I don't recall that Colonel (Whelen) was mentioned as an attendee at the Campfire Club skeet outing, doubt that he ever set foot on a skeet field. However, the little Bob Owen 20 gauge that Captain Curtis was shooting that day apparently came up at auction last year without any mention in the auction catalog about its provenance. Someone got a rare and sweet little gun but the new owner may still not be aware of its interesting history. Colonel Whelen did own at least one shotgun that I am aware of. It was a try gun that was used by the stockmakers in his Washington, D.C. gun store, Parker-Whelen. Two of those stockmakers were in rarified territory in the woodworking world. They were the famous Griffin and Howe stockers James Howe and John Hutton. The old try gun has had a rough yet productive life, but is still in good shooting condition and gets out a couple of times a year.
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