New member with question on 20 gauge Parker

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

Tim,

The Italian, English, and Belgium barrels found on some Parkers and other vintage guns take away from their collector value but make them great shooters! I own a couple of Parkers with English barrels that are wonderful guns. I also own a LC Smith Grade 2 with Belgium barrels. That Elsie is a 10 gauge and the barrels and action are proofed for the 3 1/2" magnum shells!

As I sculled into a raft of over 2000 ducks this past October I had the Elsie with 3 1/2" Bismuth #4. One shot laid down four ducks. Modern barrels on our old guns are a pleasure to shoot...

Mark

[Dean Romig]

If I had seen your thread earlier I would have warned you that I have recently, within the last year or two, seen four Parkers with replacement European fluid steel barrels marked Acme Steel exactly as you.

[BRDHNTR]

Are European barrels still being installed on Parker frames? Was this a practice done in the past and by whom? Was/is it an acepted practice to replace blown out barels/damsacus barrels?

[B. Dudley]

Sound to me like the barrels are sleeved with replacement tubes. Post a picture of the breech end of the tubes. There should be a joint of some sort visable. The fact that the gun was a 0 frame 16 guage originally explains by they went down to a 20g size when sledging. Typically sledging requires the guage to be reduced. Especially if there is not a lot of all thickness. If the gun was a 1 frame, the 16g bore MIGHT have been maintained.

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

I own two Parkers with English barrels which used the original ribs and lug.

[Bill Murphy]

My Lefever sleeved DH 3 1/2" ten has the original ribs and lugs.

[Researcher]

Back in the 1960s Atlas provided replacement barrels for Parker Bros. guns, at one point made of Vickers Steel --



A good friend of mine bought a straight-gripped DH-Grade 12-gauge with Italian barrels at Fredrick & Nelson in downtown Seattle back in 1967. We are still looking for the original Damascus barrels for #88224.

[Dean Romig]

Tim, do your barrels have wedge engraving at the breech end?

[Tim Bivens]

Dean, No the barrels do not have any wedge engraving or any engraving period for that matter. There is no evidence of sleeving either. I will try to get some good pictures to post this weekend. I am working a lot of hours now and also the flash is not working on my digital camera. Maybe I can get some good daytime pictures outside this weekend. I really appreciate all the input from all the guys here.
Thanks,
Tim

[Tim Bivens]

Okay guys, I took some pictures of the barrel and the water table as promised. I don't have the best photography equipment, just did the best I could. I know the old girl looks a little rough. This is the as-found condition, haven't done any cleaning or anything yet.
Thanks,
Tim