A. W. du Bray ordered guns - Personal use or for customers

[John Davis]

John, the Peoria Black Bird shipping label, oil painting and score card pictured on the Trap Shooting Hall of Fame web-site bio of Fred Kimble are all part of my Kimble collection. (I purchased the score card and shipping label from our very own Destry Hoffard) I also have three other Fred Kimble oil paintings and a neat little G grade 16 gauge that was his. I may have gotten a little carried away. My wife describes it as an obsession. Bill Murphy will affirm that we're still looking for Kimble's B grade, 10 gauge, with 33 inch barrels. One of our Holy Grails. John Davis

[Dean Romig]

On John Davis' listings of Parker guns in A.W. duBray's inventory it would appear that those with a line drawn through had been sold as there is a name of a person or Ellery Arms Co. written in the far right column.

What is your take on this John?

[Bill Murphy]

Ellery Arms Company was in San Francisco. Arthur DuBray's W & C Scott sidelock pigeon gun was for sale at the Eastern Panhandle Shoot last weekend. It was a little pricey at $12000 asking, but a really nice full sidelock with crystal indicators. DuBray's name was engraved on the rib.

[C.O.B.]

Bill,
Maybe that Scott will be at Hausmanns. You can have another crack at it. I thought the dealer said he was asking $14K but would take $12K. It's a nice gun but I'm full up on those big guns

[Ed Blake]

Of the guns listed in John's PDF, a remarkable number are 34" guns. Long barrels were in vogue with serious shootists of the day.

[Double Play]

Originally Posted by John Gardner

The specifics on the DHE 12 I have from 1906 are: 30" Titanic Steel Barrels, 'Special Instructions ' per Parker letter were: 2" pitch, cast off at heel of 1/4" and 3/8" cast off toe, to shoot extra No. 6 shot, safety non automatic, 2 3/4" chambers, RH pull 3 1/2 lbs, LH pull 4 lbs, with requested weight between 7 lbs 6 oz. to 7 lbs 8 oz.

Stock configuration is a straight grip , LOP 13 5/8" Drop at heel 2 ' and Drop at comb 1 3/8"
Also trying to load the Parker Pages story on a du Bray gun but having difficulties.

John,
I have a DHE 16 gauge that was ordered by du Bray in 1906 that shares many of the same specifications as yours. It has 30" Titanic barrels and has a straight grip stock that letters at 13 1/2" lop, 1 1/2" dac, and 2" dah. The letter also specifies 1/4" cast at heel and 3/8" at the toe with 2 7/8" chambers and a non-auto safety.

This gun was ordered for a gentleman in Richmond Virginia and not a personal gun of du Bray. Perhaps these dimensions were recommended by the salesman or just typical for that period of time.

[John Gardner]

That is extremely neat to have that kind of complexity and diversity in your Kimble collection John. Isn't OCD mandatory for a collector?! I know that fear certainly is as I still have about half of my 'stuff' under the better half's radar...or at least she let's me think it is. If you get a chance it would be neat to see pictures of your paintings.

[John Gardner]

That's a good point Larry it makes sense that a common set of specifications were the general 'go to' dimensions that a salesman would recommend to a shooter based on his/her physical stature. Our Company does the same thing today for general inquiries from clients for their personal diving equipment. Without John D's letter it would have been very hard to assign the DHE to du Bray. Also good sleuthing on Dean's part to see where the gun headed next.

[John Gardner]

Looking closer at your list John it may be that most of these guns were primarily salesman samples and du Bray refreshed them as needed. I can't quite make out the writing in front of 136166 "turned over to ----- pay 1910"? Thoughts? I am waiting for return of better half or she that takes the pictures.

[Ed Blake]

Larry, was your gun shipped to Harris, Flippen Sporting Goods in Richmond by chance?