tom tutwiler
09-27-2009, 08:28 AM
Morning all,
Recently purchased at a fair price (I think) a Parker VH 16 gauge on a number 1 frame with 26" barrels. S/N is 155804 (not in s/n book). Bought this gun strictly for the barrels at first as the rest of it has issues at they say. Heck, even the barrel's have issues but they seem to work for my intended use. Anyway, I some time ago got a Parker CH 16 gauge on a number 1 frame with Damascus barrels (28") s/n 89582 (in the book) that is choked full and full and it will remain that way. After I got it, I decided I'd like to use this gun also to hunt grouse and woodcock and decided to look for a 16 gauge at the right price for strictly the barrels. Figured I'd have someone (not me) fit the VH barrels to the CH and open the chokes up accordingly. Ok, now I proceed with the rest of the story.
Got the VH last week and while the barrels aren't great they aren't bad. They are original at 2.5" chambers and have been honed to .668 and .667 and still have a bit of light pitting down to about 10" down (barrel blue probably 90%). Barrel wall thickness about 4" down from the breech is fine. About 15" down they both run about .038 with no pitting seen. Minimum barrel wall thickness is .025 (both barrels) about 5" from the ends where there are a couple of minor dents which need to be take out. All choke has been removed at the ends, both mike at .662 and thickness at the ends is .032. They also ring.
My gunsmith who measured these barrels said he wouldn't bother with taking out the rest of the pitting and said removing the dents isn't a problem. In short they aren't perfect, but for what I looking for they are fine. Since the bores are oversized by.006 and .005 they actually should work pretty fine as a second set to go on the CH as they are now choked skeet and skeet.
The discussion with my smith then centered around whether I was sure I didn't want to fix up the VH and just have a nice little bird gun (it weighs 6 lbs 12 oz). The issues with the rest of the gun is the stock has been pinned with one of the magical wooden dowels back many moons ago and has a chip off next to a wonderfully fitted (sarcasm heavy here) JC Higgens 1" recoil pad. LOP to end of pad is 14 1/4" at the usual 2 3/4" DAH. Also the action is a tad loose. Using the magic paper shim at .002 on the hook tightened them right up, but loose is loose. The trigger guard screw is trash (others are pretty good). Checkering on both the forearm and buttstock is there, but barely.
So, appreciate any thoughts on what you would do. I'm guessing to turn this back into strictly and ugly shooter would probably run at least $500, just to remove the dents and tighten up the action and do something with the pad. Probably make a great rainy day grouse gun.
Other option is probably spend that same $500 and have the dents removed, the barrel re-rust blued and have them fitted on the CH.
Last option is to go whole hog and see if I can find a number 1 16 gauge buttstock somewhere and then have the gun partially restored so it looks pretty decent. Figured that's a $1,200 fix.
PS. I've got $600 in the gun right now, and my smith already said if I go the barrel route only, he will gladly give me $200 for all the left over parts (receiver, buttstock, forearm). Anyway, would like to hear some ideas from what I call Parkerland.
Recently purchased at a fair price (I think) a Parker VH 16 gauge on a number 1 frame with 26" barrels. S/N is 155804 (not in s/n book). Bought this gun strictly for the barrels at first as the rest of it has issues at they say. Heck, even the barrel's have issues but they seem to work for my intended use. Anyway, I some time ago got a Parker CH 16 gauge on a number 1 frame with Damascus barrels (28") s/n 89582 (in the book) that is choked full and full and it will remain that way. After I got it, I decided I'd like to use this gun also to hunt grouse and woodcock and decided to look for a 16 gauge at the right price for strictly the barrels. Figured I'd have someone (not me) fit the VH barrels to the CH and open the chokes up accordingly. Ok, now I proceed with the rest of the story.
Got the VH last week and while the barrels aren't great they aren't bad. They are original at 2.5" chambers and have been honed to .668 and .667 and still have a bit of light pitting down to about 10" down (barrel blue probably 90%). Barrel wall thickness about 4" down from the breech is fine. About 15" down they both run about .038 with no pitting seen. Minimum barrel wall thickness is .025 (both barrels) about 5" from the ends where there are a couple of minor dents which need to be take out. All choke has been removed at the ends, both mike at .662 and thickness at the ends is .032. They also ring.
My gunsmith who measured these barrels said he wouldn't bother with taking out the rest of the pitting and said removing the dents isn't a problem. In short they aren't perfect, but for what I looking for they are fine. Since the bores are oversized by.006 and .005 they actually should work pretty fine as a second set to go on the CH as they are now choked skeet and skeet.
The discussion with my smith then centered around whether I was sure I didn't want to fix up the VH and just have a nice little bird gun (it weighs 6 lbs 12 oz). The issues with the rest of the gun is the stock has been pinned with one of the magical wooden dowels back many moons ago and has a chip off next to a wonderfully fitted (sarcasm heavy here) JC Higgens 1" recoil pad. LOP to end of pad is 14 1/4" at the usual 2 3/4" DAH. Also the action is a tad loose. Using the magic paper shim at .002 on the hook tightened them right up, but loose is loose. The trigger guard screw is trash (others are pretty good). Checkering on both the forearm and buttstock is there, but barely.
So, appreciate any thoughts on what you would do. I'm guessing to turn this back into strictly and ugly shooter would probably run at least $500, just to remove the dents and tighten up the action and do something with the pad. Probably make a great rainy day grouse gun.
Other option is probably spend that same $500 and have the dents removed, the barrel re-rust blued and have them fitted on the CH.
Last option is to go whole hog and see if I can find a number 1 16 gauge buttstock somewhere and then have the gun partially restored so it looks pretty decent. Figured that's a $1,200 fix.
PS. I've got $600 in the gun right now, and my smith already said if I go the barrel route only, he will gladly give me $200 for all the left over parts (receiver, buttstock, forearm). Anyway, would like to hear some ideas from what I call Parkerland.