balance

[Dean Romig]

Parker Bros (or any good gunmaker) would have made (struck) the new shorter barrels and forend to balance as perfectly as the gun had with the original barrels and forend.





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[edgarspencer]

It is common to see the outline of a plugged hole in the butt of higher grade guns, (or underneath the butt plate of lower grade guns) where Parker would bore out wood to lighten the stock to achieve balance. Sometimes you might see the outline of two plugs. On short barreled guns it was done to lighten the butt end, and on long barreled guns, it was occasionally done to add weight, in order to achieve balance at, or very near, the hinge pin.