1914 12 ga

[Craig]

New to the Forum and have some questions.

I recently found what has turned out to be a family heirloom of a shotgun. It's a 1914 Parker Brothers 12 ga serial number 168281. The stock is in good condition. It has no butt plate. The spring that operates the lever that holds the barrels closed needs replaced, and the bluing is probably around 50-80%. I'm curious as to what the value of this shotgun might be based on my description.

Will its value increase if I have it professionally restored? I wouldn't attempt this myself and I don't want to cold blue it.

As far as restoration I was thinking of having it professionally re-blued and the broken spring fixed as well as the butt plate replaced. The finish on the stock is actually still really nice so I don't think i'd have it refinished.

If I had the barrels modified to accept modern 2 3/4 ammunition would this detract from the value?

I think if I ever hunt with it maybe just for bird hunting and i'd like to use it for shooting skeet. I'd never fire slugs out of it. I'm probably going to buy a Stoeger Uplander 28" 12 ga for that.

Thanks in advance.

[Bindlestiff]

Unfortunately, the Serialization book does not list your Parker, to even begin to help you answer your questions we would need to know the grade of the gun. If you go to the PGCA home page and follow the Parker Identification link you should be able to identify what you have and get back to us. Follow the FAQ link and read over some of that will also give you some general guidance too. Its all about learning what you have before you decide how to proceed with your project.

Posting pctures are almost a requirement too.

BTW - Don't hot blue the barrels as it can damage them.

[B. Dudley]

Well, you have not mentioned as to what Grade your gun is. Yes, please post photos if you can so that condition can be accurately assessed.

However, this is what I can say... Even if it is a Trojan, it is worth doing the repair work to it that you mention. The top lever spring would be an easy fix for any smith that knows Parkers. Also, the buttplate is no major deal for anyone that knows what they are doing. I would say that you would most likely not have much more than $100 into those two repairs alone.
If you really wanted to get the bluing on the barrels redone, from most sources, proper rust bluing runs about $300-$400 and that will usually include polishing.

So, considering that you inherited the gun, it doesn't owe you anything. Would not hurt it to have at least the functional repairs done to it.

When you get into serious restoration or wood work is when you have to ask if it is worth it, but even that is irrelevant sometimes.

One thing to keep in mind is that things like metal finishes are only original once. And if your bluing is in fact original, it WOULD be better for the value to leave it as be if it is not horrid now. Obviously the spring repair is not a concern. And the buttplate, if done correctly would not hurt the value either.

Please do post photos.

[Craig]

What do you guys think about having the barrels modified to accept 2 3/4 ammunition?

I'll take pictures this evening. My father-in-law says the gun was purchased new by either his grandfather or great grandfather. He wants me and his daughter to have it because we wouldn't sell it. His sons like gadgets, I like guns.

It is a trojan steel. It says so on the center rib(?) between the barrels.

Being that the serial number doesn't show up i'm now wondering if I miss read it. I'll look again tonight when I take pictures.

Thanks for the help so far. I'm gonna have more questions down the road i'm sure.

[edgarspencer]

Ironically, I stopped at the Alstead Gun Shop yesterday, in Alstead, NH, and he had a 28" 12ga Trojan on the wall for $999. It had been reblued, but the polishing was not the best job, and showed through the blueing. Seems to me it was a 220,000 range number. Your gun will not be significantly impacted by having the chambers stretched.

[Craig]

What do you mean by having the numbers stretched?

[B. Dudley]

Oh yeah, I forgot to address your question on lengthening the chambers. I wouldn't. It would be another thing that would take away from the value of the gun and potentially be unsafe if it leaves too little wall thickness in front of the chamber.
Just get yourself some 2-1/2" length RST shells. You can get 250 shells for $100 - $130 depending on what ones you get. Your barrels would also most likely hold up to putting low dram 2-3/4" shells through it, but that is completely up to you if you want to try it. One never knows.
I have a Trojan that needs 2-1/2" shells and I just use it for hunting. Not going out and blowing boxes at a time at the skeet range. I have another Parker for that.

Thanks for mentioning that you had a Trojan. That was Parkers entry level parker and it was introduced in 1913. Plain and simple working man's gun, but still great. To give you an idea, the book value on a Poor condition Trojan is $600, even though you can usually find them for less than that. So, like I had said, the couple repairs you mention will not be more than the gun is worth, provided they are done right.

[edgarspencer]

Originally Posted by Craig Thompson

What do you mean by having the numbers stretched?

Chambers, not 'numbers.
Not to put too fine a point on it Brian, but the forcing cones are the thickest point in the barrels, andd also the lowest pressure point. I would agree that some might view this mod as a negative, especially on a much higher grade, but
since a Trojan is more likely to get called into service when the AAHE stays on the rack at home on all but the best days, I feel it makes the Trojan moree useful. The shot selection with RST is pretty limited, and the Trojan loves the duck blind.

[6pt-Sika]

Wow I thought I had posted about a gun I didn't even remmember owning

[Dean Romig]

At the age of thirteen I started shooting a Parker Trojan 12 ga. I never measured the chamber length, I just shot what I could buy at Western Auto or any hardware store within bicycle riding distance. The 12 ga. Trojan is built on a 2-frame and when I shot "Duck and Pheasant" loads that old gun never so much as wimpered - it just belched out a payload of #6's and set this boy back a step or two. I guess it must have had 2 5/8" or 2 9/16 chambers... heck, we never gave such a thing a second thought and I'm pretty sure that was the mindset back then... after all, they weren't those dangerous "Damascus or Twist" barrels...