There is a big difference is restoring a gun to original condition and customizing a gun to use as a shooter.If your gun cannot be brought back to original specs,then you are better off spending your money to make it the way you want it.Remember,even a properly restored gun will automatically bring 50% less than an original gun in similar condition. I would fix this gun to shoot and not worry about "restoration".

If I remember correctly at the beginning of the 20th century (1900) the average man was 5" 7", weighted 140 lbs., and lived an average of 47 years. Over several decades I have met very few Parker collectors that came close to those specs. Build the gun to fit you, you'll be glad you did and so will the next caretaker. Favorable modern dimensions won't hurt the value but the quality of the work should look like it was done in MERIDEN or Illion.

Could not agree more with Craig's advice above. When all is said and done, you want your gun to look every bit as a Parker

I have taken a few liberties with bringing Parkers back to use. I like straight stocks, checkered butts, and almost 2 1/2" drop at the heel and about 2"-3" of pitch. My sweet cousin from South Carolina gave two of her fathers Parkers plus a set of #2 frame Damascus barrels. The 20 gauge VH had a chipped toe and the 16 VH was missing screws, cocking lever, stock and a few other things. I put it back together the way I wanted. Sherman Bell blew the barrels off a VH 12 to find if they were as strong as Damascus. In the process the stock was destroyed as well. As Sherman stated in his note to me, "If you want omelets you must break eggs." Again I brought this old girl back into action and it's my current wobble trap gun that consistently brings home the money.

What Mr. Murphy said....
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