Parker Remington wood finishing- forends

[jay shachter]

Hello Knowledgable Brethren,

I am examing what appears to be an untouched, original Parker GHE from the 1936 era Remington factory. The metal looks distinctly original and is in high condition. I am comfortable with my analysis of that. The wood is fantastic Remington wood and I am fairly certain was factory original to the gun. The lingering question is that though the gun is in 98% condition and there is no signs of a refinish on the wood, the underside of the forearm is fully finished to a quality of the outside.

My experience with Remington guns is limited, but my observations has been that the factory did not fully finish the underside of the forearm wood. In most every photo I have in my files of clearly original Parkers, the underside of the forend wood is still roughly finished and NOT finished. All that I have photos on are pre-Remington, hence the confused state.

Can anyone render a sound answer or opinion for me? If the underside of the forend stock is finished. does that necessarily indicate that someone has refinished the wood? This gun has several custom ordered features and was back to the factory in 1941 where it may have been re-wooded. Is it possible that later Remington guns were finished on the underside???

Let me know what you all have experienced. I am making a buying decision based on what I find out. It is an extraordinary gun and I want it, but if original and untouched it is more costly and valuable. If the wood has been redone, less so!

Thanks,

Jay Shachter, President
Vintage Firearms, Inc.
616 292 6240

[Dean Romig]

Hello Jay, I'll check a forend when I get home tonight. The gun is Pre-Remington but the forend is a Remington replacement. I'll also check the Remington date code too. Maybe it will give us a clue.

Dean

[gordon smith]

Jay; I have 3 Rem Parkers that all have Rem repair codes. The 2 that have the wood refinished have the inside of the forends fully finished. The 3rd a 2bbl set and neither forend is finished.

[Bruce Day]

Jay, SN241,601

[Dean Romig]

Better late than never . . . The forend I have is finely finished on the outside, as one would expect, but is only semi-finished on the underside... no glossy finish. The wood is obviously sealed but not finished. Much like the wood on Bruce's example above.
I suspect the owner lost the original forend or somehow broke or damaged the wood and the gun was sent to Remington for a replacement. I don't have documented evidence of this but the forend is definitely Remington with cyanide colors (not gaudy but nicely done) along with Remington checkering and the date code is XG3

[Fergus]

I have a Remington GHE 20ga about 300 numbers later than Bruce's and I would concur with Deans assesment. Definitly finish was applied but perhaps fewer coats than the exterior. Also in looking at the forend after reading this post, I noticed something I had not previously caught. The raised part of the underside of the forend that goes between the barrels is not integrel with the forend wood. It appears that it isn't even wood at all but a resin molding of sorts attached so that it is almost impossible to tell. The gun is in original condition.

[gregg conley]

I also have a late remington beavertail forend gun that has an interior finished with a few coats. It also has the molded ridge that fits up to the rib on the bottom of the barrels. Looks like some sort of resin. Easy to overlook has it is very wood like appearance. Did remington have trouble machining these late gun beavertails? Mine has very nice figure like many late guns. I have heard well figured or burly walnut has a tendency to chip more than straight grain.The gun is all original condition without a screw turned. Maybe the wood was splintering on remington when they were drilling for the bolt on the end of the forend? Or is the bolt hole drilled first and the barrel channels machined later? Either way I can see where this could be a trouble spot.