20 bore lifter

[ArtS]

Originally Posted by Stan Hoover

Dirk,

Please let a professional take a look that is knowledgeable on Damascus/composite barrels before making a decision on doing anything.
Parker manufactured Laminate barrels are not real common and are unique, meaning desirable in my opinion.

Stan

Amen to that! Do everything you can to save those barrels. They are much to rare in any gauge but especially a small bore (and good looking when cleaned up) to not save them. The butt plate and stock looks like a D grade. You might look under the trigger guard and see if the serial number of the stock matches the frame. There looks to be a couple of small gaps around the tang, and someone may have swapped a stock at one time.

If you don't keep the barrels, try and find another set to fit. The barrels you have will be purchased by someone if for nothing else than to refinish and run Briley 28 gauge inserts.

[Woodcock survey]

Do not know if you have heavily cleaned the barrels, by heavily i mean soaked with solvent , brushed and again. Then use a tornado brush or some other stiff brush with lead remover solvent and do it again. I have had a number of vintage barrels that looked like a mile of bad road because only a cursory run a patch through cleaning had ever been done leaving a hundred years of leading to accumulate. Have had some surprising results, not perfect barrels but much better than first thought.

[Dean Romig]

Above all don't use anything abrasive in the bores, or anywhere else on your gun.

My personal choice, though others may offer different products, is Big 45 Frontier Pads on a ramrod with a solvent like Hoppe's, chucked up in a cordless drill to clean up the bores. The Frontier Pads can also be used on external metal parts and will NOT damage blueing, case colors, or Damascus finishes.





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[edgarspencer]

It's refreshing to see gems like this coming out of the woodwork, instead of the same guns just getting recycled from one collector to another.

[Double Lab]

Originally Posted by edgarspencer

It's refreshing to see gems like this coming out of the woodwork, instead of the same guns just getting recycled from one collector to another.

I think you have it backwards. The guns are just recycling the owners. They will be here long after we are gone.

[Craig Larter]

Originally Posted by edgarspencer

It's refreshing to see gems like this coming out of the woodwork, instead of the same guns just getting recycled from one collector to another.

Edgar I agree it's always nice to see fresh Parkers surface. It's what keeps us hunting. The BH I bought recently was in the same family for 104 years.

[edgarspencer]

The northwestern part of CT, Litchfield County, is an area known for old money. I often find myself thinking as I drive past some of those old homes "I wonder what's tucked away in that attic".

[78CJ]

Dirk,

I think the best option here is to verify that the barrels are safe to shoot, become a forum member and put this in the for sale section so I can buy it!

Ryan

[Keavin Nelson]

If the bores prove an issue after proper cleaning and measuring for wall thickness, an option is to have it tubed by Briley in 28ga. I did this on a similar 16 and like the result very much. I wouldn't sleeve those barrels.

[ArtS]

Originally Posted by keavin nelson

If the bores prove an issue after proper cleaning and measuring for wall thickness, an option is to have it tubed by Briley in 28ga. I did this on a similar 16 and like the result very much. I wouldn't sleeve those barrels.

I bought a DH 16 on an O frame without the lightening cuts that had been totally redone at great expense (stock, new finish etc) that had 28 gauge non-Briley tubes installed even though the barrels were mirrors and wall thickness was good. Some people were and are very conservative as to safety and protection of the survivability of the gun. Everyone has to make their own decision. My choice would be to thoroughly clean the barrels and measure. If it appears there is sufficient metal I would have the barrels honed or bored.The cost is not great.I just had a 12 gauge set of P barrels bored and chokes adjusted for around $350. I have done several myself over the years and a little rebore will go a long way in cleaning up a barrel. You may opt for tubes anyway to protect the gun and your peace of mind. I have a G 12 and a D 10 with Parker Laminate barrels and they should be saved if at all possible, especially in a smallbore.