First Time Parker Owner
 

Hello all. I am a new Parker owner as of a couple weeks ago and I came across this site after trying to find the year my gun was built. The gun is a Parker VH 12g built in 1907 according to the serial number.

Should I get the barrels tested by a gunsmith prior to use? The dealer I went through said the gun had been looked over by a gunsmith and the barrels were good and I know they are a reputable dealer, I just dont want to accidently blow my head off.

Ian,
There aren't any "tests" that any US Smith would perform. However, there are a number of inspections and measurements that can be taken to verify bore diameter, minimium wall thickness of the barrels, and choke, chamber length. Of these, minimum wall thickness is the most important, and that measurement in concert with location on the barrel. There are quite a few members in RI and the surrounding area that can steer you in the direction of a smith to perform the measurements.
If the bores are in good shape without pitting, and it is tight on face, then it is likely solid to shoot with reasonable loads.

What Keavin said.

Parkers were well built and unless messed with, will keep shooting long after their caretakers are gone.

That is a very nice piece of wood for a V grade.

I thought so too, that's why I chose it over another good quality gun. Unfortunately I think I caught a disease and now I can stop thinking about the next fine double to buy.


Thanks for the above advice regarding having the barrels inspected by a gunsmith.

Very nice looking for a 1907 vintage Quality VH, congratulations.

This is more typical 1907 Quality VH wood --

Attachment 134016

Are there any Remington repair codes on the barrel flats? Does it have the 1905 style bolt plate? Or, has it been updated with the 1910 style bolt and bolt plate?

I own a dozen or so old shotguns. Most are doubles, but I've got a few Browning Auto 5s and two Model 12s. If I take one to a gunsmith for his approval to shoot it they all do the same thing. They close the gun, check if the safety functions, wiggle the action and if it is tight on face they declare the gun good. It is not rocket science.

Those of us who spend big bucks for shotguns go much farther than the "gunsmith" you mention.

Just an observation on your gun. The buttstock on it is a later factory replacement. It would have been restocked by the factory after the mid 1920s.
The major clues to this are the checkering pattern, the un-spurred buttplate, and the general appearance of the finish compared to the forend. Also, as Dave mentioned above, the wood is of higher figure than typical for the grade in 1907.

This is by no means a negative, if anything, it means newer and more solid wood. As well as usually better dimensions than the original.

I thought this may have been the case because of the wood quality. It was night and day compared to other early VHs I was looking at.