Factory Cut and Re-bored Barrels
 

I finally decided to get a letter on one of my earliest Parker purchases, a GH Damascus barreled 12 in the 56XXX range. This gun is in extraordinary condition, but the serialization book specifications indicated that the barrels had been cut down from 30" to 28," so I never bothered with a letter until recently.

When I got the letter from Chuck (thanks, Chuck, for the fast turn around), I learned that the gun had been sent back to the factory to be cut to 28" and rebored. My measurements of the barrels suggest they are still in the "new" configuration, although the chokes are shorter than I typically find in a Parker.

Do we know what the reboring process was like? The original chokes were not mentioned in the records, but the new chokes were to be cylinder and modified. The cylinder barrel is about .002" by my measurement (consistent with other original Parker cylinder barrels of mine). The modified barrel seems pretty open now at about .008," but I've never patterned the gun.

Was there a standard method for re-boring/choking guns at the factory? Do we know anything about the typical length of factory re-bored chokes.

Thanks in advance for any information any of you might have.

Chokes weren't necessarily cut to a particular constriction but generally were cut to a desired pellet count at XX yards inside a XX-inch circle.






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The .008 would seem more consistent with an IC vs M as you said Garry. It would be very interesting to see if PB were able to achieve a M choke type pattern with that constriction. They were very good so I would not put it past them. Please do report back when you pattern this very interesting gun.

And once again we are reminded why we should "never say never". Fascinating letter.

You won the lottery on something that everyone with a cut gun hopes to find. That the letter supports that it was done on a service return to Parker. Most are not as lucky.

Are the keels present? If so, it would suggest that a factory cut job entailed more than just bobbing the barrels.

Does the rib matting run to the end or is there a termination line

Please post clear photos of the end of the barrels, both top and muzzle .I would be very interested in seeing the rib matting. Thanks

Thanks so much for the informative (and encouraging) replies. The gun is at the back of the safe at present, but March is my "pull 'em all out for inspection and wipe down month." I will take some photos and post them.

Thanks again. BTW, I've never really been able to detect the fabled curve in the chokes that I read about, so even if it's in these chokes, I doubt my equipment (and its operator!) can detect it.

This is yet another factor in favor of getting a research letter. Thanks again to all of those who helped to secure access to, and copies of, the records, and the folks who have conducted the research of those records (especially Chuck!)

Congratulations on a great letter. "Back of the safe" not so much.

It doesn't matter a bit if the keels are present or if the matting runs off the end of the rib.... The letter clearly indicates the fact that the barrels were shortened at the factory.

i have a 28 gauge that started life with 28" barrels but the factory records show that it was originally ordered with 24" barrels, which it now has. The keels were replaced but the matting runs off the end of the rib.


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