension painted. I have had two guns where this has been done and the results are amazing. You have to look to notice it.

[Mike Shepherd]

I have an English singleshot hammergun with a painted stock that looks pretty good.

Also thought of having a butt pad made out of wood with the skeleton butt plate mounted on it. Darker color than the stock and perhaps an 1/8" black plastic insert between the stock and the butt plate wood.

But I don't have to decide anything right now. When I know what I want to do I will know.

Thanks again for all the comments.

Best,

Mike