BTFE Trojan?

[Drew Hause]

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/22919279/392757520.jpg

[Dean Romig]

Yup, sure is! Page 529 of The Parker Story depicts the Trojan prototype skeet gun with a beavertail or "trap" forend. I have seen other references to the Trojan skeet gun as well as discussions on this forum concerning them as well. There were only a very small number of them produced and may not have been retailed at all.

[Patrick Lien]

Drew,
Can you please provide the year of this magazine?

thank you
Patrick

[Pete Lester]

If I remember correctly one of the Trojan Skeet guns is on display at the Remington museum in Ilion NY. I do not recall if had a BTFE.

[Bill Murphy]

The Trojan Skeet in the Remington Museum does have a beavertail forearm. It is pictured in a late Remington Parker Parts Price List. The PGCA Research Team got to fondle the Trojan Skeet in 1998. I took lots of pictures. Patrick, the cover is of the February 1937 issue of Outdoor Life. William Harnden Foster took over as Outdoor Life's Skeet Editor in that issue. Odd that Foster did not paint the cover picture.

[Dean Romig]

Bill, did Outdoor Life even have a monthly skeet column prior to Foster taking that position or did he solicit the editor in chief to promote skeet through a new column?

[Drew Hause]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=160495508387&Category=71136&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26its%3DI%26otn%3D2

[Bill Murphy]

Don't know, Dean. WHF had two magazines of his own to promote skeet. My Outdoor Life collection is pretty meager. In other words, I can't put my hands on it right now. It was a surprise to find WHF in there. It was probably a short lived relationship.

[Dean Romig]

Considering he left us in 1941 - I agree it was a short lived relationship.

[Eric Eis]

I have that magazine so if someone has any questions on what's in it etc just let me know and I will check.

[Thomas L. Benson Sr.]

What would be the value of said gun if it was in fair condition. How many were produced. Thanks. Thomas L. Benson Sr.

[Dean Romig]

The only true way of determining the value of such a gun would be to consign it to one of the best-known auction houses such as RIA or Julia's.

[Austin W Hogan]

Larry DelGrego Sr patented a fore end latch conversion to fit a btfe to a Trojan. There is at least one other conversion, as a btfe conversion of unknown make was sold at auction about 5? years ago.

Best, Austin

[Fred Preston]

In E.D.M.'s "Old Reliable" after p. 174 in the color photo spread there is a pic of the Trojan Larry Sr. made for his grandson, Larry III, who was 10 at the time. The gun, a 20ga, has a "youth" pull and short (25"?) barrels with a slim BTFE and a Miller nonselective ST. A beautiful gun; I had the opportunity to see and hold it.

[Bill Murphy]

Mr. Benson, the value of a Trojan Skeet Gun would be considerable. However, no one has proven that more than one was made. It is my opinion that the one in the Remington Museum is the only one made, a prototype that was not put into production. I cannot remember whether the museum gun has a forend latch or not. Trojans with aftermarket beavertails usually work pretty well without a latch. I don't think that Mr. DelGrego beefed up the forend fastening system on Trojan beavertail conversions. He has done a bunch of them.

[Bill Murphy]

None of my pictures of the Trojan Skeet Gun show a view of the bottom of the forend. One of our readers will have to visit the museum and tell us what they see. I'm not sure the gun is actually on display. It is a beautiful gun, straight grip, very fancy American Walnut stock, hard butt, Parker single trigger, ejectors. I'm sure it has never been outdoors except for test firing, maybe not even for that.