Pics of my first Parker

[jeffery c]

Great old gun! Regarding the Hawkins heart pads, I like the looks and functionality of them. They seem to stay soft and functional equal to Winchester pads of similar age on old guns. Most of the other brand pads seem to have gone bad by the time I get them.

I personally almost never have guns refinished. The one exception I make for my policy is Damascus/twist/laminated steel barrels. Somehow, having those redone doesn't seem to unbalance the appearance of older, somewhat worn guns. One rewarding aspect of owning a Damascus gun is admiring the pattern and wondering how the heck they made them that way. You could search or look under the Damascus section for examples of refinished barrels. The intense contrast of freshly refinished Damascus/twist/laminated barrels might be worth it for a gun like yours. Breck Gorman refinishes Damascus barrels, is a member here, and there are many examples with pictures of how your barrels could turn out.