I have a VH 20 gauge with a simmons rib that was owned by a Mr. Flaim, I think an associate of Oscar Gaddy. Anyone seen many Parker with thsi aftermarket rib? such a pretty gun, but the rib weighs things down alot.

Thanks Francis, We will check this out and perhaps put in a bid. Jim

Look what I found c. 1964 :)

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../383186370.jpg

That was a fair piece of change in '64. I know because I bought a brand-new Stevens 20ga. pump with an adjustable choke and a pad in '64 for $65 which was about all I could muster up at the time. I was sixteen at the time.

That looks like a pretty nice little gun!

$175.00 in 1964- Yup--sure was!!
 

I was stationed at Lejeune in 1964- bought a new Browning A-5 light 12 (8 lbs.) 28" Mod. vent rib barrel at the base PX with a case for $125.00 --We had a fairly active base skeet and trap range, plus dove and duck hunting in season. I kept it in the Armory and checked it out with the Duty Officer when I was going hunting- usually off base on weekends..

One of the civilian base employees bought one of those "Quails Fargo" 20 bores- most of the clay birds and shells came from Front Royal, VA- big supplier up there back then- Believe they were a Stevens-Fox action with the Simmons patented ventilated rib. Nice little bird gun indeed. I had that old "Hump-Backed" Browning for years, finally a duck hunting pal kept offering me $ for it and I sold it to him- he's still shooting it yet today, but with the steel shot regs. he sent the barrel to Brileys and had choke tubes installed.

If memory serves, I believe the late Gene Hill wrote about a sweet little Greener 16 bore he owned, with 24" barrels. I have no idea what a fair market value a VG condition Quails Fargo 20 bore would fetch today, doubt if many were made or sold, sort of like the Winchester M59 with the fiberglas barrel-a bit of a departure from the "usual" I guess!!:cool:

Francis, the supplier in Front Royal was famous hunter and competition shooter Kenny Haig, and his company is/was Front Royal Supply. He was my Smith and Wesson, Remington wholesale outlet for many years. He was the PPG outlet for that part of the country, a real plum distributorship. When I was less than a pup, I bought my first S&W from him, a Highway Patrolman for $69.00 new. I remember him taking my money and asking me if I minded not getting a proper receipt. I was about sixteen years old but had known Ken for some time.

I had a "DAKIN"12GA./26"/ WORM BEAD/ with amazingly nice wood/ and "hunted the feathers" off of it. It was about 1962-65. And loved it. One day, before season, at a "rival-gun-club", walked up to shoot 1st TRAP station, (shows you how dumb I was then-26"Full & Mod.)and both barrels FIRED AT ONCE! They gave me one more try (they thought I pulled both trig.s/ except, I only had a single trigger) and again- KABANG! BOTH Bbls.shot! WITHOUT PULLING THE TIGGERS! I walked off, said sorrys, red faced and went home, another 2hr.drive!
Got it fixed/ sold the gun / couldn't shoot with it after that! GUN SHY FOR DAKINS!
Don Dabro

Here's another spin on that sad scenario--
 

"The first time a gun malfunctions- get it fixed. The second time it does that- Sell It!"

"Hunting birds with anything other than a good double gun is like shooting pool with a mop handle"

"Any shotgun with two barrels should also have two triggers!"

Charles Nicholson-a Southern gentleman who wrote the best deer hunting story I have ever read- entitled "A deer for Cholly Dorman"--

Simmons took off Winchester Mod 12 solid ribs by the barrel full and installed high ventilated ribs. They obtained stocks from Fajen's and Bishops in Warsaw MO and put those on as well. Many had high, roll-over combs. They would re-blue the barrel and frame and would sand blast the receiver top for non glare.

THANKS, MR. MORIN, couldn't be more true. I subsequently have owned several Dbl. Bbl. shotguns, including a nice Winchester with which I shot my first 25 straight and 50 strt.
Also, hunted with a really nice "Charles Daly"side-by-side, and an over/under 20ga.- Daly. They were my "main" armory for hunting & SKEET.
Then, I got so spoiled, when the "coach" exposed me to a "Kreighoff K-80, Carrier bbl.with matched tubes, single trig., Beaver forearm, "Black-Pearl" engraving! It had vent-rib on a 28" barrel, and BRILEY did the laser porting on all tubes and barrels. It is the "SWEETEST"gun I've ever owned or handled! A beautiful piece of ART and Workmanship! I love it.
regards, DON DABRO