The "Frankenstein" Trojan 20 Gauge

Ruff Hunter · 07-05-2014, 09:59 PM

Several months ago I was trolling through the listings on GB when a potential diamond in the (very!) rough caught my eye. It was a Trojan 20 gauge with original 28" barrels. That was the good news; almost everything else about it was bad. The stock had been "repaired" with a Frankenstein style bolt through the neck. The wrist wore an old nylon cord wrap for support where chunks of wood were missing, and the frame had been hot blued. The barrels still had the original rust blue, but pits and corrosion were evident. The two "before" photos speak for themselves. After convincing the seller to get real on the price, my next resto project was underway. The stock was sent to Mark Larson for extensive pinning, acraglass, cheek panels, coloring and finish. I rust blued the barrels and hardware, which were covered with shallow pits from end to end. Many hours of hand filing and sanding were necessary to obtain an acceptable finish. I also color case hardened the frame and forend iron. A new top lever return spring was needed, and Brian Dudley's considerable talents quickly rectified that issue. I then replaced the broken sighting bead, polished the shallowly pitted bores, and the former "Frankenstein" Parker Trojan 20 gauge is now ready for grouse season in two short months.