This is my first post, as I joined the association just a few months ago. I bought my first Parker, a very nice Plain Twist underlifter 12 ga, made in 1877, about a year ago. Since then, I have added six more Parkers to my collection. I guess I caught a bit of Parker fever. So, I am always on the lookout for Parkers or related items.
This last weekend I went to a local gun auction warehouse sale and picked up an interesting item. It is a beaver tail forearm (not a Parker original from what I can tell) for a D Grade ejector gun, serial number 170703. It has a gold oval inset into the wood, just above the release lever with the name “Will J. Reid, Long Beach, CA” engraved on it. According to the Parker Serial Number Book, no.170703 was a DHE 12 ga. , with a straight grip, and 34” bbls. Made about 1915. Do any of the members own this gun, or know its whereabouts?
In my business of selling military antiques, I usually do a lot of internet research on different named artifacts such as medals, swords, Civil War groupings, etc. So, I thought this would be an interesting research project. I found out that Will J. Reid was President of the Hancock Oil Company, and Vice-President of the California Funding Corporation and General Insurance in the Long Beach area. He was a founding member of the Cerritos Gun Club, and the Chairman of the Board, and President of Ducks Unlimited in 1942/43. Born in 1889 in North Dakota, he died in 1956. I found a great article on the history of the local gun clubs of Southern California (yes, contrary to popular belief, we do have a hunting history here!). You can see the information at:
http://longbeachstudies.lbcc.edu/pdf...ach%20Area.pdf
In viewing that article, I was astonished that on the first page, there is a photo of some of the local club members, and Will Reid is pictured with his Parker! You can plainly see the gold name plate on the forearm (he is second from the left) and the added leather piece at the bottom. The gun shows a lot of wear around the grip area, and most of the finish is gone from the barrels. You can also see what looks like a thick recoil pad on the end of the stock. They all look very dapper in their matching white pin striped pants, shooting sweaters, and brimmed hats. Also, later in the article there is a great photo of when Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig came to shoot ducks with the one of the clubs. Reid is pictured again, next to Babe Ruth, with his Parker facing out, showing the gold name plate again. I wish this piece could talk! See the photos posted below.
Maybe Mark Conrad can give us some info on number 170703? If it was ordered by Will Reid, or ? Obviously from the specs, it was a great duck gun or trap gun.
Where is number 170703? An interesting history
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