Thanks Dee.

I agree with you guys concerning the restoration of this beautiful shotgun. However, the repair costs etc. exceed my budget as of right now so I will just keep it safe in the gun safe until I am able to do so.

Dee, Please check your PMs Thanks, Jim DiSpagno

I had a friend who is a photographer come take some better photos :usa:

More::)

Well, I'm fairly new here, but I just wanted to say thanks to Dee for sharing her story and her family history with us.

That old gun has quite a story.

Thank you Wayne! But I don't deserve the thanks...you and the Parker family do! Every single one of you have allowed me to open up and share something, that at the time and still is on some days, was a hard memory to share and open up about.

I am very proud of the cloth I was cut from. I love sharing the immense pride I have for the men and women in my family that instilled the values and respect passed on to me and my girls, the extreme gratitude to my great grandfather for being a hard working American with core values and my grandfather for his service in WWII and providing me my freedoms and showing me what a true man, marriage and family should be. I am grateful and blessed to have this Parker family to share my life and stories with. If I can keep their memories and their story alive....then they are truly never really gone. THANK YOU!

P.S. your bible verse was my dads favorite verse....thank you for sharing that today, it was much needed:)

Very interesting gun. And I would think that with some time and a little money, the gun could at least be brought back to operational condition. All the non original screws and bolts are something else. I would suspect that maybe some damage was done to the original threads in order to get hardware store bolts into the holes.
What a find though to come accross a High grade Parker with such history and use.
Though worn, I love the engraving on the gun!

I don"t know if any of you have heard the song by Blake Shelton "Grandaddy's Gun" but it"s worth a listen. When I heard it, it make me think of everyone here and smile like a little girl again. Here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aNM_5u-Xaw

That's a great little song Dee. I really like the sentiment in those words... even the part about the shot-up sign. Probably a lot of us older guys have done a little errant shooting at one time or other. Just wish I had done mine with my Granddaddy's gun.

Hahahaha! When I heard it, I felt it was a fitting tune. Plenty of us can relate even if we didn't shoot our Granddaddy's gun. And although I've never met any of you, I get this grin picturing y'all running around being typical boys and being mischievous...

Dee: You are lucky! You have inherited a top grade Parker! I have and treasure my grandfathers gun, a pedestrian Crescent.
As for what to do with it, I suggest that you have the gun repaired, that is made shootable. The stock, while it looks bad, is probably repairable so that the gun can be used. On the LC Smith collectors site there are pictures of stocks that have been repaired. While I an not a stock professional I have taken several shotguns in similar shape and made them decent looking shooters. My goto sporting clays gun is such a gun. As for the metal work and missing parts, I can see how they can be repaired without too much difficulty, including the ugly hex head cap screws, by a competent gunsmith.
Save your money get it repaired, shoot it , and pass it on! Getting it restored would have it lose all of its family value.

I got a charge from that too Dee,thanks...I still got my Grandfathers Stevens single 12 ,at no more than 5lbs kicks like a mule don't begin to describe it !

I can remember Dad shooting an old stray Tom cat who courting his stable cat ...when the smoke cleared and he recovered from a couple stutter steps all he was holding was the buttstock and forend!...shes all together now and restored ,but man did we laugh at that ,I must've been about 10 and can remember falling to my knees with the look on the old mans face .

I just got the biggest giggle out of that myself!!!! Hahahaha! I'm glad you shared that. I now have the scene palying in my head and keep giggling. I can't imagine the gut busting laugh coming from you at that age. I'm curious what was the look toward you when he knew you were laughing at him? Was it "boy you better get on down the road" or did he snicker at himself as well? That is too funny!

Wow....that gun is in amazingly poor condition. Rode hard and put away wet is an understatement .

Yeah, it took a lot to spark the old man,but his eyes were big as plates...we all had good chuckle at it afterwards (all except the old Tom that is ).

I think the gun can be put right,you never know what the future holds

What an awesome story and memory to have! Bet you relive that day every time you look at that shotgun hehehe:)

I'm sure it can be and one day I will eventually look into getting something done, but for now I feel just blessed and grateful to have it and be able to share this journey with you guys. I am well aware that it's in terrible shape and know it's going to take a lot of time and effort to get it right.

I just wanted to say hello to everyone and I hope that you all have a very Merry Christmas! Miss chatting with everyone!

Well then stick around ! Do you still have your Parkers gun / hound ?

Merry Christmas to you and yours too Dee.

Hope everything is going well for you.

Hi Dee! Happy Holidays to You and Yours.....

Hello Dee , Good to hear from you ,hope all is going well !!!!!!!! Merry Christmas ! :)

22,665 views of this thread MY ! MY !

Merry Christmas Dee!

Yes sir I sure do! And thank you all for your Christmas wishes! I'm blessed to be a part of such a wonderful group of people!

Welcome back Dee! It seems that a bunch of us have missed hearing from you.
Don't be a stranger.

Best Regards, George

I'm trying not to be! Lol.... I Have my oldest graduating soon and adopted my 5yr old nephew so things have been hectic. Adoption was final April this year...I've had him since he was 3. WOO HOO! It's definately been different having a little one in the house again since mine are almost grown.

You have a big heart Dee. I know families who have adopted cousins from unfortunate circumstances and it's a long haul to get it done but in the end, very well worth it, especially for the youngster. Congratulations!

Thank you! He has definately been a blessing to us. He had a rough start but has picked up and adjusted well. We are just glad he is finally getting to be a kid with the love and support that he so desperately needed. This is Michael Andrew Durham....he was named after my grandpa I inherited my Parker from. Thank you for your kind words and support. I appreciate each and every one of you!

What a pride he must be! And a handsome lad too.

Now that is a Texas sized hat. :)


Merry Christmas to you and yours

Now that sure looks like a Parker man to me. May God Bless the little fellow. Merry Christmas to one and all.

That is great! Good for you Dee

I agree. A very handsome young man! (His new Mom isn't too shabby either)
Thanks for stopping in, Dee, and lifting up our holiday season.

Lol! Well I'm blushing now...thank you! I'm very flattered.

Dee: love him and enjoy the little guy because it seems like time flys by and they are grown and gone. Thomas

merry christmas... charlie

Hello everyone! I just wanted to stop in and say HI to everyone here.....I miss all of you and wanted you to know that I still have the Ol Parker. LOL

Nice to see you posting again!