Guns that speak

[charlie cleveland]

the first parker i ever saw spoke to me it was a p grade 10 ga 32 inch stub twist barrels...then a 7 frame lifter 8 gauge spoke to me on the gunbroker site many years ago her barrels had been cut to 26 1/4 inches her stock had some kind of carveing on it that i never figured out what it was but it was ok too....then a fellow in california posted a 8 ga hammer gun a lever gun he posted a picture i made an offer and she now resides in miss..next one to speak to me was a gun that mills bought at the silent auction a few years ago...she was a 8 ga hammer lever gun in the sadest state of disrepair i have ever seen a gun in....she was off face by 1/2 inch barrels cut to 27 1/4 inches stock had been repaired 5 differant ways and times...it had a high rise rib put on it 1/2 by 1/2 square steel rod....barrels and stock had at least 2 lbs of silver soiler on it.....mills let me have this gun...darlington gun works in georgia told mills it could not be fixed but shes shooting again today...shes really ugly but she speaks to me...it turned out this gun was the sister to the 8 ga i had bought in california....charlie

[Mills]

It is really neat that you have two 8 gauges from the same order. I wonder where the others are? There was 6 in a row if I remember

[Joe Graziano]

Thus far, the ones that speak to me are the VH on a #2 frame skeet gun with 30 in barrels. The previous owner, DJ, had his name engraved in large letters on both sides of the action. From my research, he won quite a few skeet tournaments in the 50s-60s, very likely with that gun. His wife was also an avid skeet shooter who won her share as well, though I doubt it was with that big gun. It fits me perfectly. I can just picture DJ shooting it as the prize of his collection. Sadly, it was in rough exterior condition when I bought it. It’s off for restoration and I can’t wait to get it back. The other is a 16 ga Belgian hammergun made in 1925, 30 in barrels. It’s become my go-to upland gun. It came to me in very nice condition and I’m leaving it as is. It’s a weird gun in that it’s a very late hammergun, made or finished by Jules Pierre, and looks very Germanic. The rib inscription is for a German company that as far as I have learned from those here and on a couple other sites, never existed. Why anyone would make an 1880’s gun in 1925, under a fictitious company and address is anyone’s guess, but there it is. And it’s a sweeeet shooter!

[Brett Hoop]

I suppose it was the first Parker I ever held that had the most effect on me. And it was the second shotgun that my grandfather put in my hands. It happened to be a VH 20 ga with 28" barrels. It wasn't a "good one" according to my uncle. I didn't get that then and still don't. To me it was magical there was something about it, there about it's wrist, and the way it pointed and swung. And that sweet smell of the paper shells. Time passed and other double guns got the call, but in those days they had rifling and threw solids and softs and got carried lots of miles following tracks. When a great bird dog came into my life and I realized just how good he was I began to search for the perfect gun to highlight our time together that lead me back to the Parker Bros. The original VH 20 went to another, but thankfully 45 years latter I have found great satisfaction with a few Parkers with which to make memories.

[6pt-Sika]

Ah the confounded voices There’s the circa 1881 W&C Scott back action hammerless 10 gauge that was my maternal grandfathers from 1946 until he passed .Then there’s the 1928 VHE 20 gauge a friend owned since 1958 and he finally let me acquire four or five years ago ! Then there’s the circa 1891 Parker EH 10 with factory original 28” barrels I acquired almost a year ago thru an internet auction while I was in Manila . Actually this could go on and on

[TARNATION !!!]

[QUOTE=John Campbell;262911)

After all, our grand old double guns aren't really guns. They're time machines. Complete with the memory chips of our own lives.[/QUOTE]

Well said. I have one that goes nowhere until I leave the planet. My Dad’s VH 145522. The gun has had a number of fixes and even a second set of barrels fitted after the originals had truly seen their service. No end of memories from the time I was allowed to be gun bearer to taking my first grouse to enjoying many hunts to ultimately becoming custodian and many more memories. The long shot that took the bird. The gimme shot inexplicably missed. That gun is so much a part of me. That gun is the reason I found PGCA where I met many talented folks only too happy to share knowledge so that I could make various necessary repairs. That gun speaks to me.

I have other interesting pieces but nothing that has been part of my life from a very tender age. Cheers Jack

[Bill Murphy]

Joe G., can you give me the name of the skeet shooter that shot that gun you describe, and the state the competitor shot in? I have NSSA average books back to the beginning of skeet. I would share this information with you.

[Joe Graziano]

Bill, thanks very much. His name was David J. Hasinger, with one “s”. He seemed to always go by DJ. He was from Western PA. His wife was Jane, also a competitive shooter. I also found one AKC reference to them winning at a show with their Irish setter.

[Joe Graziano]

I found these photos of Mrs. Hasinger this morning. She was pictured in the book, “Expert Advice on Gun Dog Training”, first published in 1979. They seem to have been quite a sporting couple. I also found a Phila Inquirer article from 1954, which mentions them winning men and women’s high gun at a trap tournament. It’s neat to finally put a face with the name.

[Joe Graziano]

This is very neat. I just found her photo in another book, “How to Hunt Birds with Gun Dogs”. I was incorrect, they raised red setters, not Irish setters. The photo is a bit blurry. But, could this be my Parker VH 12 ga she is holding?