ANNIE OAKLEY'S PARKER COMING TO AUCTION
 

Annie Oakley's Parker hammergun is to be auctioned at Heritage Auction Galleries in Dallas, TX in June, 2012. It appears to be at least a Grade 3 with sculpted breech balls. It also appears to be in magnificant condition.

Best Regards, George

I also have a flyer about an Annie Oakley gun coming to auction in Denver. She had a lot of guns.

Is "Annie Oakley" stamped in the wood somewhere or on the barrels (a la Wells Fargo) or is there a verifyable letter of authenticity accompanying the gun?

Indeed, she could shoot, and was quite pretty!

I like this one better...




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The Art of Wingshooting by William Bruce Leffingwell, 1895
http://books.google.com/books?id=e34EmE3tkfkC

"I was permitted to examine many of the fine guns used by Miss Oakley in exhibition shooting, and noticed among them one Charles Lancaster ejector, one Charles Lancaster nonejector, a Cashmore hammerless, a magnificent Smith ejector with a gold figure of herself inlaid, a Parker hammerless, a Scott Monte Carlo, a Scott ejector of highest quality, and an exquisite little Francotte ejector with Whitworth barrels. The value of the guns mentioned is $2,500. The rifles shown were Lancaster oval-bore .360 double-barrel, Holland hammerless .32-caliber double-barrel, a magnificent Marlin repeater, and a couple of handsome Winchesters. She also showed me two single-barreled pistols made by the celebrated maker, Gastinne Renette of Paris. These pistols have 14-inch barrels, and are made expressly for pigeon shooting. With them Miss Oakley has scored nine out of ten pigeons from two traps, using one-half ounce of shot. She shoots binocularly. Her shot-guns weigh about six pounds each, the right barrels being bored modified, and the left full choke. Her load for targets is 2 3/4 drams of nitro powder and one ounce of shot. For live pigeons she uses three drams of powder, but the shot charge is unchanged; an ounce of shot is used on all occasions and for all kinds of game."

Annie's BHE SN 117432 ordered by Frank Butler in 1903 and offered by James Julia auctions in 2009. Drop at heel: 2-3/8", drop at comb: 1-5/8". Weight: 7 lbs. 9 oz. LOP 14-1/4" with Silvers pad. No safety. Credit given for BH #107950

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../372219656.jpg

A search of the Parker records for all the guns turned over by Frank would be interesting!

Dean: The Heritage Magazine article states the over 70 items belonging to Annie's Great Grandnieces Terrye & Tommye Holcomb, that were stored in steamer trunks for the last 63 years, have been consigned to this auction
to be held in Dallas on June 10th, 2012. Their mother was Billie Butler Serene, who was raised by her paternal grandparents William E. and Emma Butler. William was the younger brother of Frank Butler, Annie's husband and mentor. Heritage states that " A beautifully engraved Parker shotgun, used by Annie in Buffalo Bill's Wild West performances was acquired by her in 1885 - certainly a step up from the plain models she is pictured with earlier in her career."

The artcle also states that after retirement Annie and Frank spent their winters in Pinehurst, NC where, at the Gun Club there, Billie's "Auntie Annie" taught her and many other young girls to shoot. Billie often posed in "Auntie Annie's" costumes and meticulously cleaned and oiled all her guns. Billie passed in 2009. Does any one here know if the Gun Club still exists in Pinehurst? If it does it would interesting to see what, if any, memorabilia of Annie might still be there. Annie and Frank both passed in 1926.

Best Regards, George

Annie c. 1920 age 60 supervising a student. Between 1914 and 1922, Annie gave exhibitions and taught shooting at Pinehurst during the winter. Annie and Frank Butler were in a automobile accident in 1921, and she wore a steel brace on her right leg thereafter.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../370771091.jpg

At the 1925 Grand American, Annie broke 97 X 100. She also shot an Ithaca SBT

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../333126102.jpg

The Pinehurst Gun Club is now part of the golf facility at Pinehurst. There is an annual event in the area commemorating Annie Oakley, but all shooting is done off the Pinehurst property.

If anybody comes across pictures of the gun George speeks of I would like to see them. Did you see the gun George or just hear about it? good day ch