New member here. I've inherited a wonderful old Parker side-by-side. Vulcan steel, grade "V". Serial number indicates it was made in 1904. Got a tin-type photo of my great-grandfather sitting on the front porch of his Illinois farm house holding this gun. No idea what gauge this shotgun is...the "1" size in the barrel indicated 12, 16 and 20 models. Nor do I have any clue on the value of the shotgun.
I can go two ways with this gun. I could recondition it as a shooter. That may take some work, as the stock has a bit of wobble in it - a bit of a gap in front of the stock. The screw behind the trigger guard shows signs of a "Bubba"-grade repair - the screw seems a bit oversized and it's dug in a bit deep. Picks of the screw and the stock gap attached. May even have to replace the stock, which would be a sad thing...love the dings and dents that give it a sense of real history. But I figure my family three generations back would love to see me fire this gun (and my kids could shoot it to, which would give us five generations pulling the trigger on this shotgun). Other than the stock, the gun is pristine...dusty, but pristine. The barrel condition is better than I could have ever hoped.
Or I could simply clean it up a bit and hang it over the mantle as a sentimental piece. Good looking, but non-functional shotgun. Probably good for sentimental value and some family stories. Still a "win" in my book.
So, my questions for all you "Parker Gun" experts:
1. Any clues on value? I'd like to know how much I stand to lose if I mess this up
2. Based on what you know, would you go shooter or sentimental piece?
All thoughts and input welcome. Thanks in advance.
Yet Another Stock Question
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