I am the same DeHart on Classic Fly Rod Forum...2 kids with another on the way has cut into my rod making time lol.

Located in South Jersey if anyone has suggestions on getting gun tightened.

:rotf:

Patrick McManus once wrote that having kids was a fun hobby that quickly got out of control

maybe we'll meet at the Catskills rodmaker's gathering some year

Up and down movement when closed is a loose lockup. Side to side is off face.

If it is loose lockup, the barrels will be away from the face and you will see light between barrels and breech face. Pull down on the barrels and see if you can see light still while applying pressure. If no light is visible, then you know it is just lockup that needs to be corrected. This could be corrected by replacing/refitting the bolt, or through a few other methods depending on who is doing the work and how they want to do it.

There is nothing wrong with doing the minimal work to make the gun shootable, and then doing just that... shooting it.
However, I kind of second Craigs statement on the subject. Bail and save up for a better gun and learn about what to look for. When VH 12g guns are the subject. Twice what you spent will buy you a good gun without any of the issues you currently have with this one. $1,000 - $1200 may seem like a lot, but in the Parker market (or even more generally speaking, the quality double market) it really isn't a lot.

Just my 2 cents, not always welcomed.

If you build fly rods, you have skills. If you want to keep this gun:

1. Replacement large size reproduction spurred butt plate from N.C. Ordnance. Fit it yourself.

2. If off face, buy shim stock package from Brownells and fit correct thickness over roll joint to tighten barrels to frame. Remove stock from frame and with a hair dryer get out as much oil as possible. And if you are really skilled, find out how much it needs to tighten up, remove roll joint (not an easy job but possible), measure, and buy an oversized one from Brian Dudley and replace it ($125 I think).

3. Leave everything else alone including Ray-bar sight, screws, pin in head of stock, and shoot it. Shootable for from $40 (butt plate and shim stock) to $160 (if you go with the oversized roll joint).

4. Clean bluing and all metal with Frontier 45 pad and oil, or Chore Boy copper pad (similar to former). Do not use steel wool.

Now your Parker beginning collection has a rainy day/field gun.

Welp. Local shop offered
Me no more than $150.00......

That's wholesale..... Try retailing it.





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Just want to thank everyone for the input. I called the shop I purchased from and explained that the gun would just take too much work for me to get it where I want it. Owner allowed me to trade it back in towards another gun....

He showed me a Parker V Grade 16ga that was probably the nicest feeling gun I've ever held. It was actually the first time I'd ever held a 16ga side by side shotgun, I had no idea just how light and balanced they feel.

For $950- I studied it over and over before making a decision. The action was not tight, side to side or up and down. No case coloring left....I was about to pull the trigger and buy it thinking I could have that fixed until I spotted a hairline crack that looked to have been fixed in the stock.

I decided to pass, taking the advice from the forum here and will wait until I can find what I want in a decent condition. I plan on becoming a member and hopefully can get a decent 16ga from one of you guys on here.

Thank you again for the advice. My education shall continue.

A wise decision Douglas.





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