I inherited a Parker Brothers side by side.

[kaneporter]

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I'm curious if it would be in my best interest to have the barrels refinished, or to clean the rust off and leave the barrels alone? There's a local gunsmith that has been in business for 40+ years, and is very reputable. Do y'all think I should let him do the job?

[Pa SxS]

Personally, I'd send it to a gunsmith that is familiar with Damascus barrels. Your smith may be reputable but does he have experience with vintage shotguns, Parker's in particular plus Damascus barrels? It would be best to send it to someone like Brad Bachelder, Kirk Merrington, or Keith Kearcher. They can take care of the rust, refinish the barrels if you want, and also tell you if the barrels are structurally sound. Just MHO.