1883 Parker 12ga double barrel, what to do with it.

[aametalmaster]

My father passed a few weeks ago and i grabbed this old Parker double that has been hanging on the wall in his weld shop office for the last 30 years. Shame on me for not wiping it with oil every time i went to visit. So its an old, broke, slopy, abused wall hanger but its still a Parker. I took it to a gun shop today hoping to trade it for something i can shoot. They weren't even interested. The customers all took turns admiring the old girl and even offered some tips on how to clean it up. I can clean it but i don't want to ruin any value if there is any ( i watch pawn stars too). I don't plan on shooting it but i don't want to leave it all rusty looking (maybe i should) For now she can stand in the corner. It has 30" barrels and prob replacement wood but i am not sure. Lots of slop in the hinge. Rusty on the outside but pretty clean under the barrel on the water table and in the barrels. One hammer works so one side will fire. It has TPARKER on the left hammer and some small scroll work engraved at the end of the barrels at the breech. That i have seen in some pictures of nice guns. So open for options...Bob

[aametalmaster]

WOW just found out TPARKER shotguns are FAKES made to look like a real Parker. Oh well...Bob
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_va...ers#slide6

What is the value of a nice T Parker Belgium 30 inch SxS double barrel with an even patina excellent wood a round pistol grip smooth bores laminated steel stamp on the rib and exposed hammers?
In: Shotguns, Western Field Firearms [Edit categories]
Answer:
Answer
Belgian shotguns marked 'T Parker' were imported c.1880-1910 for sale through the various mail-order and catalog hardware stores. The play on the name was intentional, designed to fool unwitting buyers into believing this was a Parker Brothers shotgun (it is not). Similar markings include 'Sam Holt' (Colt) and 'W Richards' (Westley Richards). There was a 'Thomas Parker' who was a gunbuilder in England, but his guns are specifically marked as such and would not have the laminated Belgian barrels.
The gun has no real collector value, although there are a few of us who study the old hardware-store guns. Value is merely whatever someone would pay for something to go over the fireplace, and although we see these marked at $250 consistently we also see them consistently not selling for that. $150-$200 if in Very Good shape is more realistic.
Please do not attempt to shoot the shotgun. As well as being 100 years old (at least), it was never designed for the pressure curve of smokeless powder and any modern ammunition is very liable to separate those barrels and cause injury.

[DaveH]

Bob,
Sorry to hear about your Father. My condolences to you and family.

DaveH

[EdK]

Bob,

I'm very sorry to hear of your fathers passing. My sincerest sympathies to you and your family.

Ed

[Mayhem]

My condolences to you and your family Bob.

Shame that old shotgun isn't what you thought it was. Given the info you found, I would clean it up and hang it on your wall.

[ScrapMetal]

I would probably disassemble it and dump all the rusted parts in a bucket of Evaporust. Once the rust (and remaining bluing) was stripped I'd polish and re-blue it with something like Oxpho-Blue Once done, presto!, nice wall-hanger.

Sorry to hear of your dad's passing.

-Ron

[aametalmaster]

Thanks guys. I think i will put my son in law in the bluing business since i already have almost everything he needs. My dad had a roll of light stainless steel we used for stripping tables and chairs years ago and i will form it into some tanks. I have been looking at the different bluings in Brownells for some time. I still need to move some more stuff from his shop like a 3,000 # safe and a huge butcher block table 104 x 49 that prob weighs 1,000 lbs. Anyone near Canfield Oh that wants the table or safe FREE and has a trailer let me know and a winch LOL...Bob

[bobm4360]

Sorry for your loss.
Do NOT hot blue the shotgun! The barrels are probably soldered together and a hot blue process will cause everything to come apart, i.e. barrels and upper and lower ribs. A proper rust blue is a royal pain, but it looks soooo good, and is appropriate for the vintage. It also enhances the Damascus barrel pattern if you have those barrels.
Regards,
Bob

[aametalmaster]

(10-29-2013, 12:07 AM)bobm4360 Wrote: Sorry for your loss.
Do NOT hot blue the shotgun! The barrels are probably soldered together and a hot blue process will cause everything to come apart, i.e. barrels and upper and lower ribs. A proper rust blue is a royal pain, but it looks soooo good, and is appropriate for the vintage. It also enhances the Damascus barrel pattern if you have those barrels.
Regards,
Bob

Thanks Bob. I do know not to hot blue them from years ago reading about gunsmithing. I did see some websites with Damascus barrels that were so good looking when refinshed proper. This gun does have Damascus barrels...Bob

[PixMan]

Having been through this recently myself, I offer my most sincere condolences on the passing of your dad. May he rest in peace.

As for the gun, I know nothing about those so keep it until you know for certain what you have there and what you can do with it that makes sense.