New Gun, Looking to learn about it

[Forrest Chadwick]

Hey guys I recently took the plunge into the world of Parker Brothers shotguns on a deal locally listed to me that was too good to pass up. It's a beater by many of the standards I see here but it should make a good shooter.

Here is what I know about it;

It's a Parker 12 Gauge Hammer Gun.
Serial # 50552
Frame Size - 2
Grade - 1
Laminated Steel Barrels

The downside of the gun is the wood is pretty well beat. The stock is showing some fractures/cracks around the wrist area and a major chip off the butt. I included some pictures to show.

I'm wondering the value of the gun as it sits judging by the pictures and is this gun something that is worth refurbishing or would it be best as a wall hanger? It has no sentimental value to me. Not sure if I overpaid but I'm a sucker for older sxs shotguns. Thanks in advance guys and can't wait to learn about this gun.

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[Keavin Nelson]

Forrest,
well you are in the right place to be a "sucker for old doubles". The key for this one is what shape the barrels are in. The stock is salvageable if the barrels are ok and the gun on face. Find a smith to check the barrels for wall thickness and condition before doing anything else, then decide how to proceed. Enjoy the addiction!

[ArtS]

Well, I just spent over an hour off and on typing a response about my current experience with a stock like this, and due to a timeout I lost it all. so I'll give you the quick opinion.

The barrel condition is absolutely the first thing to check. Bore and wall thickness along with internal condition. If there is enough metal to fix any problems and be safe, you are good.

The metal looks pretty good actually, and with some deep cleaning and carding of the barrels, you should be good to go for a decent looking shooter.

I am not as positive about the stock as the other comment above. I have been working on a stock like this for a week or two and have been frustrated at every turn. Unless you have incredible luck, I will bet that the head of the stock is completely oil soaked. In a gun this old, that means the wood is likely punky and weak. Even if you can completely deoil the wood,it has no strength after gluing; the wood will be much weaker than the glue. This is the problem I have been fighting recently, and I am only trying to make a pattern stock.

I have been working with gunstocks and multiple kinds of stringed instruments over the last 4 decades. The pictures above show three breaks, not cracks, across the grain in the weakest area of the stock and one older crack that has been glued and pinned with a brass rod.

Breaks are much more serious than cracks in weakened wood. I have repaired them in boxlocks because the wood is generally thicker than a sidelock and a dowel can be glued in longitudenly and carry the recoil force. The sidelocks plus internal cuts generally leave you with 4 very thin sections which are too small for this.

The stock may be salvageable but I don't think a simple glue and pin is the answer. If it were mine I would tru to deoil, glue with the breaks meshed as perfectly as possible then remove enough wood at the bottom of the sidelock inlets to allow laying a acouple of layers of carbon fiber beded in epoxy.

As far as full restorations, if you have a complete restoration done professionally, the price will generally run $4000 to $5000 if a new stock is involved. This would include barrels, case color and new stockwork along with with any mechanical refurbishing needed.

I have been really following the low end market on auction boards, and my impression is that in the composite barrel guns, if it is well used with either stock or barrel issues, the opening will be in the $600-900 dollar range. With both issues. They are essentially not sellable. If the barrels are decent and the stock not too bad, the opening will be around$1000. A solid gun that looks over the hill will list around 1200 opening. Of all these guns, only about 20 to 25% sell at these numbers. Just my observation.

[Double Lab]

Boy if that old gun could talk.

[Bill Murphy]

The value of the gun as it sits is, as the poster said, zero. However, if it were mine, I would be looking for someone to work on those cracks. I think they are fixable.

[ArtS]

I hadn't noticed that the gun had what I call the "Always Left of Center" top lever.

[charlie cleveland]

I think with lots of work from you and patence and some luck you can return it to shooting again with not lots of money in it....charlie

[B. Dudley]

The gun looks to be plenty salvageable. The best course of action would be to clean and repair what is damaged and make it sound and functional. Leaving it cosmetically very similar to how it appears now, maybe a touch better.

[BRDHNTR]

Forest, if you have experience making the repairs that are suggested above then go for it. If not and you are committed to shooting it, then send it out have have it professionally restored.

[Keith Sirmans]

I agree with Dudley. Looks like some really nice wood is there too