My First Parker!

[Captain Bob]

Mark, With an eye to the possible meaning of the 13 and/or the o stampings, have you measured the bore diameters yet?

[Roundsworth]

I do not have the capability to measure the bores. I kinda wondered if the 13 had something to do with bore diameter. There is a 0 on the lug and the right barrel flat. I don't know if one, or both, of them refer to the grade.

[Roundsworth]

I finally have everything disassembled. There was quite a bit of rusty dirt/dried up oil/sweat deposited in every nook and cranny! The hammer and tumbler assemblies rock back and forth in the sideplates, ever so slightly. When measured with a digital caliper, I could find only .0005" difference between the hole and the shaft! I thought they would be all tuckered out. There is an awful lot of steel in this gun! Very well built. The original order tag is available for it, too. I just mailed off my dues for the PGCA and will be looking forward to the newsletters. Cheers!

[Roundsworth]

I spoke with Brad Bachelder yesterday about my barrels. I should be receiving a call this coming week when they are finished. He told me that he puts a coating on them and the best thing I can do for them is apply Johnson's Paste Wax. Just in time for the Ruffed Grouse opener next Saturday!

[Austin W Hogan]

There is some wiggle to be expected between lock and hammer in the locks of grades 0,1, and 2. Grades 3 and above have a fourth pin/screw in the lock plate, and very little wiggle.

Best, Austin

[Roundsworth]

Good to know, Austin. I was surprised to find very little wear when I measured with a caliper. I figured, with as much force required to cock the hammer and actually firing the gun, that the holes would be all boogered out! As for the number 13 on the right barrel, 'The Parker Story' mentions that many early barrel(s) were marked with the bore size before final boring and honing. So, 13 actually makes sense now! Cheers!

[Roundsworth]

I just received my barrels from Bachelders. They are gorgeous! There are some neat anomolies in the patterns. The bores are now .755" with .027" (IM) for the right choke and .033" (F) for the left choke. The wall thicknesses at 14" from the breech are .102" and .104".