Dolls Head/Rib Extension Fit?

[Dean Romig]

Sure it’s acceptable Edgar, and IMO, so are #’s 2 & 3 in the OP’s first set of pictures… they’re just not perfect.





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[edgarspencer]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

Sure it’s acceptable Edgar, and IMO, so are #’s 2 & 3 in the OP’s first set of pictures… they’re just not perfect.

The engraving around the edge of the dolls head is still uniform, at the back, which tells me they were not filed.That is the main reason I believe they are added barrels. I'd still probably have trouble looking down and seeing those gaps. The gaps look to be at least 1/16", and you know Parker would not have shipped a gun with a rib extension that much shorter than the pocket it fits into.

edit: I do think the gap on the A grade is better than the gun shown in the third picture, but look at any of Steve Barnett Fine Guns, or Puglisi's higher grade guns. Those are what one would expect.

[Aaron Beck]

As I understand the general process
1.Build up the hook with weldment
2.Dress this down so the fit between the hook and roll are perfect
3. Any remaining "setback" is taken off the breech face which will likely result in the dolls head also being dressed a bit.

[edgarspencer]

Originally Posted by Aaron Beck

3. Any remaining "setback" is taken off the breech face which will likely result in the dolls head also being dressed a bit.

No, that's where you get into trouble. Just look at the end of a set of barrels to see all the surfaces that would be impacted.

You were doing good, with 1 and 2. Just keep smoking and removing metal from the hook until you get a good closure. The last .0005"-.001" you should be down to 1000 grit, or even crocus cloth. I like crocus cloth because you'll end up with about a 16 micro inch finish.

I can't think of any situation where you would alter any surface at the rear of the barrels. The fitters at Parker went to great lengths to get a perfect fit between the receiver and the barrels. Doing so would affect the dolls head, chamber rim depth, recoil bearing surface of the back lug, and fore end fit.

[Stan Hoover]

Edgar,

Not to disagree but,

I’ve had a few guns that were off face and I had what I would consider a reputable smith correct the problem.
Now only one of these was a later hammer gun with the rib extension (dolls head), others were lifters with no dolls head. The top lever gun dolls head had gaps before the work was done, but when the gun was finished, the dolls head was noticeably more rearward than before.
I was under the impression that the barrel breach ends were made true so to be perfectly on face again.
After being off face pretty severely, would the breach end of the barrels be completely true to the frame?

Only trying to learn,
Stan

[edgarspencer]

Originally Posted by Stan Hoover

Edgar,

I was under the impression that the barrel breach ends were made true so to be perfectly on face again.
After being off face pretty severely, would the breach end of the barrels be completely true to the frame?

Only trying to learn,
Stan

Having just said I couldn't think of a reason to mess with the breech face, you reminded me of something I had seen on a gun another member had and sent to Bachelder
The gun had been shot a lot, after it was obviously loose, and was probably shot with one barrel (right?) more than the other. Being loose to start with I suspect what Brad was describing was a hammering of the barrel face against the breech. Essentially, I'm guessing it got out of square. I can see where one smith might square it back up by machining. That would probably be way less trouble on a gun without a rib extension. In the gun that Brad repaired, I believe he built it back up with weld, then machined it square. I just remembered that the frame was cracked also, so it was probably one of the earlier lifters.

[Aaron Beck]

Stan, youre likely on the right track.
Edgar, I wasnt taking a position one way is right and the other wrong, just trying to clarify how the dolls head came to be further back, if it did so migrate.

Perhaps this is like getting some holes drilled in the bottom rib when rebluing. From a collector pov thats a no no but it is defensible from a gunsmithing procedure standpoint if the ribs arent steam tight.

[Bill Murphy]

Concerning Edgar's last post, "Now were getting somewhere." No correction of looseness in a Parker will result in the breech face of the receiver or the barrel face moving fore or aft, in relation to the other. All wear and correction happens at the hook and the loop. The doll's head will not move in relation to the barrel face either. They are ONE part, fastened together. Any gap in the doll's head will be accompanied by a similar gap at the breech face, again, because they are one part, fastened together by whatever means. A doll's head gap will be caused by several different occurrences, barrel set being replaced, filing of the doll's head being two. Sorry, those are the only two I can think of. If the doll's head is a perfect fit from the factory, it should be a perfect fit a hundred years later.
It's not a wearing surface. Brian, please comment.

[John Davis]

All this discussion over something that means absolutely nothing to the mechanics of the gun. It’s purely aesthetic. It serves no real purpose. I suppose it’s like engraving, beautiful when done correctly. An eyesore when fouled up.

[Dean Romig]

Thank You John.





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