Buying a refinished Parker

[Michael K. Burnley]

I'm fairly new and was wondering, is there any great disadvantage in buying a Parker that has been refinished. Barrels redone, wood redone, frame not redone but looks good. I am not a collector yet (maybe never) and this gun would be a shooter, mainly for hunting. Like I said, I am not buying this one for a collectors piece. One I am looking at is a very nice looking gun.
Thanks, Mike

[Ed Blake]

Nothing wrong with it at all for a shooter. Just make sure the barrels weren't hot blued. What grade is the gun and do you know who did the refinishing?

[Labowner]

Pull the trigger Mike, most of my guns that I hunt and clay shoot are as you described. The nice original should Imho stay that way.

[TARNATION !!!]

Pre-PGCA days, I would have said, wow it's a Parker so its gotta be good. Right now, it is still wow for a good looking gun but now I know about barrel wall thickness issues, I can say wow, measure the walls and say no. Guns that have been refinished with beautiful shiny bores often times have been honed and sometimes they are thinner than what is considered by many here to be too thin. Most seem happy with at least .025. If you got that, there could be some unhappy birds in your area.
Cheers,
Jack

[George Lander]

Michael: You didn't say whether the barrels on the Parker that you are considering are fluid steel or Damascus, twist or laminated. You should be able to tell quickly by what is engraved on the top rib. Then you will want to have the wall thickness measured as TARNATION suggested by an experienced double gunsmith who will also check things like, is it on face, are the ribs tight, does the action & ejectors (if it has ejectors) function properly and last but not least does the gun fit you?

Best Regards, George

[Michael K. Burnley]

It is a VH with 28 inch Barrels, unsure of choke right now. Very nice looking gun from what I can see. Mike