Barrel lug repairs.
 

I was looking at a very early high grade Parker today. In the 4,000 serial number range. There is records to suggest that the gun went back to the factory at a point in its life, but cannot tell what for.

The barrels show evidence of some work possibly being done. Along with some tightening work to the barrel lug.

It has a piece pinned and soldered onto the hook. The solder has since popped free, But the pin still holds the piece in place with a little movement. I know that this type of repair has been seen on some older Parker guns and discussed here before.
However, there is another repair that I found when looking closely that was new to my eyes at least. There is a piece dovetailed and soldered in place at the back of the locking lug. This is the surface that bears against the "bridge" in the water table slot.
See photos below.

Attachment 37756

some one did some fine file work there

We've seen mortised ("dove-tailed") repairs on a few Parkers before, including at least one (that I have seen) mortised hook repair.

And yes, Austin featured a hook repair, like the one you show, a few years ago in Parker Pages.

Why would that need to be repaired at that particular spot? How much stress can be there from the recoil? I'm looking at my lifter and I just can't see that spot breaking.

One would think Parker would just replace and refit a new set barrels ...

Some very respected gunsmiths like to dovetail a new piece at the hook and refile the curve. I think its a lot of wasted effort and expense, when a nearly invisible shim can be put in place.

A "nearly invisible shim" is not a repair but merely a 'band-aid'.

At half the price of a new gun, replacing the complete set of barrels should be a last resort unless the owner of the gun had ordered it done.

Dean, a new 1910 bolt plate is as much a band aid as a shim. I see no problem with a shim in certain areas of a gun where steel has worn. A soldered in new pre 1910 flat bolt plate is no more than a shim. I, personally, do not want a chunk sawed out of my lug and a new piece of steel dovetailed in. Maybe if I could have a video of DT doing the job, start to finish, but that isn't going to happen.

Dean, I was just thinking that one would have to get that "bad feeling" sawing a chunk from the lug of set of High end barrels...

I disagree. The 1910 patented replaceable bolt plate with "shoulders" was a running design modification and was replaced in conjunction with a new corresponding bolt. It was an upgrade, not a band-aid, on older guns evidenced by the fact that Parker Bros. would do this service at no charge to the customer when earlier guns were returned to Meriden for service or other repairs.

I was referring to a gun with an original 1910 bolt plate that requires a larger 1910 bolt plate to become tight again. It is "adding metal", just like soldering a very thin shim into place. Sawing a piece out of the barrel lug to insert a dovetailed piece is not something I would ever do.

I wouldn't either. Russ Bickell refit two sets of barrels for me... the right way.