Advice on GH please

[bob weeman]

I have a GH 12 that has been customized in the past by someone adding wood to raise the comb. They did a very good job but it is still not original. I bought it because it fit me very well. I am thinking of making some changes myself since it has already been modified. It has damascus barrels in great shape and I would like to open up the choke on the right barrel. Currently it is .715 and i would like to go to .725 ish. Is this a bad idea with damascus? Per the letter both barrels were choked the same and the left is at .695 so someone must have already opened it some. Is there a certain wall thickness I need to maintain? Also I would like to find a beavertail forend of some type to try. What are the good places to try and find one or have one made without breaking the bank. The gun shoots and handles fine now but I would like to try the changes. Since it has already been messed with it seems like a good "project" gun. Thanks for any information you can offer.

[Eric Eis]

Bob, forget the beavertail forend if you don't want to break the bank. Cost of having one made would be half the cost of the gun by the time you got the wood, shaped, checkered, and had a through bolt added which would also mean welding to the forend latch. Learn to like the splinter forened. Barrels should have a wall thinkness of around 30 thousndths or so (28 to 35) less the 25 I would not shoot. I'm sure others will chime in here. Eric

[Bruce Day]

Shooters have done very well with splinter forends for many years. Many prefer the splinter because it brings them closer to the barrels. You can create a semblance of a beavertail by applying cardboard and tape to the splinter forend. Or just go out a find a Parker with a beavertail or single trigger or whatever you want. Most Parker collectors seem to prefer the splinter and double triggers.

There were a bunch of wood only in inletted and rough form splinter and beavertail forends for sale in the silent auction at the PGCA meeting. You could have picked one up there, but I have in my possession several of them. I don't own them but I know the owner would be very pleased to sell them.

[Dean Romig]

Bob, take a drive over to Wildwood Guns in China and trade them your splinter for the non-original beavertail from a Parker GH they have that used to be mine. I bought it without the original splinter - someone had stolen it from the gun while it stood in a rack at Riley's in Hooksett NH. I think I bought the very nicely done beavertail (without reinforcing rod) from Ron Kirby about 7 years ago. Anyway, the gun has been sitting in Wildwood's inventory for over a year and it might help the gun to sell if it had a splinter. Their stock number of that gun is 103N. Give them a call first.
See the gun at www.wildwoodguns.com

[John Mazza]

They also sell leather slip-on "hand guards" that cover the sides of the barrels. If keeping your hands off of hot barrels is your concern, this is a traditional way to go. ...but that's all it'll get you.

[bob weeman]

Thank you all for the replies. Dean, thanks for the tip on Wildwood. I have been there before and I will send them an e-mail to see if we can work something out. Does anyone have any recomendations for gunsmiths in the Maine area for opening the chokes? The only one I have used for shotguns is Steven Hutton down in Portsmouth and I hear he is really busy.

Thanks again for all the comments.