It is almost certainly not factory engraving beyond possibly the borders, floorplate and standing breech etc. which look like factory PH engraving. It appears to be an amatuer's attempt to copy standard DH engraving. The photo's bad but type set on the "CH" on the watertable is larger and in a different style than the factory grade stamp. Below is a factory CH for comparison..

Thank you, Don. The difference is obvious. I'm glad I did not spend that much. Still seems to be a good gun for the money, and a useful exercise: I learned a LOT this past couple of days.

Thanks.

Vlad

The gun is certainly worth what you paid for it even with its issues. Good Luck with it.

Vlad's Parker
 

Good afternoon, Mr. Vladykin.
Thank you for your questions about local Parker repair men.
The two that come to mind are Dick Washburn and John Ray.
Dick lives right here in Duluth and John about 30 miles south of Duluth on Interstate 35.
Dick is a very good man to visit with about wood that needs to be repaired.
I am learning from him but your project looks to be out of my area of expertise.
John is an expert on wood and metal of Parkers. Having studied under Geroge Flame, John really knows his stuff.
John currently has the use of my barrel wall thickness gauge. The thickness of your Damascus barrels must be determined before shooting the gun.
John also has a stock duplicating machine and I suspect he has some Parker stocks already in stock. John doesn't do this as a business so I cannot be certain that he would take the project on. The trip to his house would still be worth your while just to learn more about Parkers.
The best man I know in this area for fixing any broken metal parts is Eric Meinzner in Solon Springs, WI.
Once you get eveything checked out, I certainly agree with the posting regarding RST Shells. They have the softest kicking and lowest pressure shells available. And the owners are very nice guys that come from Pennsylvania to hunt grouse with us each fall.
Please feel free to call me at 218-525-5528 or email me directly at
mike.koranda@gmail.com

Wow! A faked up C Grade. That is something you don't see every day. Thanks for those neat engraving pictures. You seem to be right on track fixing up the stock. When you get everything cleaned up, let us know how bad the breech looseness is and we'll walk you through that. Get the bores measured so you can shoot it without worry. Don't fool with black powder. Load low pressure shells with smokeless or buy RST shells.

Thank you, Mike. I'll call you.

Bill, thanks for the comments. I think I cleaned it up fairly well, short of soaking it in WD40 for a long time. Cleaned internals with CLP, worked the brush, blasted it out with jet gun cleaner/degreaser and lightly lubed with synthetic gun oil. Any other suggestions?

The breech looseness is very slight. The play is both side-to side and up/down, with the thin office paper barely entering the opening between barrels and the rest in extreme positions (am I making sense?). If I hold the stock and try to move the barrels, the tip of the barrels will move maybe a millimeter in every direction. I guess, I'm ready for step-by step...

Thanks again!

Vlad

Go to your picture 267, that shows the serial number on the receiver. On the front of the receiver there is a rounded area , cut a piece of the thinnest shim material out of the thinest piece of feeler gauge and put over the rounded area and then put the barrels back on . This will end your barrel shake for the cost of the feeler gauge, about $7.00
Every time you take the barrels off, you have to watch out about it falling out.

PDD

Engraving
 

See attached another 1892 PH Fishtail, which must be very close in time to yours. A damascus DH and a damascus GH. All pictures used without permission from posts on this board. To the owners thereof, I defer as to further comments.

This is what Pat was sugesting except I used brass sheeting from the hardware store. you can cut it with scissors.

What great pictures of how to get rid of barrel shake and the gun will feel as tight as a new one. I have never seen any brass sheeting that was so thin , what is the intended use of that thin brass? I think it will work better than the thin stainless steel because it would bend to shape easier.

PDD