Need Help With Parker Stock

[LEJ ZO6]

I have a little Parker Bros. Rabbit Ear shotgun. At least I think it is a Rabbit Ear, that's what I've been told. It is a 16Ga. and is really a pretty nice gun. It is tight, the hammer and trigger springs are strong and the bore is O.K. for an old Damascus piece.

The problem rests in the stock. I don't know how this type of thing happens. It was in this condition when my father picked it up and has never been fixed. The stock has been damaged, there are irregular spaces between it and the metal it fits up against and there is some splitting of the wood. I'll stick in a picture so you can see what I'm talking about. (and, yes, I know the screw in the hammer isn't the original).

I could use some help deciding what to do with it. I don't want to patch it with wood putty or something and I don't want to spend a fortune on it either. I don't really know what a piece like this would be worth but I don't want to spend as much money on it as it would sell for after it was repaired.

I have searched on the internet and found several companies that do repair and restoration work on stocks. The examples they show look awesome after the repair. I haven't contacted any of them for an estimate but I can imagine they are EXPENSIVE.

I see new stocks for around $100. I haven't found anyone that sells them for this gun yet. Would installing a new stock destroy the value of this gun?

Any suggestions ?

Lloyd

 

[grumpyvette]

Id suggest you have it professionally appraised, then go from there, your correct that any obvious repairs will reduce its value but a well done repair may add value, the Damascus guns in that condition don,t generally have the same value as the better condition guns obviously but you might be surprised at what its worth
any PARKER is worth at least looking at seriously for repair work as there is significant collector interest in most of them, but the damascus guns don,t generally bring a premium