Doubles trap shooter

[Brett Souder]

Hi, I'm trying to find any information I can about a trap shooter named L. H. Gambell from Cincinnati Ohio. I have a DHE in trap configuration that was made in 1926 and the serial number is not in the serialization guide. Any information on him would be very helpful. Thank you

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Damn, I was excited for a minute but then realized the spelling is different--Proctor and Gamble Co. started in Cincinnati and thought at first that it might be the latters gun.

[Brett Souder]

I was told that it was the same Gamble of Proctor and Gamble before I saw the gun for the first time, then I saw the name written on the original soft case.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

WOW!! What a beautiful gun!
Are you from Cinci--just passed thru there on Sat on the way to the D-II mens basketball final in Evansville, Ind. Unfortunately my team, West Liberty University Hilltoppers came up short. I work right on the Ohio River in Martins Ferry, Oh--born and raised there.
Post some more pictures if you can,we would all enjoy them.

[Frank Cronin]

Nice gun! Additional pictures in his photo album.

[Brett Souder]

I live I near Lebanon Ohio and was also born in Cincinnati and never left. What little bit of information I could find out about the original owner was thru old Forest and Stream publications. Mr. Gambell shot at/for the Cincinnati Gun Club, I"m not sure what happened to the club but it no longer exists. The dates that I found were at the turn of the century and then there was a score posted in the 1940's that showed Mrs. L.H. Gambell that also shot trap. I was hopping maybe someone on here might have information on them. The Gun was made in 1926. The serial number is missing #220004 from the identification records. This gun gun has not been shot or shown for 54 years.

[Robert Beach]

Luther Henry Gambell

Born in Aurora, Indiana on June 22, 1890. When he registered for the draft in WWI he indicated that he was the district manager for the Cincinnati branch of the Joseph Campbell Co. of Camden, NJ (think Campbell Soup). Died September 12, 1957 in Ohio. Buried in Dillsboro, Indiana

Bob Beach
Archivist
Griffin & Howe, Inc.

[Brett Souder]

WOW! That was fast. I have looked everyone on the internet and could not get any further than what I posted.
Thanks so much Bob

[Bill Murphy]

In 1930, he lived in the Hyde Park area of Cincinnati, shot 2250 competitive birds, averaged 94.84. He shot no doubles that year. In 1934, he still lived in Hyde Park, at 2713 Erie Avenue. He shot 4650 ATA birds that year, with an average of 95.67. That year, he shot 50 doubles and only broke 29 of them. By 1940, he was living at 229 East 6th Street, or that may have been a business address. That year he shot 3200 targets and averaged a rather astounding 97.03. That year, he shot 324 doubles targets and averaged 86.72. I could give you his entire career in ATA, but you get the idea. He shot a lot and was a pretty hot shooter. It doesn't seem like he shot the Parker for all of his single targets, judging by its condition, unless it is refinished. The rare little Hawkins rifle pad really makes that gun sparkle.

[Bill Murphy]

Mrs. Gambell shot 1200 ATA birds in 1940, averaging 82.83. In 1934, she shot 2200 birds, averaging 84.45. She didn't shoot in 1930.

[Harold Lee Pickens]

Nice area. I go to the ATP tennis tournament in Mason each year with my men's travel tennis team.
Those guys found out everything 'cept his shoe size. I am constantly amazed.

[Bill Murphy]

Gambell tied for the Ohio State 16 yard championship in 1940 with a 199X200. He lost the championship in a shootoff and became the runnerup.

[Brett Souder]

I am so thank full for all the information you guys have provided. Now that I have his full name I have been able to find out some interesting information about Mr. Gambell.
When I purchased the gun from its previous owner he stated that it belonged to Proctor and Gamble, well as it turns out after checking the Irish Berry Family Genealogy on Francis Octavius Berry ( thats what came up when I Googled L.H.Gambell). Arthur Boyd Gambell ( grandfather) and James Norris Gambell (uncle) were brothers who came to Cincinnati from Ireland and worked in the soap business. Later James Noris Gambell became partners with William Proctor and started Proctor and Gamble soap manufactures.
So Arthur Boyd Gambell (grandfather) had a son name Arthur William Rogers Gambell (father) who had a son Name Luther Henry Gambell, Who's beautiful Parker I now Own. Not sure when or why the Gambell name changed spelling but from what I have read this was common when families came to the states from across the pond. Grandfather Gambell does not seem to have the notoriety of founding P&G as the credit seems to go to his uncle. I will dig a little deeper. Thanks for any and all of the information you guys have to offer.

[Steve Cambria]

So to confirm, this gun was owned by Arthur Gambell's son? No one seems to be talking about Poppa?? The same Arthur Gambell who managed The Cincy. Gun Club and was one hell of a trap and pigeon shooter in the early 1900's ((1902---1908 range, roughly)? Coincidentally, a good friend of mine owns Arthur's BH live bird gun, shipped in early 1902, I believe. It's a 2-frame with 32" Titanic barrels, no safety and is needless to say, very dynamic! Unfortunately, someone replaced the original stock and gold grip cap that had his last name engraved on it. :cuss: It has to be out there somewhere. Who in his right mind would throw that away?

I will be sure to alert him on your recent acquisition. Congrats on a beautiful Parker! These two guns need to be reunited somehow, somewhere!! Hmmm, what's this? Do I feel the tingle of DGJ juices beginning to flow? Alas, who am I kidding? Parker stories are reserved solely for the Demi-Gods.:corn:

[Brett Souder]

Yes, that's correct. I wasn't sure if anyone could follow where I was trying get.
This gun is a 32" titanic steel choked improved cylinder and improved modified, with a 1 1/2 frame. It's in beautiful shape, I don't see any Remington service marks on the water table so I'm not sure about the original finishes.
I would love to hear from you friend with Arthur's live bird gun. Form the Forest and Stream articles I could not tell witch Gambell was superintendent of the Cincinnati Gun Club because they both shot and we're heavily involved in the club. Hard to believe this gun has never left Cincinnati.
Thanks for adding to this guns history.

[Dean Romig]

It has the Parker Bros. 'trap comb' or 'full comb' and the oval appears to be engraved.
The case colors however, appear to be cyanide colors.

Remington codes will not be found on the water table but rather, on the barrel flat of the left barrel close in to the lug.

[Steve Cambria]

Brett,

Check your PM's. Thanks----S

[Brett Souder]

Thanks Dean,
I removed the barrels to check under the Left side for Remington codes and did not see any. I did however notice that there was a small hole in front of the forearm lug so should I assume this means that the barrels were re-blued ? The colors looked cyanide colored to me also. I spoke Larry DelGrego on the phone and he said that you can not always assume that Meriden ,Ct guns were only bone charcoal colored because there were certain times of the year based on the weather that they used cyanide for the color process? Has anyone else heard of that?

[Bill Murphy]

The LA84 Foundation research site has dozens of Gambell mentions. A.W. DuBray and the senior Gambells shot together in Cincinnati. DuBray kept the CGC well supplied with prize guns. Gambell even won one in 1903.

[Jeff Christie]

This is a fantastic thread- keep it going!!

[Brett Souder]

Gentleman,
I was really bothered with not knowing who performed the work on this gun and finally got a chance to look more closely in the right location and found the Remington service codes on the barrel flat. My questions now are when was the service date and is this considered original condition if Remington performned the work? I will try and attach photos. Not sure if its BBK3, or if the B was a double stamp. Thanks for any information you can provide me.

[Steve Cambria]

Brett,

I'm just a Fox guy who visits here on occasion but I believe "BK3" would mean your gun was returned to Remington for repairs in January of 1941. I'm sure others can check my math.

Incidentally, there is a reprint in the Summer 2014 PP's of a wonderful article by Charlie Price entitled, "Remington Date Codes on Parker Guns" that clearly explains the "decoder ring" logic to this art form!!

[Brett Souder]

Thanks for the reply, so I can assume that Remington did not use three letters and then a number for the date codes. If you enlarge the second photo you can see that there are two letter B's spaced part however one is struck lighter than the other. I used to be a Fox guy as well and regret selling the XE 16 gauge I once owned but I know who currently owns it now so maybe one day it will come back home.

[Steve Cambria]

I don't believe "BBK-3" was an option so I'm betting it's an errant hammer strike.

[Gerald McPherson]

By now I am getting very worried. If you all know what my score was on quail all those years please don't post it on here. That would be very embarrassing. For goodness sake don't mention the dove score.