1880s Parker Identification and Restoration

[Gray S]

Originally Posted by edgarspencer

Bruce's comments are right on the money.How are the bores? It would appear it was ordered without checkering. All in all, the gun looks to be in reasonably good condition. Don't think 'restore', but just properly clean it up. Breck Gorman can make those barrels pop, and the early damscus barrels have lovely pattern. I would not checker it, as a letter will probably confirm it was ordered sans checkering. If the bores are not horribly pitted, and the walls check out (thickness) it can be back in service. Ducks and Geese, beware!

Does Breck Gorman have a website? A cursory internet search brings up other posts on here from people saying he does good work. Frankly I'd much rather pay someone with more skill and experience than me to clean this thing up, instead of risking effing it up if I try to do it myself.

Regardless, would cleaning just involve a lot of brash brushes, gun oil, and polish for the wood?

[edgarspencer]

Breck Gorman's work is not good, it's great.
breck.gorman@gmail.com
804-357-3404

Don't get within spitting distance of your gun with a hardware store screwdriver. Get a good set of proper, hollow ground, gunsmith quality tools from Midway or Brownells.

The stock just looks crud covered, but maybe not oil soaked. Try a cleaner like Birchwood Casey Stock Sheen and conditioner. If that doesn't do it, I've used Murphy's Oil soap, and nothing coarser than 4/0 (0000) steel wool. I don't think they sell it anymore but Johnson's Preen, hardwood floor cleaner is excellent.

Brass brushes are soft enough that they won't scratch the metal surface, but the pinkie finger tea drinkers like Frontier pads; a stainless steel scrubbing pad (which is exactly what a Frontier pad is). Use it with Balistol, Hoppes #9, light machine oil; something like that.

A well respected gunsmith told me not to mention his name, but the metal parts in an ultrasonic cleaner, with diesel injector cleaner, will lift a lot of the minor rust (and other junk). Or, you can buy the cleaner they sell just for ultrasonic cleaners.

The bores will clean up a lot with a brass bore brush spun by a drill.

Lastly, FFS, be like a professional gun guy and go slow, real slow.