Parker with blown barrel
 

Hello all. I'm a first time poster so I hope this is the right area to request this information. I inherited a 12 gauge Parker from my gunsmith father that has a blown left barrel and this gun is not for sale. I am trying to find out what it may be worth as is and whether or not it can (or should) be repaired. It has the following identification marks (pictures attached):
Serial #90727, mfd 1899
Grade 0, VH
Frame size 2
Barrel weight 4, 30" Vulcan steel
Hard rubber dog's head buttplate
"Kf" marking on barrel flats (don't know what this indicates)

I was told that the barrel was blown by someone using handloads with cornstarch wads and about 2 1/2" of the left barrel is gone. The adjacent barrel and ribbing are separated at the end but appear undamaged. Is this worth repairing by having the barrels cut down, or should I just leave it on the wall?Attachment 18313

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Thats a shame, a good barrel guy would need to make sure the ribs are sound. But if so, a bobbing or sleeveing are the only choices I see for those barrels. And sleeving is a chunk of change to put into a VH

If I were you, since you have no outlay for what is there, I would cut those (assuming a clear bill of health on the remains) and look for an orphaned set of 2 frame barrels to make the gun more useful.
Not an easy search, but the result would be a good waterfowl piece.

Yeah I'd agree, just have the gun cut back and shoot it.

DLH

Thanks for your advice. I just wanted to save cutting until I had to. Any idea if any choking would still be left with about 3" gone? Also, can you tell me what the "Kf" mark indicates?

Any of the current repair options would far exceed the value of the gun in cost. Unless it's of some great family history or something like you're better off just bobbing it off and putting it to good use as a bird gun. With 3 inches off, very little if any choke would remain. Sometimes they'll still throw a decent pattern though. I had a BH grade that had two inches off and still would put quite a bit of shot on a sheet of paper.



DLH

The way I shoot I might be better off with a cut barrel! Any idea what this could cost to do and what it may be worth afterwords? Luckily, I have another Parker 16 guage VH that's only missing a screw.

Most 30" VH guns were more tightly choked, such as Modified and Full, or, Full and Full. Parker's full choke constriction begins at about 4" from the muzzle, so you may get and upland gun out of this yet.

I paid a gunsmith $65 (for one hour) to cut a set of blown on the end VH barrels (similar to yours), fill in the solder, and tap the rib for and install the front sight.

What it is worth afterwards varies; some would say for a cut VH $500 (which means it's worth more for parts), some may say up to $750. The rest looks to be in fairly good shape. On the gun web sites some will ask for twice those amounts for a cut gun.

But if it was your father's personal gun there is no price since it needs to be handed down through the generations. If it was his personal gun and you have the money to spend have the barrel sleeved/replaced. If it was just one he acquired, cut it and still hand it down since it was his, in my opinion.

Someone can measure it now before you cut it to tell you if any choke will be left in both barrels and how much.

As many have stated earlier, I too would say that cutting these down to 26" or 27" is your best option. Just get back into the tube before the damage, pick the closest even figure and take them off there.
Most likely you will not have much left for chokes. But it would meke a nice skeet or Grouse gun.
Too bad that happened, apart form some worn out checkering and silvered receiver, the gun looks to be in good shape. Would make a great shooter, which is better than it is right now.
Sets of VH barrels pop up often enough to where you could pick up a set fairly easily. And there is not much more of a common configuration that a 12g. 2 frame.

Thanks everyone for your help. My father acquired the gun as a project and I believe he also intended to cut it down, so that's rhe best route for me. He was a gunsmith for 60+ years and I've inherited lots of "project" LC Smiths, Winchesters, Mausers, and various other firearms with new and used parts galore. In addition, I have lots of tools, gauges, reamers, etc. that will take me the rest of my life to figure out how to use. It's gonna be fun.