should I shoot my old Parker or hang it up
 

Hello all,
I am hoping you guys can help me in making this decision. I just inherited my Grandfather's Parker Brothers 12 gauge hammerless double barrel shotgun and was going to take it turkey hunting later this month. My wife thinks I am crazy and that it should just be insured and then put over the fireplace. Maybe I can do both but I wanted some professional advice from you all first. The gun has the serial number 111880 with the frame size of 1 and a weight of 3^6 and I think the grade is DHE as it has the ejector. All the pieces have matching numbers and the barrel says it is Titanic Steel. It also has a silver plate on the stock with a name engraved on it. My Grandfather received the gun as a gift after helping the original owner out during tough times back in the 1930s. the name on the plate is "P.R. Lilly". The gun has never been refurbished and I think some of the old marks, dents and scrapes give it character so here are my primary questions. 1. What amount should I have the gun insured for? 2. What size ammo can I safely use in the gun? 3. Should I continue to hunt with her or just put her on display?
Thank you all for your advise and wisdom.
John

Have it checked for safety

Order a flat of RST shells in 12 -shot size of your choice

Enjoy it both ways

Hmmmm.
You might want to do a little digging if it's a DHE. It could be connected to this man and his family:


Here's a start;

The company's founder was Colonel Eli Lilly, a pharmaceutical chemist and Union Army veteran of the American Civil War.[4] Col. Lilly served as the company president until his death in 1898.[5] A stylized version of his signature still appears in the company's red logo.[4] After he mustered out of the Union army, Lilly briefly became a cotton planter in Mississippi, but the venture failed and he returned to the Midwest, where he was a partner in a Paris, Illinois, drugstore.[6] Lilly began formulating plans to create a medical wholesale company while working in partnership at the Binford and Lilly drug store in Illinois.

I'd shoot it. :)

I have some photos but could not figure out how to post them.

some photos of my parker
 

Think I figured it out... if this works there will be some photos attached to this post.... fingers crossed.

John

John - Regarding your pictures - From the FAQ tab, here is a tutorial on posting pix. If this old fumblefingers can do it, I'm sure you'll be fine.

http://parkerguns.org/forums/faq.php...b3_attachments

Thank you. I am not the most tech savvy person and usually need assistance in that field.
John

Your gun is quite valuable and should be looked at by someone who is qualified to do an evaluation. Tell us where you are and we may be able to recommend someone.

Hi John, I would have the barrels checked out and use it! It's valuable, but too valuable to use, more of a chrime to let it sit on the mantle if you ask me. It's difficult to tell from the picutres but does it have an english/straight grip stock? A desirable feature if it does.