The Donor

[Randy Roberts]

Sad news to report for those of you that have been seeking a graded 16 gauge with 32" barrels on the 1 1/2 frame, the ocean just got a little smaller. Let me explain. I have been searching for a 16 bore donor gun for a project I have had in mind for some time. Finally came across a candidate, enter Parker DHE #152535. Manufactured in 1909 and configured as SG, SFE, DT and 32" Titanic barrels. After some conversation with the Seller it was determined that the barrels had been cut to 28", painful !! He did state they had a little choke left in them which didn't matter to me, all I wanted was the breech end to monoblock. We discussed the gun in some detail at which time I was informed it was a 1 frame gun. Quite honestly I never saw a pic of the gun and agreed to buy it based upon the description as offered. That and the Seller shipped it to me for inspection prior to payment.

So now I am expecting this 1 frame 32" gun that has been cut to be delivered. It just got worse, somehow during shipping it morphed into a 1 1/2 frame gun ! All told what was once a very special configuration with some nice engraving has now had the barrels cut, chambers lengthened, forcing cones all but gone, and some rather peculiar shaping to the stock comb and heel. I don't have the words, just a desire to vomit. The stock shield has the initials LCH engraved in it and there are records available so I suppose I should order a letter. There is one bit of good news in that absolutely not one of those modifications matters for this project. It will still work just fine for the donor gun.

Like I said earlier if you have been seeking an already nearly impossible configuration to find the ocean just got smaller.

[Reggie B]

Painful!

[Randy Roberts]

Originally Posted by Reggie Bishop

Painful!

Yup !

[B. Dudley]

Fortunate for the seller that he doesn't have a gun headed back to him for lack of an accurate description...

[charlie cleveland]

what barrel length will the old gal be when you make her pretty again....charlie

[Randy Roberts]

Reincarnation to a 34" 20 gauge Charlie.

[Milton C Starr]

Originally Posted by Randy G Roberts

Reincarnation to a 34" 20 gauge Charlie.

I have wondered about this before when you have the barrels monoblocked longer , can you retain the original rib by having a section added to it , or do you get a complete new one made ?

[Randy Roberts]

My understanding of that is that it is a very difficult thing to do and make look right. There is a problem with the taper of the rib when you go to longer barrels that has to be dealt with. Then there is the swamping if you will of the longer barrels that requires the rib to have material added to the bottom of it. If you do choose to use Parker ribs and you attempt to weld two of them together I have been told that results are acceptable at best no matter how good the craftsman that does it is. Most of the barrel folks that I have talked to have advised against using Parker ribs but it can be done.

[Milton C Starr]

Originally Posted by Randy G Roberts

My understanding of that is that it is a very difficult thing to do and make look right. There is a problem with the taper of the rib when you go to longer barrels that has to be dealt with. Then there is the swamping if you will of the longer barrels that requires the rib to have material added to the bottom of it. If you do choose to use Parker ribs and you attempt to weld two of them together I have been told that results are acceptable at best no matter how good the craftsman that does it is. Most of the barrel folks that I have talked to have advised against using Parker ribs but it can be done.

So in the case I reckon its better to just have a new one made to fit the new barrels . When they make a new rib how do that mark it ?

I was reading a article a few months back about monoblocking/sleeving barrels in the U.K . Some of the shooters over there are doing it not because the barrels are bad but because it allows them to build a custom double for a fraction of the cost of a new one . They buy a Victorian era double , restock it , monoblock the barrels for whatever weight/length they want .

[Randy Roberts]

Building a custom gun is the reason that I am doing what I am doing. I would suppose that salvaging a gun you already own with bad barrels would be the other reason, there may also be other reasons that I'm unaware of to do this. I was able to acquire two donor guns at a very reasonable price. My plan is to proceed forward with a 34 in 28 gauge and the same in a 20-gauge. My mind tells me that the odds of me ever coming across the opportunity to acquire one of these in an original Parker is minuscule at best, thus my decision. if I ever did come across one the price would be much more than I am going to have in these guns which is understandable. Having said that I would still rather have an original but.,.