Hunting for Thoughts and Comments
 

Attached view photos of a recent purchase, a 16 gauge CHE. The stories go that this 28", Miller Single Trigger, Straight Stock survivor was immersed in a flood some years ago as well as having had its original stock broken and replaced (no s/N beneath the tang) after having been bumped against a log to flush a rabbit in hiding. You can't make this up!!

The forend iron was blued at some time as well as the skeleton butt plate. It is apparent that the adjacent checkering on both locations were blued as well!! Like I say, you can't make this up. Sooo, thoughts and comments are welcome. Go easy on me. I saw hope for the little beauty and she fires and ejects just fine!

Chuck Bishop has patiently queried me regarding this shooter in response to my request for a letter. I thank him for his support and willingness to research all the ancient, blurred data. No simple task from what I have read for some time in the Forum.

Well, whoever did the restock did a fine job. Everything else with the butt plate can be fixed by a good engraver. The trigger guard looks to have some pitting, or something. If you don't have too much in it, it would make sense to rectify these issues. If the barrels are sound, ejectors work, and Miller trigger is OK you are 90% of the way there. Are the barrels fluid or damascus? Nice gun.

I don't think you are so bad off. The stock doesn't look too bad and the buttplate is supposed to be blued. I don't see a lot of "blue" on the wood, so that may not be much of a problem either. Wait a minute, that doesn't look like anyone's Miller trigger. Are you fooling with us?

Jack is going to post a few more pictures for us. One is for the left side cheek panel. It's not symmetrical with the right side. Also, he says the trigger says Miller. I've asked him to post pictures of the trigger area where it says Miller and also from to top down for the safety.

My comments to Jack about the stock is that it sure looks like a Parker stock but probably from a different gun. The checkering looks correct to me including the mullard border. I'm only going by pictures of C grade stocks. You can see where the wood is below the surface of the metal on both the receiver and the SSBP.

I recommended to Jack that what I would do is refinish the forend wood to match the color of the buttstock, correct the floor plate screws, and have the internals cleaned. If there is bluing on the metal that could be taken off.

That's all I would do unless he wants to spend big bucks to go even further.

I agree with Chuck not a whole lot to do to the gun, the buttplate should be blue so that just leaves the forend latch and a little Fitz might just make it look right. It does not look like a bad gun and it's a 16 ga.....

The barrels are Acme Steel and marked as such. That I got right. I apologize to Chuck. The trigger is likely a Parker according to Mark Beasland who has all but the barrels in his shop. I saw several Miller triggers at the SxS so I must be having flashbacks! The barrel selector is to the left of the single trigger.

Thank you, Ed and Bill and Opening Day for your prompt replies. In due time, I will take more pics and submit them for analysis. Mark will clean, inspect and lube this beauty and deal with the stain and forend bluing as suggested. Chasing the checkering will likely bring out the color to +/- match the buttstock.

I have always respectfully declined any invites into Facebook. And glad I did. But reading and questioning and learning about an iconic American product is the kind of jawboning that is worthwhile. All hail Charles Parker!

Honored Annual Member,
Jack

beautiful gun JACK take care of her.... charlie

You did good Jack. Now take her out and shoot the daylights out of her and enjoy.:bigbye:

It would be interesting to know the year of production or the serial number range of this CHE.

Thanks for your interest, Charlie, Double Lab and Dean. It's a 1911 vintage C grade that I plan to shoot until my dying day. I plan on attending the Georgetown SxS this fall. I'll have it with me.

It's a vry nice CHE... love that straight grip!

Is it just the pictures, or does the wood look low next to the metal at the corners of the frame? Checkering looks very nice.

Dean, Chuck has pointed out that the checkering on the cheeks differ, one side from the other. On closer examination, it appears that oil/stain makes it look as if the checkering is taken all the way out to the receiver. The wood is dark against the receiver, giving it the look of continuous checkering. Otherwise, the checkering is nice. And the drop of 3" fits me like a glove.

Brian, as for the 'step' from the cheeks' wood to the adjacent metal, that is no illusion. The walnut is a few thou below the metal. I'll sweat that when my grandson is shooting it! But it is another mystery.........what all has gone on with this C?

Good grief! You mean I was right about the trigger? It did have a Parker look to it. Great gun.

Wow, hell of a nice gun--love 16 guages. It really makes me want to have my DHE O frame 26" 16 evaluated by someone with some knowledge and expertise. I have posted about this gun (Dec)- factory letter says pistol grip but gun has straight grip with matching ser#. Anybody in the eastern Ohio, Wv, or western Pa areas care to give a look? I would love to go to th e NE SXS shoot at Hausman's but just cant swing it with work--I know Ernie, last time I hunted with him in the UP he was carrying a little B grade Fox 20 and the next day a 21/2" English 12.

You had noted the lack of a S/N under the guard. This hints to it being a replacement stock.
Also, checkered action panels were not typically used on C grades. And the shape of yours in relation to the action panels looks below Parker quality. So that is most likely not original to the gun.
Also, the Checkering on the grip LOOKS like it might be finer than the checkering on the forend. But I cannot see both in the same picture, so it is hard to tell.

And if the wood is low against the metal, I would say that it was made that way from the start, or it was oversanded in a refinish at some time.

Brian,

The order book states to Panel and Checker the sides of the stock. The one panel looks pretty good, the other side not as good. The question is still is the stock a Parker Stock?

Brian,

The order book states to Panel and Checker the sides of the stock. The one panel looks pretty good, the other side not as good. The picture of the side of the stock Jack showed above is the good one. The question is still is the stock a Parker Stock?

Maybe the jury is still out but I suspect the stock is a honest attempt at duplication of the original, including the checkered cheeks. The combination of bluing applied to the forend and butt, along with obvious oil that has leached into the wood aft of the breech balls, detracts somewhat but still works for me from an aesthetic angle.

Harold and I must live with the mysteries. Just like firing pins, stocks break. How and when they were repaired or replaced matters as a curiosity. Is a repaired stock more desirable than a decent replacement? Fords v Chevies in my neck of the woods. But to a purist, the original, pinned or not, gets the nod. My guess.

She'll be put to the test June 6 when some sidekicks show for a clay bird bar-b-cue.
I hope I don't let her down!

Dean,

157xxx. Sorry. Senior moment!