Widgon Duck Club

[Jay Gardner]

Recently there have been several threads and posts centerd around long barreled small bore Parkers ordered by or shipped to specific duck clubs in Northern California. Do the records indicate specific orders of multiethnic guns that were ordered by the clubs and are the total number of guns known? The Widgon Duck Club has been mentioned specifically. Is that the only club that ordered guns or just the most famous? And why are these specific guns so coveted and sought after?

Thanks,
JDG

[Bobby Cash]

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk136/2low8s/photo42aa_zpsc465f400.jpg

[Rick Losey]

great gun Bobby
you have to love that long lean look with those barrels and a straight grip.

please excuse my ignorance but what is a "multiethnic gun"?

[Ed Blake]

Several years ago Steve Barnett had a 32" DHE 20 on a #1 frame for sale. It was dated about 1916, I think. I thought about buying it, but the price was way out of my reach and the gun had problems: busted ejectors primarily and was loose as a goose. I figured once I bought it I still had another grand to go to make it right. The original owner though, was a prominent lawyer in LA who was actively involved in railroads and water rights. I can't remember the name, but I should have pursued research a bit further because it sounded like he was a big playa in LA at the turn of the 20th century. Was he a Widgeon Duck Club member? Dunno, but the gun had all the earmarks of a California small bore duck gun.

[Rich Anderson]

please excuse my ignorance but what is a "multiethnic gun"?

I was wondering the same thing

[Jay Gardner]

Love the gun porn but I'd really like to read more about the clubs, themselves.

Thanks,

JDG

[Dennis V. Nix]

Multi ethnic??? Me too. Was the gun owned successively by people of different races?

Dennis

[Rick Losey]

if i had a long barreled 20 bore gun - it would look like....

oh -never mind

[Bobby Cash]

Love the gun porn but I'd really like to read more about the clubs, themselves.
Thanks,
JDG

California Fact

Acre for acre, the Central Valley of California supports more wintering waterfowl than anywhere else in North America. At peak times, this region hosts 5 to 7 million wintering waterfowl—more than 60 percent of the Pacific Flyway’s ducks and geese. As you would expect, the high ratio of birds to habitat results in some superb waterfowl hunting. This is especially true on private duck clubs in places such as Butte Sink, Suisun Marsh, and the Grasslands. Good public hunting is also available on several intensively managed national wildlife refuges and state wildlife areas in the region, which also support large numbers of wintering waterfowl.

Abundant species: pintails, mallards, wigeon, green-winged teal, Aleutian cackling geese,
white-fronted geese, light geese


Club Fact.

The Tulare Duck Club (original home of my gun) and the Wigeon Duck Club
share almost identical longitude and latitude.

The Tulare guns predate the Wigeon guns by over 1 year.

After receiving and using their 20 gauge DHE's, the members contemplated
ordering long barreled .410's. It seems due to the abundance of game,
it just wasn't enough of a challenge bagging birds with a 20 gauge.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

There are good articles about California small bore duck hunting in a magazine called Western Field if you can locate them.

There's also a story in one of the Hazelton books about shooting at a small bore only club.

Quite a few guys have made noise about writing articles on this but I've never seen one come out. California isn't my area of interest but it would be fun research to do.


Destry

[Dave Noreen]

Unfortunately the Google supply of digital Western Field magazines ends just before Edwin Hedderly became editor and wrote his long series on smallbore Duck guns.

[Drew Hause]

Previously posted by Dave Noreen

The use of small bore long-barrel doubles at the California duck clubs was promoted by Edwin Hedderly, of Western Field magazine. Edwin ran a lengthy series beginning in September 1910 on the smallbore shotgun and he received some fabulous guns from Parker Brothers in exchange for ads in Western Field. April 4, 1911, he ordered a 32-inch 28-gauge full pistol grip DHE with a Silvers rubber butt, Lyman sights, full comb, no safety, 1 1/2 x 2 x 15 1/2 and 3" pitch, engrave "Wildfowl Mfg Expressly for E.L. Hedderly." On April 26, 1912, he ordered a 20-gauge 32-inch A1-Special, with even more detailed specifications. Then on May 14, 1912, he ordered a 32-inch 16-gauge A1-Special to pretty much match the 20-gauge.

Good reading c. 1914
“The Case of the Small Bore Shotgun” by Edward C. Crossman
http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/Outing/Volume_63/outLXIII04/outLXIII04u.pdf

[Destry L. Hoffard]

For some reason I'm thinking that Tom Weynand is a member of the forum? If I'm right, he's got copies of all the articles.

Destry

[Bill Murphy]

It would be nice if he were to publish these articles, if he has permission. Kevin McCormack has put together a collection of information on Hedderly's articles and indicated an intent to publish. I found a picture of Hedderly holding his long barrel 16 gauge Parker, but no one, to this date, has indicated an interest to publish his work on long barrel small gauge guns.

[Dave Noreen]

Good reading c. 1914
“The Case of the Small Bore Shotgun” by Edward C. Crossman
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports...utLXIII04u.pdf

Wow!! Mr. Crossman was already trying to kill off the 16-gauge!! Obviously, he didn't like Parker Bros. 0-frame 28-gauges either!! He said only two American companies were making 28-gauges. I assume he was thinking Parker Bros. and Ithaca Gun Co., but Crescent Fire Arms Co. had their No. 28 and Harrington & Richardson also offered a 28-gauge double in 1914.

[Dean Romig]

California Fact

After receiving and using their 20 gauge DHE's, the members contemplated
ordering long barreled .410's. It seems due to the abundance of game,
it just wasn't enough of a challenge bagging birds with a 20 gauge.


Three or four years ago I was talking with a noted gun historian and authority (who's name I am not at liberty to divulge) who told me of knowledge that had recently come to him regarding a pair of Grade 7 or 8 Parker .410's with 32" barrels that went to California to either a pair of brothers or best friends. The other half of this information was that at least one, if not both, would soon come to market.... that was three or four years ago and, though I don't travel in such circles that are in the know or have the ability to make such a purchase, no news of the availability of such fabled guns has reached my ears.

[John Davis]

Well, it's not California but:

December 13, 1902, The Sportsmen’s Review, “Capt. A. W. DuBray (‘Gaucho’), whose entertaining sketch descriptive of trap shooting, field and duck shooting in the Canadian Northwest, appears in this week’s issue, adds this comment: ‘It may interest some of my readers to know that barring part of one day only while duck shooting in Canada, and simply because I had no ammunition for it at hand, I used my old full choke 20-gauge 30-inch barrel Parker gun and Winchester factory loaded Leader shells. The most skeptical regarding the use of so narrow a gauge were instantly converted, and many have resolved on giving both gun and ammunition a thorough trial next season, when I am sure, if they follow my lead, they will never regret making the change, it being apparent to all that both are unsurpassed of their kind.”

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Murphy you've got a much information on this sort of thing as anybody. Why don't you publish?

Destry

[Bill Murphy]

Destry, I really don't have anything on Hedderly except one article that pictures him with the famous 16 gauge. I can't remember whether it was a DHE or an A-1 Special. When we copied the records in 1998, we discovered the Hedderly orders, one of the most interesting set of orders in 30,000 pages. Another great duck gun discovery was the Seward Webb trio of big graded hammer guns. I wish I had enough information on Hedderly to publish, but I think McCormack and Noreen would be better choices.

[Dave Noreen]

I gave Kevin what I had, and I don't seem to even have copies of what I gave him!! If Parker Pages needs material, those Hedderly articles could fill several issues!

[Dean Romig]

Wouldn't that make a nice series in Parker Pages!

Come on Kevin... let's talk about it.

[Kevin McCormack]

As previously stated on this and other forums, I have put together an exhaustive collection of material on Edwin Hedderly. Originally I thought about producing a small book on him but given the current tenor of the press, the cost(s) involved, and the vagaries of publishing today, I was advised against it. I have spoken with Dan Cote about a lengthy article ( multiple parts like the one I did on the Del Gregos) and I think that's the way I'll go. Recent additions to my material make it clear that its time to "fish or cut bait." I am in the process of copywrighting everything I have for which original copywrights have run out, and securing permission for publishinig for that material which is still copywright protected. Stay tuned.

[Bill Murphy]

I am more in favor of the route that John Davis took on the Fred Kimble story. Self publish, direct the information to the people most interested, let the others dangle, and make the book be a wonder of research, available to only those interested in the content. I have had a recent experience which leads me to the "Self Publish" route. I isn't about the money, it's about getting the information out.

[Kevin McCormack]

Oh yes it is about the money - remember our many discussions on this Forum of efforts and expense estimates to produce a reproduction of the Clown Catalog. John Davis can tell us better than anybody what "self publishing" costs in time, money, and frustration. I'm sure there are many who would like to see someone else put in the time and put up the money, then peruse the results at their leisure while standing in the aisle at a gun show or in a booth at an event, then decide whether or not to purchase the end product. That's not going to happen here. The search for this information has taken years and involves some fascinating stories in itself. Like everything else, "getting the information out" has its price, usually not calculable strictly in dollars and cents.

[Dean Romig]

I think your thoughts of DGJ publication of your Hedderly research is the best way to pursue getting the information out. It sure is a lot better than trying to decipher your writings through brittle, foxed, stained and worm-eaten sheets fifty years hence.... and probably more pertinent sooner than later.

[John Davis]

Like everything else, "getting the information out" has its price, usually not calculable strictly in dollars and cents.

Amen brother. It's a labor of love.

[Kevin McCormack]

I think your thoughts of DGJ publication of your Hedderly research is the best way to pursue getting the information out. It sure is a lot better than trying to decipher your writings through brittle, foxed, stained and worm-eaten sheets fifty years hence.... and probably more pertinent sooner than later.

Glad you concur, Dean, but your quips about the hard copy are basically irrelevant, since by then I predict everything written will be in electronic media format and record(s).

[Dean Romig]

How true indeed.

[Bill Murphy]

Kevin and others, please be aware that I was typing my last post while Kevin was hitting the "Send" key. I think Kevin's plan is just wonderful.