Shelly Gilman SBT

[Brett Hoop]

I recently came across 3 of Shelly Gitman’s Parker stocks while at the Southern. Two SBT stocks one capped and the other straight both have Del Grego pads. The other a small bore straight grip looks to be from a Grade 5. All had SG on the oval in identical font. The two straights with along with some of their furniture I brought home. They are nice attractive stocks. Thanks to Mr McCormack’s sharing here with us of his friend Mr Gitman and of the night of the Perfect Storm. As an aside there is one of our own that was out in the North Atlantic that night and like F/V Andrea Gail, out of Gloucester. Parkers have always attracted some very interesting people.

[Bill Murphy]

A couple of Shelly's smallbore Parkers just sold at auction. I haven't seen them since the Parker meeting and NRA show at Nashville some years ago. Shelly was not at that show, but his guns were there on Bill Jaqua's tables. I have no idea who owned them at the recent auction time but I assume that person is no longer with us. In all the time I spent with Shelly, I never saw him shoot a Parker. His shooting was with serious competition trap guns or high grade Browning Supers. His Runge-Del Grego upgrades were always boxed in Del Grego cardboard, to be looked at or displayed. The auction guns were 28 gauge in A-1 Special and AAHE persuasion. They went for money I would not pay. I'll have to be happy with my SAA.