Considering a Parker Purchase-Advice Needed

[Dean Romig]

Mike, the wood and checkering look to be original but without having more and better pictures or actually having the gun in hand it is difficult to say more.

[Old and Reliable]

Is this an insider thing, or an actual Parker perhaps owned by, in the words of the late George Smith Patton Jr.- "A cheap pimp in a New Orleans Sportin' House"??

Years ago, when I worked for Van Dam Boiler Co. I saw a "tricked out" 20 gauge Ithaca Auto & Burglar gun- it was in a carrying case, and the wooden grips were inset with either pearl or other showy material. One of the owners was a big time gun collector, specializing in handguns and especially from the "Roaring twenties era" in our history.

Van Dam was based in Grand Haven- all along the eastern shoreline of lake Michigan were houses and hideouts, mainly Capone & Co. from "Shy-Town". Great but violent history indeed.

[Bill Murphy]

I just looked at the picture again and can see a sleeve line. I think the gun is sleeved. Now I looked at the picture again and can't see the sleeve line. I just don't know.

[Dean Romig]

I don't see any evidence of a line Bill. If the age of the gun had indicated Damascus barrels I certainly would suspect the blued barrels might have been sleeved but....

[Bill Murphy]

Age of the gun or no age of the gun, the original poster said the gun has Damascus barrels.

[kolhoznik]

The barrels are indeed Damascus and here is a shot of the front of the barrels that might or might not be of some help if seeing they are sleeved.

[VH20]

Mike,

That pic would POSSIBLY be of help in determining if the barrels were "lined," (but only if it were in focus!) but it is the wrong view to determine if they were "sleeved". The term "sleeved" means the ribs were stripped off, the original barrels cut off just in front of the chambers, then the chambers bored-out to accept new barrels that are soldered in. Then the original ribs are re-laid. Since the new tubes are almost invariably blued fluid steel, not damascus, the situation arises where one has an original rib that says "Damascus" but the gun actually has blued steel barrels (except for the chamber section, which is still damascus on the outside, but re-blued to match the new tubes grafted on). It takes a real artisan to hide the line where the new tubes meet the old chambers, but it can be done. Most sleeved guns show at least a little bit of a tell-tale line in the form of a hairline band around each barrel just about where the chambers end. This is where the new meets old. A useful picture to help determine would be a close-up (and in sharp focus) shot of about the first six inches of the outside of the barrels at the chamber end.

If your barrels are in fact still original damascus that has been blued-over, you should be able to barely make out a little hint of the fingerprint-like damascus pattern hiding underneath the bluing. But remember, just because the ribs say "Damascus" doesn't mean they still are (i.e. sleeved barrels).

I wasn't saying that your barrels aren't damascus, just that if they are BLUED as you stated, that you might want to check to SEE if they have been sleeved.

Jim

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

Mike,

As Jim stated, the barrels should have Damascus patter visable. Take off the forend and check the spots where the forend would have rubbed on the barrel blueing.

Mark

[kolhoznik]

Thank you for the explanation on sleeving. I can definitely see a light damascus pattern on the barrels. The seller is wanting $2500 and I am guessing from an above post it might be a little much. Is $1600 a better offer for today's market? Again thank you for answering a bunch of questions, this is my first time to purchase a firearm in this category and I want to do it right.

[Dean Romig]

Mike, it is my opinion that the gun appears to be in nice condition - checkering looks very nice and original and the wood looks to have been well cared for. If the barrels are full length Damascus and the wall thickness is sufficient for everyday shooting and if they are original length I would make an offer of the asking price minus the cost to refinish the barrels back to their former black and white glory.... probably around $350 or so.