Restore, refinish, or leave it alone?

Troy Marsh · 09-09-2010, 10:39 PM

16 gauge. Thanks for your thoughts/opinions.

Troy Marsh · 09-09-2010, 10:43 PM

Here's one more.

TARNATION !!! · 09-09-2010, 11:29 PM

Troy: Not being aware of your skills or bank account, the first response to such a question is, "What do you want to do with it ?" - decoration? occasional sporting clays? Hunting? If decoration only, just hang it up and you are done. If you want to shoot it, then determine it's shootabilty first. After that "do the least harm possible". Your gun might look very nice with just a complete tear down, clean up and reassembly. Assuming the barrels are in good condition and the action tight, you could enjoy using it at the range or in the field. If you are a do it yourself guy, check out the FAQ's regarding screwdrivers before you do anything. From the pictures, the gun has been dismantled some time in it's past history. If you leave the work to a gunsmith, have the cheque book handy. If you want to do a complete restoration, there are folks that can be recommended - again, have your cheque book handy.

So where do you want to go with this?

Cheers,
Jack

Bruce Day · 09-10-2010, 06:59 AM

Its a very early( 1890) O frame 16ga GH damascus, so early that at least initially it would likely have been shot with black powder and corrosive primers,. Unless the gun was cleaned after every use, black powder residue attracts moisture, creates acid ( sulphuric acid) and can corrode the barrels. This is a fairly common Parker.

What's the barrel wall thickness?

Condition of the bores?

Ribs tight?

Loose on the face?

Barrels cut?

Stock cracked? I see that the head, at least on the right side, has some oil soaking.

I see somebody cut off the original dog's head butt plate and added a later Hawkins pad, probably in the 1920's or early 30's.

Family heirloom or something you just picked up?

Want to keep it and use it or just looking to fix it up, turn it and make some money?

FYI, this gun was intended by Parker to be shot with 7/8oz , 2 1/2 dram loads, per Parker Small Bore Shot Gun tables.

Autumn Daze · 09-10-2010, 07:00 AM

Nice O frame 16.....I agree with Jack. What are your plans for this old girl?

Troy Marsh · 09-10-2010, 09:55 AM

Thanks for the quick replies. I just picked it up recently and would like to keep it in the family. I do not want, or plan, to shoot it. The stock does not appear to be cracked. If the oil soaking is the blackened area on the stock, I would like to have that removed, if at all possible. The gun closes and locks extremely tight, and the ribs are tight. Don't know the barrel wall thickness. One bore has an ever so slight bulge, barely perceptible by touch, about midway, otherwise bright and shiny inside.

That said, could a professional remove/reduce the oil soaking so as to restore the wood grain? The photos don't do the wood grain justice. Up close, I can tell the wood is really beautiful underneath the years of buildup and oil. If so, then I would probably leave the barrels alone.

Thanks again for your help.

Bruce Day · 09-10-2010, 10:20 AM

Most G's particularly early G's, had great wood. To take out the oil soaking, the stock has to come off and be soaked in a degreasing fluid such as acetone. It will take off the finish, so the stock will need to be at least partially refinished, and partial refinishing will show against the rest of the unrefinished stock. You can pull some of it out yourself by heating with a hair dryer and wiping repeatedly, but if there is a lot, the stock needs to come off.

The barrel bulge is likely from somebody shooting a too heavy load in a light barrelled 16. Bulges are hard to fix but can be done. Barrel bulges often cause loose ribs. The fun part of these old guns is shooting them but to be most comfortable in doingthat you need to know at least the bore ID and preferably the wall thickness.

If an old gun that old is unusually bright and shiny inside, suspect honing, which decreases wall thickness.

The barrels need external refinishing to bring out the beauty of the damascus pattern.

Here's typical G wood and what refinished G damascus barrels look like.

Brush Buster · 09-10-2010, 10:25 AM

Hello Troy ,I recently had Brad Bachelder ," Bachelders Guns ,Ph. # 616 459 3636 " redo a set of Damascus barrels for me ,and they turned out beautiful by the way ,we talked about some of the work that he does ,and he explained to me he has a unique way to remove all of the old soaked in oil out of the heads of these old gun stocks , Just my two cents worth but if it were me ,I would contact Brad ,send the gun out to him to be checked for any safety issues and discuss any work you would like to do at that point ,Brad is very easy and personable to talk with and very pleasant to deal with ,this is his business and I feel sure he would be happy to discuss this with you ! You can do as little as giving the gun a looking over ,or a complete redo ,or anything in between ! Good luck with your new Parker ! Russ

Bruce Day · 09-10-2010, 10:39 AM

Don't spend any money redoing a gun without knowing your barrels.

Troy Marsh · 09-10-2010, 10:48 AM

Good point Bruce. Can you recommend someone to check the barrels? Also, can you recommend an appraiser, as I need to know the value of the gun "AS IS" and the anticipated value after the work is done. Thanks again.