PARKER RESTORATIONS

[Bill Murphy]

I agree with Bruce. A restoration is a rare bird. Most refinished Parkers are just that, refinished, not restored.

[LongShot]

In what ways does a restoration go beyond refinishing?

[Bruce Day]

Originally Posted by paul shields

In what ways does a restoration go beyond refinishing?

It has a new finish on it. Is it restored?

[Bill Murphy]

If the original stock is damaged beyond normal refinishing, restocking in identical original style and finish with original hardware. Reengraving all original metal to new condition. All finishes true to original method and appearance, including trigger guard, all screws, sights. Repairing all damage to metal surfaces and corners. All features true to factory provenance. Even with all these attentions to detail, top of the line workmanship is neccesary to keep the restoration up to high standards. With a Parker, the restoration of the case hardening color, even under the best of conditions, can come out somewhat different from the original style, spoiling an expensive restoration. It will still be a nice gun, but can be identified as different from an original finish by an experienced Parker student.

[Bruce Day]

Originally Posted by paul shields

In what ways does a restoration go beyond refinishing?

It has a new finish on it. Is it restored?

PS I'm not suggesting that there be any public criticism of either of these guns or even that they are subject to criticism. In my non expert opinion, both are well done refinishes, and I leave it to the viewer to conclude whether they are restorations to the level of original high condition Parkers.

[Dean Romig]

Too often we see nicely refinished Parkers but a "budget" refinish becomes evident by the fact that little attention was paid to the mechanics of the gun. e.g. off face - wiggle on the hinge; top lever past 6 o'clock; forend not tight to frame & barrels, etc.

[Richard Flanders]

Dean has that one right. I paid top dollar for a 32" hammer gun that was described as "this gun shows little sign of having been used".... whew. Outside it was stunning. Gorgeous refinished twist bbls, very nice stock refinish-tru oil I think. When I pulled the locks and firing pins it was a corroded mess that had not been touched. The locks were unsafe with mangled sears and every screw was loose. I had to have the sears welded and redone by Al Edge. The firing pins/springs...at least the one I was able to get out since someone had peened the other in that had likely stripped...was a mass of rust. I can only assume the other pin is the same but I'd have to file the breech ball down to get the screw out or drill it out. I can't imagine someone taking a gun completely apart for such a nice cosmetic refinish and leaving that mess internally. What kind of a moron does that?? I was not happy and did not get a sympathetic or acceptable response from the seller. What I was told was, "Well, IF what you say is true....", this from someone half my age at best... I'm sure you can imagine what I was thinking at the time....

[George Lander]

Much depends on who did the restoration and when. Some early restorations were done at the Parker factory in Meridan and later in Ilion. IMHO factory restoration would not detract from the value nearly as much as one done by an unknown restorer. Early restorations by DelGrego would be valued at close to original condition. IMHO

Best Regards, George

[J.B. Books]

A sad fact, guns get worn out from use and abuse, both cosmetically and mechanically. Obviously a "collector" is looking for best original condition possible. The more so the more it's worth. What about guns that are "shooters", or good deals due to some wear, or family guns with some wear. Refinish or restoration is now the owners choice. It might be a full blown stem to stern restoration by DelGrego or Turnbull. Generally I don't have to go that far and I like to leave as much that is original as possible. Usually it's a spot repair such as rebluing or rebrowning the barrels, or freshening up the checkering, or it might be mechanical such as putting a gun back on face. Sometimes one might have to undue previous work or damage such as new screws or recase a blued reciever as some examples, or you might have a stock bent to better fit you. Another case is a gun with broken toe is better cut and recoil pad added. I think I have learned to see the difference between a collectable gun and a shooter, I lean towards shooters as I intend to use them and use them a lot. I don't look to recoup my money on repairs or refinishing, I do those things because part of the gun is simply worn out but I intend to keep and use the gun. The idea of restoration to increase value is rarely going to work. I don't spend my money with that intent. I also keep notes on what I have done, who did the work and when and what I paid. Most of my shooters have been functionally and cosmetically improved with the work I have had done. Maybe some day they will be worth as much or more than I put into them, in the meantime I am having a real good time making them go bang. Bottom line is some guns are old, worn and abused, the question is do you want to bring it back and why are you doing it. No matter what is done or who did the work, don't expect a Parker shotgun that has been repaired, refinished or restored to be worth as much as anything that is 100% original.

[Big D]

Does anyone know what a new Parker looks like? I think not. We may know what an untouched, "new" gun looks like after being stored for 70-100 years, but does anyone really know what it looked like when it came out of the factory? Perhaps the colors have faded a bit, or the wood finish is less shiny, etc.