New Member, New Parker, New Support Group

[Shane Bolli]

Hey everyone,

My name is Shane and I recently purchased a 1912 Parker VH Hammerless. Prior to about four months ago, I 'knew' of Parker Bros but never really appreciated the history and extent of the Parker tradition. When the VH came into a local store I frequent, it sat on the shelf for a while. Part of the issue I think was that someone in the past had reblued the receiver and given it a Pachmayr recoil pad.

After a little research and some regular handling while it was in the store, I came to appreciate it much more. This appreciation was really sealed a couple weeks ago after my visit to the Cody Firearms Museum in Wyoming, seeing all those damascus works of art really kicked things to a different level.

Anyhow, I gave it a home....blue receiver and all

After shooting it some rounds at the range, I found a couple things I wondered if you knowledgeable folks could help me with:

1) The model is listed on the water-table as a VH with Vulcan steel barrels, however when I was shooting it, it ejected the spent shells like a rocket when I opened it up. Being that it seems to have ejectors, wouldn't it have been marked VHE?

2) Sometimes the extractors/ejectors wouldn't eject one or both barrels and after take-down I found the latch block that sits under the barrels to be loose and coming out slightly. Would this cause the extractors/ejectors to not reset properly?

No pics yet, I sent it to a friend to repair the metal block on the barrels, but when I get it back, I will post some!

Regards,

[Harry Collins]

Shane,

Welcome aboard! Yes, you have a VHE. I don't have an ejector Parker and it has been years since I have had one so I'm of no help to you there.

Kindest, Harry

[Bill Murphy]

Nope, you ejector Parker would not have an "E" as part of the grade designation on the action flat or water table. Shoot it a bit and the ejector mechanism may free itself up. It is about all in the forend if you feel like giving it a shot of lubricant.

[Shane Bolli]

Thanks gents, thats good news, I thought something was up at first but I couldn't find any reference to a VHE marking.

As for the lubricant, thats good advice, so far its been as it was purchased pending some information gathering here. It did seem to work for a bit with shooting but then one or both ejectors would get fussy again.

Bill, in regards to the mechanism in the forend, there are two little levers (I think they are number 58 on this image http://www.parkerguns.org/images/tech_2.jpg

What do those do and where should they be when putting the forend back on?

[Dean Romig]

Shane, I think the ejector hammers, fig. pos. 52, is what you're referring to. In order to replace the forend, they need to be in the 'cocked' position. They are spring loaded and require considerable force to cock them. They should be cocked one-at-a-time. Hold the forend firmly with the tip of the forend toward you and with a wooden dowel or similar rod (not metal or hard plastic as they will slip) force the hammer toward the tip of the forend until it clicks into the cocked position. Same procedure for the other ejector hammer.

[Shane Bolli]

Thanks Dean, I am good with those ejector hammers, they are really tough to work. What I am asking about though are two little levers that can be seen on the vertical face of the forend, receiver side. When I cock the ejector hammers, they click in the cocked, position, but one of the little verticle levers/toggles sticks up. When I push on the appropriate ejector hammer, it clicks again and the little lever then falls to the bottom.

My apologies, I will have to take a picture when the get the shotgun back, its hard to explain and I can't find a similar photo to illustrate.

[ch]

Hello Shane, Bet you can't eat just one. ch

[Shane Bolli]

I know, I know....as long as I dont find any more of them, I should be fine.....sigh, hehe