Recommendations for Parker resto

[bourbonandpitbulls]

I have a Parker 12-gauge side-by-side that was my grandfather's that I would like to have restored or at least checked out before shoot it. Does anyone have any recommendations for a gunsmith in the LA area, preferably someone with a knowledge of Parker guns? Barring that, any place I might ship to in the US that knows these guns. Thank you!

[CJJohn]

Welcome aboard. Good first post, following for info myself.

[keith1911]

First name that comes to mind is Bob Day at http://www.americhoke.com/. You'd have to call him to find out his familiarity with them.

[Thefeeder]

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http://www.parkershotgunrepair.com/index.html

[pzbike]

My resource has been
Bud Webs
(509) 465-8406
He can advise and refer.

[Ducky's Dad]

Bob Day can do repairs and check the gun for safety, and can probably coordinate the various specialists for restoration. If you are actually talking about restoration rather than refreshing, you are looking at serious money. Figure $3K minimum for a V or G grade gun in decent condition with no major flaws to fix. Something like replacing the butt stock will add another $1500-$2000 to the tab. As a point of reference, I sent my Dad's 16ga VHE to Turnbull Restorations about 15 years ago for a quote and it came back at $5500 for a gun that was already quite shootable and had nothing broken. So we let Turnbull do the case coloring and had a couple of local guys (with national reputations) do the rest of the wood and metal work). Using three separate shops brought the restoration in at $2900, but that was 15 years ago. If you have a high grade Parker or one that needs major work, the price goes up quickly. If you have a Damascus or twist barrel, there are only a few shops in the country that can do a proper black and white Damascus refinish. Turnbull is generally considered the best shop in the world for Parker restos, but there are others, such as Brad Batchelder. I have seen several of Turnbull's guns and have seen pics and read quite a bit about Batchelder's work, and both shops are superb. Locally, the best guy is Les Pittman in Adelanto, but he is usually pretty backed up, as are all of the top guys. Les was a Pachmayr gunsmith and did the wood on my Dad's VHE, and it is perfect. Depending on the vintage of your Parker, the other national shop that is worth looking into is Larry Delgrego's operation. Delgrego only does cyanide case colors, so his work is only correct for the Remington-era Parkers. There are lots of shops that can do bone charcoal case coloring for the pre-Remington Parkers, but Parker guys are pretty particular about the the nuances of the case colors on a Parker. Parker colors are not the same as Fox or Smith or Lefever or any other gun. The differences are subtle but real, so choose carefully. Turnbull's are the most "authentic" but there is nothing wrong with Batchelder's. Pittman would probably prep your metal and send the parts to Turnbull or somebody else he trusts for the actual case coloring, because case coloring is highly specialized. Whatever you do, don't let anybody talk you into torch coloring the frame. You'll get good advice on the Parker site, but those guys can be a bit touchy about this stuff.

There are two shops with national reputations that I have had bad experiences with and would steer you away from. Their names will probably come up in any discussion about Parker restoration, so PM me if you want to know who they are. Good luck.

[ysr_racer]

Turnbull is the best.

[ysr_racer]

Cut the barrel, and add a mag tube extension?

[Ducky's Dad]

Cut the barrel, and add a mag tube extension?

Or, bead blast it and port it to make it tacticool.

[ysr_racer]

Agreed, a nice non reflective finish is best.