In His Own Hand....

[Jack Cronkhite]

I was going through my "filing" and came across a note Dad made for me about his guns a couple years before he passed. Here is what he had to say for VH 145522, the gun featured in my nostalgic article in Parker Pages.

The Parker double barreled was purchased from Russels Sporting Goods in Calgary about 1952. It cost $85. At that time, I made my own ammunition and the first hunt with the shot gun I got 5 snow geese with 2 shots with reload BB's. There were four of us in the hunting party and we all crawled up on the geese. Just as they took off I fired twice as they were airborn and dropped five. Another time I made a high shot at a V of mallards and pintails. I got 5 ducks with one shot. The gun would knock the birds down between seventy five and eighty yards. One time the right side of the stock blew off in my face. I was wearing shooters glasses at the time. I got a lot of splinters in my right hand and some brass. Apparently the firing pin poked a hole through the primer and caused the charge to come back through the gun. This was the best shotgun I ever owned.

I was a lad for that 5 duck shot. My recollection was a line of mallards but he says it was a V of mallards and pintails. He made the shot, so I go with his recollection. You can see the repair to the stock head in the second last image. I shot the gun until 2003 when the left barrel failed. I think I finally have a line on a barrel set. Had I found them a couple years earlier, I wouldn't be spending as much time on the computer as a result of having found PGCA in my search for barrels.
Cheers,
Jack
http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/cpg1410/albums/userpics/normal_HPIM6768.JPGhttp://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/cpg1410/albums/userpics/normal_HPIM6760.JPGhttp://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/cpg1410/albums/userpics/normal_HPIM6767.JPGhttp://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/cpg1410/albums/userpics/normal_HPIM6795.JPGhttp://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/cpg1410/albums/userpics/normal_HPIM6785.JPG

[Rich Anderson]

I hoped you find a set of barrels, then you, your Dad and the Parker can once again share a blind.

[John Dunkle]

Jack,

That is just neat... My Dad has never been into firearms - but fortunately - my great-granddad and grandfather both were... No notes for me - but I'm fortunate to have many of their firearms - all of which I shot when I was a young lad...

Thanks for sharing, Jack!

:cheers:

John

[Eric Eis]

John you should post here and on Doublegun "wanted to buy Parker barrels for X frame X # of inches" You never know you might get a phone call, can't hurt. Example five years ago I came accross 5 sets of Damascus barrels at a show bought them all and ended up selling them to people I knew that had been looking for certain barrels. By the way what frame size was your dad's? Eric

[Eric Eis]

Jack,

That is just neat... My Dad has never been into firearms - but fortunately - my great-granddad and grandfather both were... No notes for me - but I'm fortunate to have many of their firearms - all of which I shot when I was a young lad...

Thanks for sharing, Jack!

:cheers:

John

Yeah John and One of your grandfathers guns you got Real Lucky on....! Eric

[Jack Cronkhite]

By the way what frame size was your dad's? Eric

It is a 2 frame. Original barrels were 32". Many years ago, I had to trim a bit of length because the muzzle had a crack. I was never as good with the gun as Dad was but I took a lot of birds, just used more ammo than he would have. After the barrel failure, I had it trimmed to a sporty 18 3/8". I tried it a few times, but to no avail. I guess if the stage coach came back, I could ride shotgun :)

http://bp0.blogger.com/_iKcZ3qcCmyo/SAuV3aCWBoI/AAAAAAAAG6Q/nupeq9E0QrA/s400/stagecoach+shotgun.jpg

[Dean Romig]

but I'm fortunate to have many of their firearms - all of which I shot when I was a young lad...
John

That conjures up quite a mental picture........

Runny-nosed, barefoot little toe-headed kid running after the covered wagon with a big gunny-sack over his shoulder yellin' "Hey Grampaw, I got me forty-two buffalo chips in this hyar sack.... puff-puff-puff.... when I git fifty can I shoot yer scattergun oncet more??"

:biglaugh::biglaugh::biglaugh:

[Jack Cronkhite]

That conjures up quite a mental picture........

Runny-nosed, barefoot little toe-headed kid running after the covered wagon with a big gunny-sack over his shoulder yellin' "Hey Grampaw, I got me forty-two buffalo chips in this hyar sack.... puff-puff-puff.... when I git fifty can I shoot yer scattergun oncet more??"

:biglaugh::biglaugh::biglaugh:

To which Grampaw replies
I s'pose. Yer gittin' pretty good with it. You may just 'swell give back them borrowed sling shots.

[John Dunkle]

That conjures up quite a mental picture........

Runny-nosed, barefoot little toe-headed kid running after the covered wagon with a big gunny-sack over his shoulder yellin' "Hey Grampaw, I got me forty-two buffalo chips in this hyar sack.... puff-puff-puff.... when I git fifty can I shoot yer scattergun oncet more??"

:biglaugh::biglaugh::biglaugh:

To which Grampaw replies
I s'pose. Yer gittin' pretty good with it. You may just 'swell give back them borrowed sling shots.

You guys crack yourselves up - don'tcha..???

;)

I got nuttin'....

:rotf:

Yer' Buddy, John

[Dean Romig]

Quote:

"You guys crack yourselves up - don'tcha..???"

Well, John Buddy..... as long as it's at your expense..... Yup, we do :smiley7:

[Jack Cronkhite]

You guys crack yourselves up - don'tcha..???

;)

I got nuttin'....

:rotf:

Yer' Buddy, John

Well buddy, you got plenty. Multi-generational Parkers including great grand dads AAHE that comes with a wonderful story of loss and reunion. Beyond that you have earned respect for what you do here and far beyond.

All that's not nuttin', its plenty.

You even have broad enough shoulders to withstand an occasional cyber-poke.

BTW: If not already done, maybe take some time out of a busy life to write up some history for the family guns for posterity. I'm glad I convinced Dad to do that.

Cheers
Jack

[Rich Anderson]

Trimmed to 18 3/8th:shock: Were you planning a career of robbing liquor stores and quick marts? Does Mom know about this sorted past of yours?

[Jack Cronkhite]

I had a look at what was salvageable, knowing I needed a minimum of 18" for it to remain an unrestricted firearm. Since it was long enough, it was cut. Had it not been long enough, I would have just left it as a conversation piece, since the right barrel was still okay.

Mom certainly knows most my adult past and I all of hers. We met young. She even thought the '50's mix-master was great until recently. How things can change. I found her another one though, also from the '50's but this time, the 1950's not 1850's. It plugs into the wall but what a rig. That whirly thing sprayed the whole kitchen. Learned you gotta turn the darn thing off before lifting it. New fangled contraption anyway.

Cheers,
Jack

[Rich Anderson]

Have you thought of haveing it sleeved? The English do it on a regular basis with great success.

Regarding the mix master..beware of technology as it will bite you...or spray pancake batter all over the kitchen:rotf:

[Bill Murphy]

Kirk Merrington would have sleeved one side only. Now you must do both sides and a rib. Oh well.

[John Dallas]

A while back, there was a discussion of "Skillet Dents". Must one be concerned about "Mixer Dents"?

[Jack Cronkhite]

A while back, there was a discussion of "Skillet Dents". Must one be concerned about "Mixer Dents"?

Skillet dents could be quite serious. Mixer dents would depend on how old the raisins that flew from the batter might be. Although..... a hard 9 mm raisin flung at high velocity might be a tad dangerous

[Jack Cronkhite]

Kirk Merrington would have sleeved one side only. Now you must do both sides and a rib. Oh well.



http://farm1.static.flickr.com/169/409138035_9b6a110ee9.jpg?v=0

[charlie cleveland]

how true how true.... charlie

[Pete Lester]

I wonder if it would be possible to take another set of Vulcan barrels and have the forward portion of the undamaged barrels added to a aft end portion of the original barrels, I think it's called monoblocking???

If it were my dads gun I'd look into the possibility and cost be damned.

[Pete Lester]

This is what I was thinking of not sure if this is what someone meant by sleeving?

http://www.hallowellco.com/monoblock_barrels.htm

[Steve Kleist]

Hi Jack. Thank you for sharing the note on Dad's gun. That providence makes a family heirloom even more cherished.
Perhaps a note for each gun in the cabinet might be a good project for some of us old "white hairs!"
Regards,
Steve Kleist Ely, MN

[Kenny Graft]

Thats interesting about the primer failer and what happend......good thing I wear perscription glasses when shooting...would not want a sliver of walnut stuck in my brain! Some gun makers have gas releif cuts milled into the breach face....not such a bad idea!....Thanks all SXS ohio...(-:

[Dean Romig]

Kenny, I know of one high grade Parker Bros. lifter that has that feature.

[Jack Cronkhite]

Hi Jack. Thank you for sharing the note on Dad's gun. That providence makes a family heirloom even more cherished.
Perhaps a note for each gun in the cabinet might be a good project for some of us old "white hairs!"
Regards,
Steve Kleist Ely, MN

Steve: I did ask Dad to do that and here I sit not having done it myself. Another one of those winter projects. So much to do so little time. Got more done while I was working than in retirement. Go figure. Each note Dad made was just that - a short note but interesting to me for sure.
Cheers,
Jack

[charlie cleveland]

im having the same trouble jack..got more done when i was working to...reckon whats our problem is... i know one thing i sure do set at this computer a lot looking and talking about these old doubles....charlie

[Jack Cronkhite]

Charlie: The computer is killing us I think. Then there's the attitude shift from "git 'er done" to "what's the hurry"
Cheers,
Jack

[Jack Cronkhite]

I thought I would pass along the other guns in his notes. They are just guns, nothing special except that he owned them and now I own them and there are memories. Some memories are in his notes.
Cheers,
Jack

The Rabbit .22 calibre was the first new .22 I got. It cost about $6.45 and took 4 cords of spruce cordwood and some spare money to pay for it. The cordwood had to be delivered to Paddockwood. This was around 1940.

Dad was raised on homestead land in Northern Saskatchewan. Paddockwood was the closest town. This is a tiny .22 single shot. It became my plinker as a kid and was not appreciated by the gopher population. I thought I would clean up the stock when I was in my early teens. Electric disc sander no less. It is even tinier now.

The .22 highpower hornet was purchased around 1960. It is basically a varmint gun and hasn't been used much, as most of my hunting was done for food

This gun is a Winchester Model 43 bolt action with 3 shot clip. I shot it a few times as a kid but it languishes in the steel tombs because I'm also not into varmints (although I have lots of recipes for varmints). I recall Dad shot a few hawks and owls with this rifle under a scientific permit for taxidermy and education purposes.

The Winchester lever action 30/30 was the second big rifle I owned in northern Saskatchewan. The first rifle was a 32-40 but wasn't liked very much and was traded on the 30 30. I didn't get much game with the 30 30. I can remember only one deer and a coyote being shot with the gun. Jack shot a deer on the run with it in the Porcupine Hills about 1963. He was with Milton Henders and Stan Henders and myself. In the Waiparous area of Alberta he shot a bull moose on the run in heavy black alder cover at about 10 yards. Art (moose) Swanson shot a moose at the same time. It took us all day to skin and butcher the two moose and get them up a steep ridge by 8:30 at night. We came back the next day - a Sunday and back packed the moose out.

This gun is a Winchester model 94. The SN is forever in my memory bank because for some reason I thought it was neat as a kid - 195963. It has nickel steel octagon barrel and is 1899 manufacture. The butt stock was drilled through at the neck with quite a hole (1/2" or more bit) and had both sides covered by a star taken off the old 5 star whiskey bottles. Somebody thought that was neat. Family considered alcohol to be sinful so I'm not sure they ever knew what those stars were (if 'tis a sin, I'll be joining a few of you in the warmth of the nether regions in but a short while. I'm thinking there will be lots of Scots and Irish lads to keep the party going). I took a friend out to the Waiparous one day. He had no gun, so he carried the 30.30 and I "rented" a .308 for the day from a sporting goods store in a shopping mall (try to do that today!). He slipped and fell in the snow and the butt stock broke clean off the rifle. About 20 years later I had it restocked and all parts were cleaned and re-blued. About 10 years after that it was finally re-assembled. It languishes in the steel tombs but does look nice.

The Savage autoloader. I got this shotgun in the mid fifties. I never really liked this shotgun. It was heavy and had a polychoke on it. I loaned the gun to Len Gorsche and he got to like it very much and purchased a new autoloader but didn't put a poly choke on it. I loaned the gun to Mac MacDonald and he blew the poly choke off but got it fixed. The price for the fixing it was $6.00. It got so the gun wouldn't load properly so I didn't hunt much with it. However, Jack shot his first sage grouse with the gun. I used it a little bit after that but something went haywire with the gun and when you fired it, it would pump another shell in the barrel and discharge before you could get your finger off the trigger. After that, I considered the gun too dangerous to use.

I also got my first rooster on the wing with that gun. It truly is a heavy gun. I completely disassembled, cleaned and even thought I had found the problem in the trigger mechanism. I replaced a spring and another piece. Gave it a go and it worked. Then, one morning my old huntin' partner and I headed for a good spot for ducks and geese. In the dark the trail seemed to be getting more faint. I had a look out the passenger window and saw we were in water. I casually mentioned that to my partner who stopped, with the intention to back up. Once stopped, the truck sank in the muck to the frame. Not to be deterred we got out and hiked to cover and waited for birds. A lone speckle bellied goose was coming straight to me. At just the right moment, I stood and fired and the goose dropped. Probably hit by both rounds, the second unexpected. I told my partner I would have to wait near the truck to nurse my sore shoulder while he hiked about 3 miles to a farm house. The farmer had a good laugh about our situation and knew exactly where the truck would be. A tractor and a set of harrows and about 50 feet of chain got us out of the muck. My shoulder felt much better once my partner had completed the hike and managed to find somewhere in the muck to hook the chain. The afternoon was still ahead of us and there would be roosters. (Dad's VH would get me through the rest of the day). That would have been in the early eighties. The Savage languishes in the steel tombs and every once in a while I want to open it up again to see what the heck is the problem. But then, there's always something else to do and tomorrow's another day.

Cheers,
Jack