Help To Identify This Single Trigger

[edgarspencer]

This is an interesting single trigger on a 32" Titanic barreled gun I recently bought.
The gun has very trap-like dimensions, and through some digging, I believe the gun may have belonged to Dick McIntyre, of Fairbanks, Alaska. McIntyre Started and ran Frontier Sporting Goods, in Fairbanks, as well as started Frontier Airlines, now part of ERA.
McIntyre was an avid trap shooter, and the gun has a Hawkins styled pad, but with the label molded in of Coopers Hardware Co, Fairbanks, AK. Coopers apparently predates Frontier Sporting goods by many years, and may have sold this gun new.

The first two pictures show the "selector" which, depending on position, allows a normal R-L sequence; or Left ONLY (Trap)

The third picture shows the mechanism, in the rear position, for firing the left barrel.
The fourth picture shows it in the position it would be reset to by opening the gun, to fire R-L. If Left Only was selected, the mechanism would reset, but on closing the gun, return to the rearward position to lift the left sear.
The copper colored piece is a small dashpot, and the end of the mechanism has a piston that slides into the dashpot.
The assembly is fitted to the gun's original floorplate, but when it was new (according to the serialization book) it was a double trigger gun. It is of the highest quality I've seen, in fit and finish, and has it's own serial number and patent date. The gun most likely was returned to Meriden for the customers specific modifications, which included a new set of 32" barrels (Ser, Book says it left the first time with 30") the trigger, and a new buttstock, duplicating the original but to accept the single trigger. The lower tang groove has the correct same serial number, as well as the large R, which I am told by Stosh, indicated Factory Replacement. The barrels and fore end also have the correct stamping for Meriden. The barrel flats indicate Meriden, and not Remington, and as it's a POW grip, there's is no cap, but the barrels are marked with the correct legend for a Meriden Grade 3 gun.
My initial thought was to convert the gun back to double triggers, but it seems to function well and I'll leave it alone, more so if I am able to prove it was McIntyre's gun. He may not show up on Trap rosters, but was a WW2 ACE and pretty famous guy in Alaska.
I'm guessing Father Murphy or Destry may have run across this trigger, but if anyone else has seen it, please speak up. My guess is it's unique to a competition gun.

[Steve Huffman]

Looks kinda like a Fulford I have one on my CH

[Brian Dudley]

That is truely interesting.

[edgarspencer]

Come On Steve, don't tease me. Does yours function the way I described mine? How did you find out it was Fuford, and is there any info out there on it.

You're right Brian. It's super quality. The hoop shaped frame appears to be a small forging. Excellent machining and what I would characterize as 'precision'.

[Steve Huffman]

Google it and go to images you will see I think it works the same I havent shot it a bunch

[edgarspencer]

I found this image, and that is the one. Apparently, Mr. Fulford was quite the trap shooter, and won the 1904 GAH. Trap shooting is dangerous, because he got pneumonia shooting a 500 out of 523, and died 3 weeks later.

Edit: He won the 1897 GAH, not the 1904 GAH

[wayne goerres]

Is that a drop in or has the original trigger houseing been modified.

[Dean Romig]

Interesting that the advertisement depicts a Parker Bros. shotgun.

[edgarspencer]

Interesting that the advertisement depicts a Parker Bros. shotgun.

Also interesting the sears aren't shown, which go around each side of the trigger mechanism. Maybe I'll pull the stock off and try to photograph it as the illustration depicts.

Wayne, the floorplate had to be drilled for a #4 screw to hold the selector stop, and a small impression, that was a detent, in each extreme of the selector stop range.
Nothing seems to altered internally, except for possibly screw holes, or a pin hole (See the illustration) in the tang screw boss. I suspect it wouldn't be at all difficult to convert it back to a two trigger gun, however the sear arms seems to be bent upwards. The safety in place now has a rod which moves for and aft with the safety button, not in reverse of the button direction, as would be the case in a standard double trigger arrangement. The safety button on the gun has been changed, I suspect, when the trigger was installed. I'm not sure if a Parker safety button could be used in this setup, but would like to use one if possible.

[Steve Huffman]

I think they also take some wood out ,when I had mine out and stock off I could see this cant remember been awhile .

[edgarspencer]

Your memory isn't failing you. They take out a fair bit, but, without having my other single trigger gun here to compare, I don't think it's different than the opening for a Parker single trigger.

[charlie cleveland]

nice interesting trigger set up..i dont know anything about these triggers as far as making them but i know quality work when i ve had my hands on it...if this gun were mine i would never alter it ..leave as is....charlie

[Rick Losey]

there is a lot of engineering in getting any mechanical trigger to work correctly.

under the tutelage of a master, I made a double set trigger from scratch for a longrifle. Trigger plate, triggers, levers, springs, everything from raw stock except for a couple of screws.

he said it would take him a couple days, it took me over a week. But I learned a lot.

one thing I learned was to buy the next one :rotf:

[Kevin McCormack]

Edgar - excellent and interesting post! I have a couple of questions: you mention in a number of places your noting that certain markings are consistent with Meriden manufacture - did you suspect that some of the modifications had been done by Remington (or in Ilion)? Also, who or what is 'Stosh'?

The Fulford setup if I remember correctly is pictured in other make guns in period literature much the same as the ad you posted, probably in American Field or The National Sportsman, over the years.

[edgarspencer]

Kevin, Much of what I've said is speculation. Thanks to Steve, I have been able to learn a bit more about the Fulford trigger. The gun is an oldie, 1906, and Elijah Fulford died in 1904. If his trigger manufacture carried on after his death, I can't say, but this trigger has a SN in the low two hundreds.
While I am pretty sure the gun didn't go back to Remington 30 years after it was made in Meriden based on Fulford, I am more certain of this because, A, there are no marks consistent with repairs or work done by Remington, and, B, the barrels are marked Titanic Steel.
Additionally, If Dave Suponski (aka Stosh) is correct about the significance of the letter R in the lower tang groove, and the stock is a factory replacement, I would have to say it is a Meriden stockmaker who shaped it. Remington combs are shaped so differently that I am pretty certain of this.
There's no Order book info available, But I'll get a letter and see if the stock book info sheds more light on this.

[Kevin McCormack]

Thanks much, Edgar - yes, I have seen several examples of replacement stocks with the 'R' stamp in the TG channel inletting. Also agree that the stock geometry is a very good indicator of where the work was done (e.g., Meriden or Ilion). The Meriden stocks have thinner, more gracefully curved wrists along with more finely fluted noses at the point of the comb; Ilion wood always seems much fuller in the wrist with minimal shaping of the flutes at the nose of the comb, along with the noticeably wider splinter forend contour, where the width is carried further forward into the forend tip in contrast to the much slimmer, more tapered Meriden wood.

[edgarspencer]

the noticeably wider splinter forend contour, where the width is carried further forward into the forend tip in contrast to the much slimmer, more tapered Meriden wood.

This is one of the subtle differences that make me love Meriden guns so much more. My father called Remington fore ends 'Bull Nosed' (a commonly used technical term, not a derogatory statement).

[edgarspencer]

The gun came to me with a shattered right hammer, so since it had to come fully apart, I took the opportunity to use my finely developed artistic skills in an attempt to duplicate the turn-of-the-century ad shown in post #6.

[Daryl Corona]

I'm impressed! If things don't work out in the syrup business you might have a future in advertising. Nice job and very interesting post.

[edgarspencer]

I wish I could use my finely developed, artistic vocabulary here.

[charlie cleveland]

do you think us old average boys would know what youre talking about with all that fine vocabulary....charlie

[edgarspencer]

Not only do I think you would, I think only the good ole average boys would

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Amen to that! Gary