Does overboring affect value
 

Looking at a local gun shop at a B grade that the barrels were overbored early in its life. Would this adversely affect the value? Gun is otherwise original and in great condition.

Thanks in advance.

They may have been built that way. A lot of Parkers were overbored. Especially any made pre-1910 or so. Wall thickness and choke would be most important things to look at. And bore condition of course. Bore diameter is kind of moot.

Back in the early days Parker Bros. guns were well known to be overbored and at least some of the loading companies put up shells specifically for Parkers with oversize wads.

Attachment 93778

Attachment 93779

What, in fact, was the nominal bore diameter of a 12 ga Parker pre 1910 ?

Thanks

I owned a 1890 CH that if I remember right was .750

The nominal bore diameter of any 12 gauge barrel is .729” which will require 12 lead spheres (balls) of that precise diameter to equal 1lb. exactly. Overboring to a larger diameter is not “nominal” for any gauge.





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Dean:

Thanks. I realize over bore is not nominal as related to factory. That is why I asked the question. Most of my modern 12 ga. guns are larger then that up to .735 and even .738 in some of the after market work by Briley and Angleport.

I believe this to be .760....thoughts on that?

In my opinion, as regards Parker shotguns, if it can be proved a gun was overbored by the factory, that gun's value is not compromised. Having been overbored any place or any time by another entity the gun's value may be compromised.





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I think you are asking what is the typical bore diameter for a Parker of this timeframe. That's a great question. I'm not sure that there could be any definitive answer since many guns may have had some barrel honing or polishing over the course of time. My own early guns do indeed have bores larger than .729, sometimes quite a bit larger, but the real key for me is the barrel wall thickness.