1880s Parker Identification and Restoration

[Gray Strickland]

Howdy, I've just recently gotten ahold of this old Parker Bros shotgun from my dad (don't worry he's still alive), and I was hoping to more accurately identify it and hopefully restore it to proper working condition. This is not only my first Parker shotgun, but also the first firearm I have ever owned or cared for so I know very little from firsthand experience.

The serial number is 22119 which puts it all the way back in 1881. Frame size 3 according to the mark on the barrel. It has a 32.75" damascus steel barrel and I *think* it's a 10 gauge. It has external manually pulled hammers. Isn't this one of the Parkers that's old enough that it doesn't have a grade? I didn't see any grade markers on it.

Here are some collages of different parts of the shotgun.

Barrel
https://files.catbox.moe/z5z0f5.jpg

Flat
https://files.catbox.moe/8jqbj7.jpg

Receiver & Stock
https://files.catbox.moe/zol4tg.jpg

From the looks of it, it is in amazing condition given how it's been stored and cared for (not very well) so I have high hopes I can remove all the rust and refinish it. Where should I start first? I know I need to remove all the rust before messing with a new finish since rust trapped beneath the new finish will continue to spread. I think the wood is in good enough condition that I see no reason to bother with trying to get it replaced, though a polishing might be in order.

[Bruce P Bruner]

Gray, your gun is a grade 2, listed in the serialization book as a 10 gauge with 32" barrels. So you don't destroy what you have, consider wiping the metal down with an oiled cloth and just wipe down the wood too. Others here can give you specific instructions. I'm just telling you this because many vintage guns get absolutely wrecked when novice owners think they have to improve the gun, when in reality they ruin them. Aside from mechanical repair they are only original once. Refinished guns have minimal to no interest for me. Of course it's your gun and you can do whatever you want.

[edgarspencer]

Bruce's comments are right on the money.How are the bores? It would appear it was ordered without checkering. All in all, the gun looks to be in reasonably good condition. Don't think 'restore', but just properly clean it up. Breck Gorman can make those barrels pop, and the early damscus barrels have lovely pattern. I would not checker it, as a letter will probably confirm it was ordered sans checkering. If the bores are not horribly pitted, and the walls check out (thickness) it can be back in service. Ducks and Geese, beware!

[Gray Strickland]

Bruce's comments are right on the money.How are the bores? It would appear it was ordered without checkering. All in all, the gun looks to be in reasonably good condition. Don't think 'restore', but just properly clean it up. Breck Gorman can make those barrels pop, and the early damscus barrels have lovely pattern. I would not checker it, as a letter will probably confirm it was ordered sans checkering. If the bores are not horribly pitted, and the walls check out (thickness) it can be back in service. Ducks and Geese, beware!
Does Breck Gorman have a website? A cursory internet search brings up other posts on here from people saying he does good work. Frankly I'd much rather pay someone with more skill and experience than me to clean this thing up, instead of risking effing it up if I try to do it myself.

Regardless, would cleaning just involve a lot of brash brushes, gun oil, and polish for the wood?

[edgarspencer]

Breck Gorman's work is not good, it's great.
breck.gorman@gmail.com
804-357-3404

Don't get within spitting distance of your gun with a hardware store screwdriver. Get a good set of proper, hollow ground, gunsmith quality tools from Midway or Brownells.

The stock just looks crud covered, but maybe not oil soaked. Try a cleaner like Birchwood Casey Stock Sheen and conditioner. If that doesn't do it, I've used Murphy's Oil soap, and nothing coarser than 4/0 (0000) steel wool. I don't think they sell it anymore but Johnson's Preen, hardwood floor cleaner is excellent.

Brass brushes are soft enough that they won't scratch the metal surface, but the pinkie finger tea drinkers like Frontier pads; a stainless steel scrubbing pad (which is exactly what a Frontier pad is). Use it with Balistol, Hoppes #9, light machine oil; something like that.

A well respected gunsmith told me not to mention his name, but the metal parts in an ultrasonic cleaner, with diesel injector cleaner, will lift a lot of the minor rust (and other junk). Or, you can buy the cleaner they sell just for ultrasonic cleaners.

The bores will clean up a lot with a brass bore brush spun by a drill.

Lastly, FFS, be like a professional gun guy and go slow, real slow.

[Dean H Hanson]

Gray, wonderful gun!! That beauty deserves a complete disassemble and cleaning. Not sure where you are at, but I would love the opportunity to clean that Parker. Edgar gives great tips. I am the pinkie finger tea drinker as I find Frontier pads to be far superior for cleaning metal inside and out... including barrels. Good luck with a worthy endeavor to bring that Parker back to its glory!

Be well, Dean

[edgarspencer]

I am the pinkie finger tea drinker as I find Frontier pads to be far superior for cleaning metal inside and out.

I've bought both. You be the judge.

Big-45 Frontier pads, $7.00ea Picture of gun on package
https://www.amazon.com/Big-45-Frontier-Metal-Cleaner/dp/B07RM692X8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3HYFKG31A0JFQ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ouawgUSjJxkM8tcz4DxjbfmGqkThQ9xLX z15QyBhbJiDDfIRee7AynsfBeEoZsvM3dmrER0bTSMAuDC4YYW iAQ.zyBDxzOe0rlBnHH2gV3W_4FEy8Q7I-a5SMOaTE1lIys&dib_tag=se&keywords=big+45+frontier+metal+cleaning+pad&qid=1717590176&sprefix=Frontier+45%2Caps%2C1303&sr=8-1

Scotch Brite, $0.83 ea Picture of frying pan on package
https://www.amazon.com/Scotch-Brite-214C-Stainless-Scrubbing-Scouring/dp/B002CQTXBC/ref=sr_1_5_pp?crid=1EAHXKA7VSH5R&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.7AQ3EocR_9vq7OWV94bTJllEGfcd1wzgV Ud3gXdnmIdIF-bNFYJHibFdbIe0Y88-Hcy037obNeuSf2vDkr3TMwzAh7Qxg42oHXzaXST-HWq5iB4aus1mgdcx6Tjc1P3hRB5GvBHvwBnkAYstzsfhnSSpym wf1AI0TqzOnygnIf0NHonPaMYs-Tzwajgmgn0IyqlHGgAVHBOS0naH-8kcuNkpBN0vQ4FLdTX-1dlr9lreSMZgaAm2jUE0uT6RIBIvIv0fx0bQUdwpbVUetjIJ4W K_an63z-QGJXAHRzFfGMg.llQHVUF6bg-t2t_GDHEoiqvJMzWiWBGHzPxE4C5Y2l8&dib_tag=se&keywords=scotch+brite+scrubber&qid=1717590793&rdc=1&sprefix=scotch+brite%2Caps%2C295&sr=8-5

[Bill Murphy]

If a PGCA letter (you should get one) specifies "No Checkering", you have a gun with a rare option. In that case, do not have the stock checkered. Breck Gorman may actually help you with more than just the barrels, I don't know.

[Arthur Shaffer]

I like the frontier pads (Dean Romig's suggestion). Wrap them around a 16 or so gauge brush and scrub the bores with a cleaning oil. Does wonders.

You might want to remeasure your barrels. The book shows it as a 32" barrel, so certainly not cut but a 32-3/4" length seems really odd for a Parker. Check to see if you mis-measured.

Final comment is that from the appearance of the bottom plate screw, I am confident that the gun has never been apart. That can be good and bad. I bought a gun of somewhat the same vintage and it looked in very good shape, but after working on it two weeks; nothing. The top tang screw would simply not come out. And I work on a lot of guns and have had two good gunsmiths over the years show me a lot of tricks. I had drill the screw head out, drop the trigger plate, soak for another week and clamp on with vice grips on the shank and finally backed it out. Be careful working on it.

[Breck Gorman]

What has happened to the extractor? Looks split. Maybe it’s the photo, but doesn’t look right.
You will need an authentic hammer screw to replace the Home Depot screw and lock washer. I have one.
What is curious to me is that the engraving looks grade 2, but the barrel flats are stamped “DD”, which indicates 6 iron Turkish Crolle, a fine Damascus pattern reserved for grade 4+ guns
You have a nice gun worthy of some attention.

[Drew Hause]

I did my best to enhance the faded pattern but believe, mostly based on the size and symmetry of the 'scrolls' that it IS 6 Iron Turkish Parker DD, which would have to have been a special order, or a bad day for the barrel picker ;)

https://photos.smugmug.com/Damascus/Parker/i-rkHb8Jd/0/q5pvTcbXfrnQJSgBH6HTSpWBrb2bWp78h3pvFT37/XL/1881%20Gr.%202%2010g-XL.jpg (https://drewhause.smugmug.com/Damascus/Parker/i-rkHb8Jd/A)

[Arthur Shaffer]

What has happened to the extractor? Looks split. Maybe it’s the photo, but doesn’t look right.
You will need an authentic hammer screw to replace the Home Depot screw and lock washer. I have one.
What is curious to me is that the engraving looks grade 2, but the barrel flats are stamped “DD”, which indicates 6 iron Turkish Crolle, a fine Damascus pattern reserved for grade 4+ guns
You have a nice gun worthy of some attention.

Breck's comments made me go back for a second look. The extractor looks to have been ground in a V for some reason. It look like it may work after a fashion, but it is small and the top is not thick enough. In some of the barrel pictures it is shown extended. It should be a relatively easy part to find.

I went back and looked at the barrel pattern and Drew is right. I shows up better on my screen if I enlarge the outside barrel picture.

I saw the picture of the length of the barrel and it is correct. which answers one of my questions above. The odd length, the damascus pattern and the fact that I can't see a serial number on the barrels due to the angle of the pictures makes me guess that as, Drew mentioned, it has been rebarreled with higher grade damascus. I would also guess that the barrels were shortened when installed, probably from 34". With the high grade barrels it is very possible they had ejectors which were cobbled to make them work.

If we knew if the serial numbers were mismatched we would likely know the entire story. If I missed the barrel numbers, my bad.

[Gray Strickland]

Thanks for all the feedback and advice guys. I'll definitely start by just gently cleaning what I can with oil and soft brushes and pads. I'll leave anything involving actual tools up to a gunsmith like Mr. Gorman so as to avoid the risk of destroying it with my naivete.

What has happened to the extractor? Looks split. Maybe it’s the photo, but doesn’t look right.
You will need an authentic hammer screw to replace the Home Depot screw and lock washer. I have one.
What is curious to me is that the engraving looks grade 2, but the barrel flats are stamped “DD”, which indicates 6 iron Turkish Crolle, a fine Damascus pattern reserved for grade 4+ guns
You have a nice gun worthy of some attention.
And I intend to pay it that due attention. As far as I'm aware it hasn't been fired in at least 50 years, and perhaps more than 80. Certainly hasn't had any upkeep or modification performed on it in that time.
Bruce tells me you're booked out pretty far, though frankly the gun ain't going anywhere and I'm more than willing to leave it be until you, or some other such professional is available to service it.

[edgarspencer]

There is a view of the muzzle end, showing 119 on the back of the rear lug. It wouldn't be the first time the length was only approximate.

[Jay Oliver]

This is definitely worthy of a some careful attention. I really like this lifter.

I have seen a few handmade shell extractors over the years. This one looks like a selectable extractor? Just slide it over to the left or right? Looks like material was welded to the barrel where the rest extractor should be?

I would start with the barrels, get the extractor situation fixed and have Breck work his magic on the barrels.

Then hit any other smaller details like the hammer screw. Does the gun close up tight? A litter work and she'll look great and be ready for the field...

[Arthur Shaffer]

There is a view of the muzzle end, showing 119 on the back of the rear lug. It wouldn't be the first time the length was only approximate.

You are right, but the picture is of the breech end. I missed the numbers until I blew the picture up a lot.

[edgarspencer]

:knowbetter:You are right, but the picture is of the breech end. I missed the numbers until I blew the picture up a lot.