New Member in South Jersey

[Roberto S Siciliano]

Hello Fellow PB Owners,

I inherited two Parker doubles from my now deceased father. One is a 1887 Parker 10 ga., SxS, top lever w/ hammers, Serial #52,485, It seems to be an "O" or "P" grade [the stamp is very unclear] and has ejectors. I have no memory of him ever firing it and it's been disabled and packed away for many decades.

Overall it seems in pretty tight shape but the right hammer is loose & limp. The left hammer is stiff yet seems okay.

I'd like to have the gun inspected by a Parker friendly gunsmith and have written to 3-4 that have been recommended in the forum here. Each of these smith's are currently not taking on any more work. A real sign of the times.

This leaves me with diving into this project myself. I'm pretty mechanical and have torn down and reassembled many firearms, both long and handguns.
Yet I'm a little nervous about opening these Parkers because my Pop cherished them. Growing up they were sacred. But I'm willing.

I imagine the right hammer spring/assembly will have to be replaced on the above mentioned gun. That means I'll probably be seeking parts. I;d appreciate if anyone can point me towards parts availability. I understand the aforementioned gunsmiths may have needed parts. When I get this old Gal opened up you'll be hearing more from me.

I'm delighted to be among such an astute group. Pop would be pleased.

[Jim DiSpagno]

Where are you in South Jersey? I’m in West Berlin.

[Roberto S Siciliano]

Originally Posted by Jim DiSpagno

Where are you in South Jersey? I’m in West Berlin.

Vineland

[Jim DiSpagno]

Pics of the gun would be helpful. They are not too difficult to work on.

[Austin J Hawthorne Jr.]

Jim.
It's probably a two hour drive north for you, but Griffin & Howe in Andover NJ may be able to help. Ask for Paul Chapman. I've known him for over 35 years and have always found him helpful.
Regards,
Austin

[David Noble]

Welcome to the forums! I for one would love to see pictures of your 10ga. Quite a few members here have and shoot hammer guns. If you end up needing parts I’m sure some forum members can point you in the right direction. You didn’t mention the 2nd gun you inherited, what might it be?

[Roberto S Siciliano]

Originally Posted by David Noble

Welcome to the forums! I for one would love to see pictures of your 10ga. Quite a few members here have and shoot hammer guns. If you end up needing parts I’m sure some forum members can point you in the right direction. You didn’t mention the 2nd gun you inherited, what might it be?

It's an 1892 12ga GHE with 26" Damascus and double ivory sights. It was Pop's favorite squeeze and he always kept it well.
I've begun the process of redoing the wood and brightening up the metal.

I'm in contact with Brian Dudley and he already told me he has the parts I need to repair the right hammer on the 10ga.
The barrels look pretty decent. I can see some slight corrosion and will wire brush them today.

I discovered RST Shells and am considering a couple boxes of 10ga 2 5/8" shells to try this old man out when I'm done. They're a little steep in price though [$2.10 ea.]
Are there any other sources of shells for vintage shotguns?

[Dean Romig]

Please use a brass brush, not steel.

As for inexpensive 10 gauge ammo, reloading is cheapest if you do any kind of volume shooting.





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[Roberto S Siciliano]

I just took a deeper look at the barrels of the 10ga. There's scattered pitting just beyond the chambers and I'm disappointed. I ran a metal brush with cleaner though them but it didn't seem to help. I don't know how deep the pits are. I'm going to take the barrels to a local gunsmith for a 2nd opinion.
Is it possible to correct pitting in some way?

[Dean Romig]

Lots of old shotguns used with black powder and corrosive primers have pitting. The fact that your gun's pitting is limited to a relatively short section forward of the chambers isn't necessarily bad news. Do not attempt to hone the pits out!!

I have 20's, 16's, 12's and 10's that have shallow pits and I shoot them all without hesitation. Minor pits will have zero effect on shot patterns if you shoot shells with plastic shot sleeves or wads with plastic shot collars.

This is not to say you shouldn't have them professionally checked but if your gunsmith is inherently afraid of Damascus barrels, he's not the guy to be asking.





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