Ted, make it one of your “throw away” Parkers.





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I don't have any of those, Dean...yet. But given my utter lack of mechanical skills, once I get started I just may end up with one. Perhaps I could donate it to the PGCA to be circulated amongst the membership so anyone who wants to learn could practice on it. All kidding aside, I do worry that sooner rather than later there won't be a competent gunsmith in my area to rely on. I've been thinking that it would be a good idea to be able to at least handle the simple issues myself.

That was super unclear...it is the part of the top lever.

The part in the upper red circle broke away.

Are top levers frame specific??

Have someone repair the original broken part.

It may well come to that, but Merrington has concerns over the quality of the steel in the original part. In the attached photos you can see that it is very crystalline, almost like what I used to call "pot metal". It is easy to see why the lever design was changed, that little piece that broke off is put to considerable mechanical strain, and I can see how easily it could be compromised.

Mark I'll look again

Mark.

That is NOT the early style lever. That is the late (post 1910) lever.

As you said, your gun serial numbers to after 1910.

I’m confused then Brian. You say the top lever in your photograph is the “early” style, and mine is identical.

Additionally, my gun has v spring, and no coil spring.

That should be an easy fix for a good micro welder. I'd recommend Al Edge.

Mark,

In my photo, I show both styles of levers.

Yours is the late style.

The guns made from 1910 to about 1917-1917 used the late lever, but the early style V spring. After that is when the pocketed coil spring was used.

Personally, I think that repairing the broken lever is the best option since finding a 00 frame top lever from that 1910-1918 window will be a tall order.

Thanks Richard, that fix is quickly becoming the most prudent option.

Do you have Al’s contact info?

I believe the top levers are serial numbered...if you replace it rather than repair it, you will no longer have a "matching numbers" gun, if that matters to you.