Thanks, the other concern I have regarding saving up for this particular 1908 GH, is the choking. It is choked full and full. I shoot skeet and Dove with the occassional Quail hunt mixed in or round of trap. I know F/F it would probably be a great trap gun but not certain if it would be practical to have a F/F shotgun to actually shoot.

Absent of opening up the chokes spreader loads will help open the pattern usually by about one constriction of choke ie. full chokes with spreader load will shoot about a modified choke pattern. It also wouldn't be a crime to open up the chokes of a gun as you have described to get chokes more suited to your shooting.

I do some barrel browning and I would suggest leaving them alone. To remove the rust blue it would also remove the pattern underneath. Then you would be looking at a whole new browning job.

Sounds like what you want/need is a VH 20 ga. Save your money to about $4000 and get a nice one. Cheap guns, cars , whiskey and women prove the adage that you get what you pay for.

hmm
 

I guess it is possible they aren't blued. The colors were similar to this picture from Drew's website.

I may have incorrectly assumed they were blued due to the dark coloring as opposed to the bright color of most restored damascus barrels.

Thanks Bruce, appreciate the advice, but I have always liked and preferred 12s to 20s. Even as a young kid I liked shooting a 12 more then my dads 20ga browning A5s.

If I do save my $$$s I will probably just hold out for a 12 D grade. I already have a VH, but want my next Parker to have more engraving on it.

another pic
 

HEre is another pic from http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/17428644
showing restoration of a damascus barrel, so I guess it is possible the barrels weren't blued at all.

KIng, I have had barrels turn out very similar. If they re browned and then boiled in water without the tradional logwood, they will have ablue color similar to that. I doubtthey are factory, but they look fine to me.

BTW Bruce, I don't know that I would classify any Parker gun as cheap :bigbye:
the ones that have some imperfections just give us something else to work on :)

Restored Damascus barrels will look many different ways. From smith to smith and even maker to maker. If you can see pattern, they were "properly" done.