Parker Repro barrel - need gunsmith

[Mike Shepherd]

My son’s Parker Repro 12 gauge came apart today.

Would someone please recommend a gunsmith?

I used to use Kirk Merrington down in Tyler but he retired.

Thanks!

Mike

[Harold Lee Pickens]

wow, that should just never happen

[Steve Huffman]

Well sorry to see that I keep telling myself I want one but there's that other voice saying no I think it's time to listen to the other.

[Brian Dudley]

Oh boy! That is crazy! I would think that the barrel lug itself would be soldered on with a much higher temp solder or brazing than the ribs. But I cannot say that I know for sure. Based on this, they must not be.

[todd allen]

Wow, that's a first! I've never seen anything like that ever.

[Aaron Beck]

Is that a sheared screw in the middle or a pin used to assemble it? did it get dropped and land on the lug?

[Dean Romig]

I believe on the Repros that joint was brazed.





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[Bill Murphy]

We would all like to hear about this failure and whether it happened at the firing of a shell, and what shell. Thanks.

[Paul Ehlers]

I don't think I've ever seen a total lug separation like this one. This repair is going to take a smith that really knows what he's doing. Now that Kirk Merrington is out of the game, I really don't know who to recommend. Dennis Potter--Galazans--Turnbull maybe?? Keep in mind that the repair will probably entail a total rib relay & re-blue due to the heat required for re-brazing the lug is greater than required for soft soldering the ribs.

Looking at the picture I'm thinking the lug brazing joint didn't take completely on this set of barrels and the lug has probably been loose for a while going unnoticed & the only thing holding the lug on was the screw that comes through the top short rib into the lug was the main thing holding things together until it sheared & failed.

A word of caution should be taken on this failure. This is only one set of barrels, and this failure doesn't automatically mean that all Parker repro barrels are subject to failing like this. This is the internet, and we need to be cautious of not branding all repro's as being poorly manufactured based on this one failure.

Dean is correct that the lugs on original Parkers were brazed rather than soft soldered and I assume the repro barrels were as well. I'm including a picture of a set of Parker Damascus barrels that clearly show the orange/yellow brazing line for the lug. I think I see some of the same color on the failed barrel lug in the posted picture of it.

One thing is for sure--This is going to be an expensive repair and it might be more economical to find another set of barrels for this gun.

[Paul Ehlers]

It looks like our own Josh Lowe might be able to help get this gun back in action. Josh's asking price for this set is probably less than the repair costs would be for the failed set.

https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/shotguns/parker-shotguns-reproduction/rare-parker-reproductions-12ga-q1-q2-choked-barrels-as-new.cfm?gun_id=102498413

Even here in Josh's listing description he gives me a little heartburn internet wise where he implies that the 16ga barrels made by Kriegoff or Galazans are inferior to original repro barrels, when they're not in any way other than the doll head fit on some of the Galazan aftermarket barrels. I'm not picking on Josh, he's one of the best at his game who I respect very much, but it's stuff like this that can catch & spread like wildfire on the internet.

[Mike Shepherd]

Is that a sheared screw in the middle or a pin used to assemble it? did it get dropped and land on the lug?


Not dropped on the lug.

[Mike Shepherd]

Bill Murphy. He was pheasant hunting and shooting 1-3/8 oz. 1300 fps loads out od it. It has factory 3” chambers.

Thanks.

[Brian Dudley]

Put a propane torch on the material that is left on the barrel lug for a few minutes and see if it melts. That will tell you if it is soft solder or brazing or not.

One time I tried to heat up the lug of an old junk set of original barrels to see if I could get the brazing to separate with mapp gas. No go. And I put a lot of heat into it. So that is why I am amazed that this would have let go if they are in fact brazed.

[Tom Hall]

I'm curious what the barrels would have sounded like if one had done a ring test where you hold the barrels by the lug and tap on the other end of the barrels with a pencil to see what the ring sounded like. I'm thinking it would have sounded really flat. I do this every time I think of it to hopefully catch an early separation of the barrels but would never imagined a lug coming off

[Mike Shepherd]

I'm curious what the barrels would have sounded like if one had done a ring test where you hold the barrels by the lug and tap on the other end of the barrels with a pencil to see what the ring sounded like. I'm thinking it would have sounded really flat. I do this every time I think of it to hopefully catch an early separation of the barrels but would never imagined a lug coming off

I’m a barrel ringer. I cut wooden matchsticks to jam the extractors. These barrels rang just fine when I tested it at purchase a couple of years ago. I believe the barrel ringing gives false positives and false negatives. I do it anyway. I have found solder gaps between the rib and barrel on some guns using the test.

[Arthur Shaffer]

I would do a lot of research before I spent the price of replacement barrels for the gun. There are silver solders and silver brazing rods available for almost any melting temperature needed. Silver solders are available now with melting temperatures at almost any level. HiForce 44 from Brownells melts at I believe 440 degrees and has a strength in service of 28000 psi. The stress on that joint would be almost purely shear stress and their is a lot of area. Fully soldered, there is probably 4 square inches of bonding surface and should be laughably able to withstand the 20-25 ft-lbsf from the recoil of a 12 gauge. I bought a pre-1900 Darne in which the barrel lug that holds the barrel under recoil (no crossbolt and inline action)was loose and fell out when the barrel was removed. I cleaned the area and the lug, stuck in two strips of HiForce tape fluxed on both sides, clamped the joint and soldered it in a few seconds with the smallest acytlene tip I have. The old Darnes have the advantage of having no lower rib, so I simply rolled up an old towel soaked in water and laid the barrels top down on the towel with a weight to hold it down tightly. No problem at all with the top rib joint and an extemely strong joint that has worked fine.

In the case of a bottom and top rib, and taking the safe approach, I would suspend the barrel top down in a water bath until the entire top rib is immersed and then spread heat past over the rear portion of the lower rib and on the sides of the barrel and back of the breech. The soldering part would be quick and simple. The part should align easily with the pin to locate it. Certainly worth a try and a cheap experiment.

As mentioned on the DoubleGun forum, modern adhesives may be worth a try and even simpler. Modern rimfire target rifles in most of the really expensive European bolt guns are generally rebarreled when needed with glued in barrels whether they were originally glued, pressed in, or clamped. Hardly any use threaded shanks anymore, even as new. I have done this when rebarreling Anschutz, Sako and Ruger 10/22's for competition at the national level. The reason is not for convenience but to relieve stress on the throat of the chamber (the throat of rimfire chambers is always inside the action ring and any mechanical stress affects the throat). Never had a problem wih any of these heavy cantilever barrels.

[Phillip Carr]

I would start with calling Aaron Little in Texas.

[Russ Jackson]

Mike , sent you a PM .

[Chris Travinski]

Briley may be an option as well.

[allen newell]

Or Dan Cullity in Sandwich, mass.

[Alfred Greeson]

Just noticed this set on guns in

[Alfred Greeson]

#102323417 Repo 12 1 1/2 fram mod & full from dan Sanders 720 0209 1572 reasonable

[Alfred Greeson]

Sorry, phone is 720 209 1572

[Arthur Shaffer]

That listing doesn't show up now. Someone here buy it?

[Daniel B Sweet]

Wonder if Simmons Ribs would be an option?

[David C Porter]

The listing is still up.
https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/parts---ammo---accessories/barrels---shotgun/parker-reproduction-12-gauge-barrels.cfm?gun_id=102323417

Here's a new barrel with no serial number.
https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/shotguns/parker-shotguns---reproduction/rare-parker-reproductions-12ga-q1-q2-choked-barrels---as-new.cfm?gun_id=102498413

[Tom Jay]

Gunsmith Mike Orlen in Amherst, MA 413 256 1630. Does barrel work only.

[Craig Budgeon]

IIt would be no surprise if the barrels and top rib were seperate in the future. You can not assume the only problem is the rear lug. Giacomo Sporting in LLee Center, NY (315) 336-1356. may be a very good choiice for repair.

[john pulis]

This may be a repair challenge for Dewey Vicknair. Can’t hurt to send him pics and call. Very pricey.

Good luck