Steve, welcome to the forum. It looks like you have been bitten by the Parker bug. Be careful this is a lifelong desease.:rotf:
From the pictures it looks like you have obtained a great shooting legacy from your family. You don't say where you live, but if I were you I would have the gun to a good smith and have it checked out. I can't count how many of us have a Parker like yours in our fowling arsenal. They are great hunting guns and a joy to shoot.
You need to join the PGCA as a member not just a forum member. The &40.00 that it costs to join up is the best money you will ever spend. You then are able to order a letter on your gun, this would be a great addition to the info you are gathering for your dad. As a forum member the letters are $100.00 ea. as a PGCA member they are $40.00 by joining and ordering the letter you have saved $20.00. That is a couple boxes of shells. The knowledge these people have is amazing. Some of the stories that are told here are unbelieveable. :shock: as a member you also have access to the members only portion of the site. Whe you can buy and sell Parkers, accessories and other things.
Anyway, again welcome to the group, and enjoy the ride, you have embarked on a life long journey of friends, fun, and shooting.:bigbye:

Hi Wayne,

Thank you for your well-appreciated comments. To my untrained eye, I cannot tell. What are you seeing that may indicate that it was cold blued, and how would the look be different if it was hot blued or not blued at all? Does the bluing result last a long time, as I know nothing has been done to the gun in probably over 50 -60 years? Just my newbie status showing through.

Thank you again Wayne.

Hi Paul,

Thank you for the welcome. Yes, as long as can I remember, my brother and I were always excited when my dad would show us this gun and tell us stories about our great grandfather. My dad has had this gun my whole life. As a special family gun, I'd like to give my dad the gift of as much knowledge as I am able to find out about it. A letter seems like a great idea, too.

I'm glad I found this forum and truly appreciate the welcome and informative comments that I have received. Thank you!

Steve, if you go to the home page of our site you will find on the left side a section about date of manufacture. By clicking on this you can enter the ser. no and find out the date of manufacture. Also clicking on the research letter portion you can see if there are surviving records on your gun. I have done this for your gun and there are records on it. It was built in 1901.