Needing help, restore or not to restore?

[Tom Prudden]

I am reposting this after figuring out that I had the original post in the wrong section. I also discovered that the grade is not DH but XU. The original post is below.

Hello! New to Parkers forum and shotguns. I recently obtained a Parker, 12 gauge, I think from 1878, grade is DH, Damascus barrels, lifter. The gun is complete but needs a lot of work. The stock was broken and repaired, and not in a good way. I think it has the potential to be a beautiful shotgun again. I was hoping to get opinions from those, well versed in the field, on if the gun is worth investing any money into. I know that the price of restoration is significant, and I’m willing to consider but, I do want it to be close to a worthy investment. So, if anyone is willing to give their opinions, I would greatly appreciate it. And, if it seems like it might be a fair investment, who would be the best fit for a future restoration on this particular shotgun?

[B. Dudley]

A much better repair to the stock could have been done before. It is a shame that more care was not taken in doing that.

Any sort of major restoration work on this gun would far exceed the value of the gun. But as far as you know that going in, then it is what it is.

[6pt-Sika]

If it were mine and I had no sentimental attachment I’d send it on down the road problem solved .

[nid-28]

This gun is beyond salvation. Don’t spend a nickel on it.

[B. Dudley]

It is not beyond salvation. Far worse have been restored. It is all a matter of what one is willing to spend and the effort put into it.

[Mike Poindexter]

This gun appears to be a Grade 2 on a 2 frame with Damascus barrels having an unstruck barrel weight of 4lbs 12oz. In twelve gauge it would be a "Quality G" gun. It has the earlier sharp corner at the junction of the water table and standing breech and otherwise appears to have the typical bells and whistles of the grade in the 1878 time frame. The good news is the exterior of the barrels and other metal does not appear heavily rusted or pitted (with the exception of the left breech ball and the buttplate). The bad news, as you know, is the broken wrist.

The key to whether to attempt a restoration to me is the condition of the interior of the bores and whether the barrels are original length. If the barrels are heavily pitted, I would not restore, but hang it on the wall. You would have a gun that was not safe to shoot at the end. If the barrels have been cut (and they appear in the first picture to be in the 26 to 28 inch range, which is probably cut from 30 inches based on the unstruck weight), you would have a gun with little or no choke left and probably throwing open patterns, which would limit its applicability for longer range shots at ducks and/or pheasants. If they are only mildly pitted or frosted, then the gun could be restored to a very nice shooter with the limitations above. The buttstock might be reparable, or it might not. Only an in person exam by a skilled stock man could determine that. If a restock was required, you are looking at $3-4K minimum for the restock in my experience. Repair might run half of that, if possible. First class metal restoration would also run at least $3K, maybe 4. So, the minimum cost of a complete restoration would probably be $6K and could go as high as $8K or more with today's costs considered. At the end, you would have a lovely Grade 2 gun that would probably be worth about half of that. As they say, you don't restore guns to make a profit.

If all this has not dissuaded you, I would proceed as follows: First, professionally inspect the interior barrels to see if further inquiry is warranted. Bore diameters and choke constrictions should be measured. You might also measure the stock dimensions and see how the gun fits you when you mount it. Could be important if the original stock is repairable. Second, order a research letter from this website, which should indicate the original barrel length, and confirm the other manufacturer's data. Then, if the gun passes muster, and you want to restore it to a nice shooter, get an estimate on the restoration from a competent restorer such as Mr. Brian Dudley or Mr. Doug Turnbull, among others, on what the cost would be, and see if you want to proceed on that basis. Do not, under any circumstances, give this gun to your local "gunsmith" unless he is thoroughly vetted. Skills like those required for this job are difficult to acquire and most gunsmiths dont have them. Also, expect to wait at least year or two for the work to be accomplished, perhaps more. Finally, realize you could probably purchase an existing gun of comparable quality for much less money and time, and be chasing birds with it for the next few years instead of waiting for your project to be done. Many of us here have been there and done that, and many have come back to sticking with original condition guns. Good luck and good shooting!

PS, here is a quick pick of my original Grade 2 lifter 10 ga. from that era for comparison, bought for an order of magnitude less money. They are out there.

[Tom Prudden]

I measured the barrels and they are 30”. I also tried to take pictures of the bore but, it’s hard to get the camera to focus inside the barrels. They actually look pretty good, in my opinion.

[Dean Romig]

Barrel wall thicknesses along the entire lengths is critical. Before you do ANYTHING in the way of making it ‘shootable’ you must have the barrel walls measured by someone with the proper tools to do it correctly.

Judging by your most recent pictures my impression of those chambers and breech faces of the barrels as poor or at least very suspect.



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[Phil Yearout]

If you have the ability to do a lot of the work yourself it could be a rewarding project. If you have to pay outside sources for all the work it looks like a real money pit to me. JMO. Dean's right though; if you intend it to be a shootable gun have it evaluated by someone with the proper expertise before you spend a dollar on it.