Might be willing to spend some money…
 

Hello! New to Parkers forum and shotguns. I recently obtained a Parker, 12 gauge, I think from 1878, grade is DH, Damascus barrels, lifter. The gun is complete but needs a lot of work. The stock was broken and repaired, and not in a good way. I think it has the potential to be a beautiful shotgun again. I was hoping to get opinions from those, well versed in the field, on if the gun is worth investing any money into. I know that the price of restoration is significant, and I’m willing to consider but, I do want it to be close to a worthy investment. So, if anyone is willing to give their opinions, I would greatly appreciate it. And, if it seems like it might be a fair investment, who would be the best fit for a future restoration on this particular shotgun?

It is not a DH as a DH would indicate a Grade 3 hammerless gun.

What you have is, at best, a Grade 2 (as the checkering on the forend indicates a Grade 2) Lifter Action hammer gun. The serial number is among those thousands missing from the serialization book. A PGCA Research Letter may give the grade of the gun.





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I believe most people here would feel you would be upside down on a complete restoration. Any work done should come after first having the barrels checked by a competent gunsmith, knowledgeable in composite barrels, and deemed safe to shoot.
If the barrels checkout okay, you could possibly get the stock repaired by a competent stock smith to a point of making the gun shootable again.
Useable hammer gun stocks are difficult to find and fit. Having a new stock made in itself would likely exceed the value of the gun. There are good gunsmiths, stock fitters and barrel experts available and somebody here could provide you with contact info at your request.

If your serial number is 13787, there are records available for a PGCA letter. How did you arrive on the "DH" grade? As another poster indicated, your gun is not a DH. The condition of this gun would suggest that the barrel interiors are abused and not suitable of restoration. Without good barrels, restoration is not possible.

I guess this is why I’m here. I saw the “DH” stamp but, I looked again and it is on the bottom of the barrels, not the water table. The stamp on the water table is “XU”. I added pictures showing this. So, I guess that changes things a little bit…

Yes, that changes things a lot. The D you see on the barrel flat indicates Damascus barrels. The H is not fully understood but it is likely an inspector’s mark. And as I ststed on your previous thread, the checkering pattern of the forend is that of a Grade-2 or G grade.

The X U on the water table is something we’re not all agreed on, but it has always been my opinion that the U indicates Underlifter which is the action type. The meaning of the X is a mystery.





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Well, maybe it’s best to become a parts gun for others looking for pieces?…

As Bill Murphy opined, the condition of the bores is the biggest factor. If pitted severely, then restoration may not be feasible. Would be a cool gun to shoot, good luck.

What do the bores look like when you look through them? That’s really the key factor whether or not it can be brought back.

And wall thickness is critical as well.





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Yes, that was implied by comment.

My opinion would be to use the money you would spend on fixing this and put it towards a gun that would be useable.

That’s a valid point, but there’s something to be said for saving one if you can.