Parker Book by Muderlac
 

Is the book by Muderlac on Parker guns(shooting Flying and the American Experience) worth buying? Also: I noticed there is a All brown cover and a cover that shows a Parker on the front. Is one book a hardcover and the other a paperback or a 1st edition- 2nd edition or limited edition.

It is a very good book about various makers told through the lens of Parker Brothers and their place in it all. Great photography as usual.

Ed was a good writer and all of his books are worth buying. If you are building a Parker library, you need them all. There is only one edition of each, with limited editions available as well.

The brown one is the limited edition we pre-paid $100 for in advance of its publication. It has loads of excellent historical data you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. Ed was the consumate researcher in getting factual information for his books. He was a world of knowledge in his area of expertise.





.

I think you'll also find Ed's views on collecting interesting. I certainly did. I especially enjoyed his thoughts on the distinguishing features of the different grades. Lots of things to think about that you don't generally encounter. I met Ed at a gun show in Illinois (yep, the state actually allows those), and enjoyed talking with him. I found him a passionate guy, and that passion shows in his books. You should definitely add the book to your library.

Passionate is one word to describe him. If it weren't for Ed, there would not have been a Fred Kimble book.

because of a certain level of prodding John?





.

Ed laid down a challenge and I accepted.

Let's see. "Ed's wife is a lovely person." Ed was a great researcher. Shooting Flying is a great book, maybe the second greatest Parker book.

Ordered the book today and it should be here around Dec. 28th. I think I have most of the books on Parker guns now. The Parker Story(2 volumes) Two by Muderlac-Two by Johnson and one by Baer.

Do you have Knights of the Trigger? That's another good one by Ed.

Larry Baer had two volumes too.





.

Larry had three -- The Parker Gun (1974), The Parker Gun - Volume II (1976) and The Parker Gun (1980) that was essentially a combination of the other two.

John Davis is too modest to mention that his books on Fred Kimble are a part of the Parker shotgun history package. I'm not sure they are still available. "Shooting Flying" is still number two after "The Parker Story".

There were 500 copies each of the first and the second edition printed. Unfortunately I only have two personal copies of each edition left. I do see them for sale on the internet now and again.

Hadn't read this book in probably 10 years, enjoyed several chapters last evening. Thanks for reminding of this wonderful book.

"Shooting Flying...." is definitely in my top two gun books. Well written, nothing boring and it does encompass more than just "Old Reliable" with interesting info on those manufacturers as well.

Just "Old Reliable"??? :shock:





.

I think we forgot "When Ducks Were Plenty". Very nostalgic.

Yes. Another good one.

M-U-D-E-R-L-A-K

I met Ed a couple of times and shot flyers with him. He used my 34" DHE pigeon gun. As I recall, he didn't shoot all that well. He was very sick at the time and nearing the end of his life.

Maybe Dave Noreen would post the classic flyer shooting picture with Muderlack and others.

I miss Ed, the times at the shoots and Las Vegas and Parker Dog. Another adventure I am taking to the grave with me!

Here is the group at an Allgood shoot --

Attachment 110377

Ed & Nancy at the Arctic Circle on their Alaska vacation --

Attachment 110378

Nancy was a peach and a saint.





.

MUDERLAK

Ed was a totally Parker-centric author. Like the lawyer that he was, he presented the facts that supported his Parker Bros. case and ignored all others. Keeping that in mind, his books are a good read.

He sure led an adventurous life. RIP Ed.

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries...ry?id=17844635

The suspects in the pigeon shoot picture supplied by Dave Noreen are Ed Muderlak, Kevin McCormack, Bill Murphy, and Dave Noreen.

When Ed and his wife were on their 2008 Alaska vacation he got ahold of me and I flew the 100miles to home from a remote camp and had him over for dinner. She had already flown south. He gave me a signed copy of his Shooting Flying book once we had finished dinner. I recently found the book hiding underneath my set of The Parker Story on a shelf. It is an excellent book and the memorable evening we had was unforgettable and very worth the flight to town.

I forgot to add that I gave him a look at all my Parkers and he noticed something on my inherited VHE20 that I had never noticed. It doesn't say "Parker Bros" on the sides of the receiver and doesn't have "Parker" on the bottom. It's the only one I've ever seen like that. I had possessed that gun for 34yrs at that point and I had never noticed that. Go figure, eh?

What an enjoyable thread. Thanks, Richard, for adding a memory.