Gunstock Craftsman
This BHE Trap gun was completely restored to like new condition. It was fitted with all new wood using a piece of highly figured Turkish walnut. All metal surfaces were repaired and polished. All new screws were fitted tot he action. The engraving was restored by Geoffroy Gournet. Trigger guard Nitre Blued and trigger nickel plated. Case colors by Turnbull.
It is very important to me to do restoration work in a sympathetic manner and to not make a firearm look restored. Unless the purpose is to make a firearm look like brand new, the object should be to have the work done fit well with the surrounding condition in order to create a great overall package.
This Parker DH had it’s checkering worn down pretty smooth and the owner wished to have it recut. completely pointing it up to like new would stick out like a sore thumb next to the rest fo the finishes on the gun. So a careful job was executed to clean out and deepen each line to an appropriate depth for the amount of use that the gun has had. The wrist, forend and butt surface were all treated in this way. Also a buggered up hinge pin screw was replaced with a clean used one and properly timed. The end result is a gun that looks like it wore and aged to exactly how it is.
This Parker Bros. CHE 2 barrel set in 20g. is a rare gun indeed and well worth the full restoration it received. One of the barrel sets had been shortened in the past, but it and its matching forend were still with the gun. All metal finishes were restored to like new as well as 75% of the engraving being recut. The buttstock and both forends were replaced with new wood and made to match the factory specifications as per the PGCA Letter.
A fully restored and custom stocked Parker VH 16g. on 0 frame shown here with the owners proud take for a hard day of hunting.
This family heirloom was a little worse for wear and the owner of it wanted it to look like new again. The barreled action had very good original bluing under some minor rust freckling, so it was cleaned up to 99% condition without needing to be re-blued. All smaller parts and bolt assembly were polished out and re-blued. All original screws were salvaged and cleaned up. The original walnut stock was refinished as well.
This repro 20g. had its original buttstock broken right through the wrist. This is a common problem on some Parker Reproductions due to softer claro walnut that was used in combination with poor grain layout in the wrists. A new stock and forend were made for it from high quality circassian walnut. The checkering and finish was done in the original Meriden style. The buttstock was made to customer’s specifications for LOP, drop and cast-off. Also, an additional set of 16g. barrels were fitted to the gun to make a 2 barrel 20/16 set. Both breech faces were polished out and broached in the Meriden style.
Below are several before and after photos of a fully restored Parker 8ga. Barrel length is 40.5″, the longest length that Parker built any barrels in. The gun was put back on face, stock damage repaired and all wood refinished/checkered. The barrels were refinished in striking black & white by Dale Edmonds. All metal was completely polished out to eliminate as much pitting as possible. Damages screw holes and corners were welded and re-cut/shaped. All damaged screws were replaced with new ones. All engraving was re-cut from pretty much scratch by Geoffroy Gournet. Blued parts were refinished. The action was case colored by Turnbull Manuf. The original buttplate was badly worn but was restored as much as possible as to fit in with the rest of the gun.
Through cooperation with machine shop vendors, I am able to offer some select Parker service parts.
Currently available:
New Parker buttplate screws: Made to original specifications but heads are left high with no slots so they can be properly fitted and slots timed. Price: $5.00ea as is
New Parker Roll Joints: Oversized for refitting of barrels to frame. No welding of hook required. Install oversized joint and re-fit hook. Available in diameters: .440″, .445″ and .450″ (original used joints run .435″-.440″). Price: $125ea
New Parker locking bolts: Straight bolts for hammerless guns that can be used as a direct replacement for 1905-1910 parkers or on 1888-1905 parkers with the angle being put on the bolt and fitted to the gun. Price: $75.00ea.
Top action hammer and Lifter hammer bolts will also be available soon.
Other parts in the design process are forend latch keys and external hammers for Parkers.
This Custom Parker project started as a VH grade action. All metal surfaces were polished out in order to eliminate the original V grade border engraving. 30″ Damascus barrel were fitted to the action. The top lever was altered to a “fishtail” style. The buttplate was fabricated in the Parker skeleton style. All screws on action were replaced from new. A straight grip style was chosen. The stock and forend were crafted from English walnut. All metal engraved in the rare C grade “Rondel” pattern. (engraving by Geoffroy Gournet). Action metal is bone charcoal case color finished (by Turnbull). Damascus barrels restored to black/white (by Dale Edmonds). Trigger guard and buttplate are rust blued.
This old model 11 auto loader is a good example of what is needed to be done when refinishing metal parts on firearms that have seen a lot of use and abuse over the years. Add in some improper refinishing work and you have a recipe for a lot of hours into doing the job right.
This particular gun was in the owners family since the 1940s. It was refinished with a hot blue many years ago. But whoever did the job merely left the pitting that was present from rust and simply buffed the metal out on a wheel. This left a very uneven surface that still had pitting.
Below shows photos of the receiver for this gun. First the surface I had to start with. Then after just a little bit of filing it is seen how wavy the surface was from buffing. Some more work continues to flatten the surface out. Finally the completely polished receiver and the final rust blued finish.
