Checkered Butts on High Grades

[Double Play]

Hi Mark,
The PGCA letter on my Pigeon gun (108776) simply states 15" LOP, no butt. When I purchased the gun it did not have the original stock so I have no way of knowing how it left the factory but being such an early gun it's a good bet it was not a checkered butt.

[Austin W Hogan]

I have a couple of early live bird guns tha DuBray specified as "no butt". Both are now restocked, as Larry's. These guns did have length of pull specified on the initial order indicating some kind of a butt finish was required to get the dimension.

Best, Austin

[Double Play]

Austin,
The "no butt" reference has always made me curious as to the guns
original configuration. It's hard to believe Parker would send out a high grade gun with an unfinished butt stock. The standard treatment for D and above was the SSBP so if no butt means no SSBP then would that mean a dog’s head butt plate would be attached? It seems when a rubber pad was requested it was usually noted as such. I guess it is just another one of those mysteries that we will never know the answer to.

[Austin W Hogan]

Larry; The DHBP is sometimes noted as the "rubber butt" and the 1899(?) catalog refers to the dhbp as the rubber butt.
I am beginning to take it to mean "no butt plate or pad", but the fact that pull, drop and sometimes pitch and cast are specified for these guns means that the end of the stock had to be finished to those measurements.
I think we can eliminate the idea that the buyer wanted to save the pad fitting surcharge; the dimensions could not be given without quoting pad thickness.

Best, Austin