Help - Broken Splinter Fore End

[Billy Gross]

This is a good news - bad news story:

I just bought the gun I have been looking for: 20 Ga Parker Repro, 28" Barrels, PG, SST, and a Splinter FE in apparently excellent condition.

I got home from the gun store this afternoon excited about my acquisition and wiped the gun down, cleaned and oiled it. Upon reassemble, the Splinter Fore End broke in two where the release lever is. There must have been a hidden crack or weakness there. I just used normal finger pressure to engage the latch and snap. There was no sign of a previous repair. I called the gun store manager and am bringing the gun back tomorrow at 9:00 to decide what to do. This is a reputable store and I am sure that we will work something out by either returning the gun or repairing it. I would prefer to keep the gun and get the fore end replaced, being it is a nice gun that I got at a fair price (assuming it didn't break).

Now some questions for the sage consultants:

1. Should I get the Fore End repaired or replaced and about how much would that cost?

2. Who would be the "Go To" person for repair or replacement?

3. Does anybody have a 20 Ga Fore End for a Repro that I could buy? Either a Splinter or a Beaver tail would be OK.

Thanx,
Billy

[Milton Starr]

food for thought , if you replace the forend I doubt it will match the butt stock

[jsd245]

I feel your pain. I was cleaning my VHE and I dropped the forend from about waist high. It broke in half. It was a clean break and I sent it to Brian Dudley who fixed it for me. He said it repaired fine. Where it broke was ahead of the latch so its a relatively low stress area provided I put the forend on with the proper technique. I'd send it to Brian and see if he could fix it. He'll probably weigh in. Post a picture of it and he'll probably be able to tell you if he could repair it.

[Billy Gross]

Thanx - Do you have any contact info for Brian? Billy

[jsd245]

http://bmdgunstocks.com/

You can look the this years raffle gun thread and see the kind of work he does. He reworked and refinished the stock on that gun. He's also got a bunch of Albums on the site.

[Billy Gross]

Thanx - I will contact him. Billy

[B. Dudley]

I have encountered many forends broken in the way you describe. Repros and Meriden guns.
Both extractor and ejector type. That area where they break (right at the front of the latch) is a very thin point and is really the weakest point of the forend. Installing forend by pushing on the tip puts stress on this point. Not having a forend completely seated on the frame nuckle or trying to install an ejector forend on an uncocked gun can certainly add to that stress.

The forend should be installed with pressure being put on the center latch area. This is important since most original forend should seat and then take a good squeeze to get the latch lever to click in place.

[Billy Gross]

Brian, et al – Thank you for your help – the shop took the gun back and refunded my money. Billy

[Brush Buster]

While we are on the topic of Forend installation ,from my limited experience with Parker Guns ,I know all Forend and Forend latches are not created equal ,some are down right tough to get on ! One day while hanging out with Mr. Chuck Brunner " Greenes Guns " and contemplating the purchase of a Parker ,I was having some trouble getting a Forend back on a Parker and Chuck said ,Russ ,give me that gun and I will show you something ,He took the gun , set the forend in place and started to put light pressure on the forend then opened the opening lever just a crack and the Forend jumped right on the gun without any force whatsoever ! I was so impressed ,that I had to give it a go and it works like a champ ,probably the best thing anyone ever pointed out to me and has probably saved me a forend repair or two along the way ! By the way ,after the lesson ,how could I not buy the gun " ! Now I am sure most of the Members know this but for those that don't ,go grab your Parker that gives you the most fits putting that forend on and give it a try , hopefully this will work out for you also !

[C.O.B.]

Russ, Chuck showed me the same thing. Pretty neat really.