Parker Gun Collectors Association Forums - How much is too much for a full restoration?

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- - How much is too much for a full restoration? (https://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=32096)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig Budgeon (Post 321403)

The latest published rate for restoration work that I have seen was $92.50 per hour which Griffin & Howe displayed on the internet. For $24000 dollars you get 240 hours of labor, new wood, and parts. A journeyman gunsmith ( the type Turnbull employee ) should get $30 an hour plus benefits, plus vacation, and holidays. A master gunsmith should $40+ per hour and that is cheap for the skills they possess. If you think that is excessive compare it to your hourly rate. I am surprised they could all that done in less than 250 hours based on your description.

Reminds me of a story a gunsmith told me , he builds double guns and took on a commission to build a rather unique jones underlever . I believe he charged 10 grand to do the build . Well after a few years and it was ready to be delivered he said he had around 1000 hours into the build . He said he would never make that mistake again if he was asked to build another . I think his rate is or was $100/hr .

Falling into the FWIW, category, my local gunsmith basic shop rate to do soup to nuts work is $80 per hour. He is a journeyman meat and potatoes gunsmith, went to various gunsmithing trade schools etc.. At $80 per hour he has more work then he can do.

PS. Restoring this (or any) Parker is beyond his capabilities as he mostly builds benchrest rifles.

Brian is right! On these old guns the barrels are foremost if they are pitted and BWT is to thin, hang it on the wall and tell stories about it, Gary

Chad, if you want to shoot it contact Briley. They can make full length tubes for the gun with fixed or screw-in choke tubes. They can do the tubes for pretty much anything smaller than what the barrels are now and that will give you the peace of mind shooting a gun that has been badly pitted. Clean up the wood, maybe clean up the exterior of the bbls, even have them rust blued if you want to make it pretty. You'll be able to shoot it and enjoy looking at it and remembering the history of that gun in your family.