Is it hot blued or Rust blued

[King Cobb]

Thanks, the other concern I have regarding saving up for this particular 1908 GH, is the choking. It is choked full and full. I shoot skeet and Dove with the occassional Quail hunt mixed in or round of trap. I know F/F it would probably be a great trap gun but not certain if it would be practical to have a F/F shotgun to actually shoot.

[Steve Havener]

Absent of opening up the chokes spreader loads will help open the pattern usually by about one constriction of choke ie. full chokes with spreader load will shoot about a modified choke pattern. It also wouldn't be a crime to open up the chokes of a gun as you have described to get chokes more suited to your shooting.

[Leighton Stallones]

I do some barrel browning and I would suggest leaving them alone. To remove the rust blue it would also remove the pattern underneath. Then you would be looking at a whole new browning job.

[Bruce Day]

Sounds like what you want/need is a VH 20 ga. Save your money to about $4000 and get a nice one. Cheap guns, cars , whiskey and women prove the adage that you get what you pay for.

[King Cobb]

I guess it is possible they aren't blued. The colors were similar to this picture from Drew's website.

I may have incorrectly assumed they were blued due to the dark coloring as opposed to the bright color of most restored damascus barrels.

[King Cobb]

Thanks Bruce, appreciate the advice, but I have always liked and preferred 12s to 20s. Even as a young kid I liked shooting a 12 more then my dads 20ga browning A5s.

If I do save my $$$s I will probably just hold out for a 12 D grade. I already have a VH, but want my next Parker to have more engraving on it.

[King Cobb]

HEre is another pic from http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/17428644
showing restoration of a damascus barrel, so I guess it is possible the barrels weren't blued at all.

[Leighton Stallones]

KIng, I have had barrels turn out very similar. If they re browned and then boiled in water without the tradional logwood, they will have ablue color similar to that. I doubtthey are factory, but they look fine to me.

[King Cobb]

Originally Posted by Bruce Day

Sounds like what you want/need is a VH 20 ga. Save your money to about $4000 and get a nice one. Cheap guns, cars , whiskey and women prove the adage that you get what you pay for.

BTW Bruce, I don't know that I would classify any Parker gun as cheap
the ones that have some imperfections just give us something else to work on

[B. Dudley]

Restored Damascus barrels will look many different ways. From smith to smith and even maker to maker. If you can see pattern, they were "properly" done.