Guns that speak

[Tom Flanigan]

I don’t know if anyone else has experienced this, but some guns “speak” to me and I never forget them. Some I own and these are included in the core of guns I’ll never sell but will pass down. These guns could be special because of provenance, excellence of the piece or both. Two that I don’t own that come to mind are Kevin McCormack’s “grandma’s” gun, a little 28 bore GH jewel that he once owned and Bruce Day’s gorgeous little CHE 20 bore “woodduck” gun.

Other lesser guns grow on you because of all the game you have taken with them and the memories they represent. I have a 20 bore PHE steel barrel gun, purchased last year, that is falling into this category. Both the gun and my little setter Jesse are new to me but I am already building great memories of both in the grouse woods this year. Lately I have been using the PHE exclusively for my grouse hunting since it fits me well and I shoot it as well as any grouse gun I own. I imagine that at some point I’ll add it to the core of Parker’s that I will never sell.

[John Campbell]

I don’t know if anyone else has experienced this, but some guns “speak” to me and I never forget them.... These guns could be special because of provenance, excellence of the piece or both.

Indeed, sir. We may collect guns, but those of us who are most aware know we are actually collecting threads of humanity: People of history who've used and touched these guns. Events long past that represent human sport and days afield. And of course, that includes ourselves and the experiences we imbue in, and transmit through, these instruments of wonder.

After all, our grand old double guns aren't really guns. They're time machines. Complete with the memory chips of our own lives.

[Mills Morrison]

This is true. Research letters really enhance this as well. I recently acquired a Parker apparently owned by semi famous Colorado gunmaker way back when - Carlos Gove.

[Dean Romig]

Only too well do I know of such Parkers.

As an examply, I am current custodian of a neat little 16 gauge 0-frame lifter, once owned by the indomitable Edgar Spencer and it brings me pride of ownership... and a bunch of grouse and woodcock too.





.

[Mills Morrison]

Dean reminded me of PGCA provenance. I have guns owned by Bill Mullins and Austin Hogan that are treasured

[Mills Morrison]

Just this very moment added an early lifter from the Jim Dispagno collection. Photos soon

[CraigThompson]

Intresting !

[Bill Holcombe]

Just this very moment added an early lifter from the Jim Dispagno collection. Photos soon

I can say a Dispagno gun brings a lot of provenance.

[Bill Murphy]

My Austin Hogan P Grade hammer gun speaks to me.

[Tom Flanigan]

My Austin Hogan P Grade hammer gun speaks to me.


Austin was a wonderful man. He came down to the Baltimore show years ago and told me that he was bringing something down for me. I met him in the parking lot and he handed me a well worn but untouched hammer 0 grade. He said, take it, its yours. He knew how found I was of hammer guns. What a generous gesture. I restored the gun completely and shoot it from time to time. This is one of my core of guns that I’ll never sell. Every time I shoot it I think of Austin.

[Dean Romig]

Yup, he was very generous and such a good friend.

He gave me this Grade 3 Lifter with Parker-made Laminated Steel barrels.


.

[Gary Carmichael Sr]

Mine is the 14 gauge lifter with Damascus barrels bought from Bill Mullins, shown in the serialization book and the Parker Story serial # 1147 I will hand this gun down to my sons, Gary

[Mills Morrison]

Nice gun Dean!

Gary, You know I was looking at the Parker Story the other night and was wondering what became of that 14 gauge

[Rich Anderson]

Without a doubt Gunner's gun. A 20 VH bought from Mr. Murphy over the phone and turned into a tribute to the best bird dog that has ever owned me. A CHE Damascus 20 (0ne of 8 built in it's configuration) from Chuck Brunner, a DHE 20 with 30 inch barrels and all the options. My first real high condition gun as it had about 90% case color. Purchased at the Southern from Steve Barnett at the first challenge event. Another from Mr. Barnett is a Purdey light 12. I'm not a 12ga guy but this gun lured me to Steves web page almost every day. It would say "adopt me, I'm light and quick open choked for grouse, quail and woodcock. You want me I know you do". I took her home two years ago at the Southern and with RST 2 inch shells it hasn't disappointed me at all.

[Reggie Bishop]

Rich I need to ask you a question, do you have an email address?

[Rich Anderson]

Reggie check your PM

[Mark Ray]

There is no doubt about those special guns. Mine is the very early, 58484, DH12, 1 frame, 30" with 4lb barrels, Damascus. the gun is weightless between the hands. The workmanship outstanding...and a dog on the bottom instead of birds...

[Dean Romig]

There are others in my collection that 'speak' to me....

Mrs. Jessie Bishop's little 24" Damascus 28 gauge DHE

Rear Admiral Thomas Perry's 28" Damascus 20 gauge DH

"Mrs. R.B.L."'s little 24" steel barreled 20 gauge grade 2 Ithaca... the list goes on.






.

[Dean H Hanson]

Seems as if all of mine talk to me, some just have more to say. The Hanson Family Parker is the quietest, but has the most influence and best wisdom. My 16's are typically birdy whenever they are out. The tens and the eleven gauge are resecpectful… and well respected. The twelves... well they just want to be heard. They all ask when another 20 might join them, as I gave my (only) VH 20 to my nephew last spring. My reply... patience and time, its all a man really needs.

[Craig Larter]

I have one that speaks to me every day. It's not a high condition gun but an old big gun from a different era. It spent a good part of it's existence in the duck marshes in southern Indiana on the wabash river. I know a Martin Wampler owned the beast. It's a working gun that I hunt with at least once a year and it brings me back to a long ago age. I know before the gun came to me it spend 4 decades in a pawn shop owners collection in Florida. D hammer 6 frame 10 gauge with 36" barrels 15 pounds.

[charlie cleveland]

the first parker i ever saw spoke to me it was a p grade 10 ga 32 inch stub twist barrels...then a 7 frame lifter 8 gauge spoke to me on the gunbroker site many years ago her barrels had been cut to 26 1/4 inches her stock had some kind of carveing on it that i never figured out what it was but it was ok too....then a fellow in california posted a 8 ga hammer gun a lever gun he posted a picture i made an offer and she now resides in miss..next one to speak to me was a gun that mills bought at the silent auction a few years ago...she was a 8 ga hammer lever gun in the sadest state of disrepair i have ever seen a gun in....she was off face by 1/2 inch barrels cut to 27 1/4 inches stock had been repaired 5 differant ways and times...it had a high rise rib put on it 1/2 by 1/2 square steel rod....barrels and stock had at least 2 lbs of silver soiler on it.....mills let me have this gun...darlington gun works in georgia told mills it could not be fixed but shes shooting again today...shes really ugly but she speaks to me...it turned out this gun was the sister to the 8 ga i had bought in california....charlie

[Mills Morrison]

It is really neat that you have two 8 gauges from the same order. I wonder where the others are? There was 6 in a row if I remember

[Joe Graziano]

Thus far, the ones that speak to me are the VH on a #2 frame skeet gun with 30 in barrels. The previous owner, DJ, had his name engraved in large letters on both sides of the action. From my research, he won quite a few skeet tournaments in the 50s-60s, very likely with that gun. His wife was also an avid skeet shooter who won her share as well, though I doubt it was with that big gun. It fits me perfectly. I can just picture DJ shooting it as the prize of his collection. Sadly, it was in rough exterior condition when I bought it. It’s off for restoration and I can’t wait to get it back. The other is a 16 ga Belgian hammergun made in 1925, 30 in barrels. It’s become my go-to upland gun. It came to me in very nice condition and I’m leaving it as is. It’s a weird gun in that it’s a very late hammergun, made or finished by Jules Pierre, and looks very Germanic. The rib inscription is for a German company that as far as I have learned from those here and on a couple other sites, never existed. Why anyone would make an 1880’s gun in 1925, under a fictitious company and address is anyone’s guess, but there it is. And it’s a sweeeet shooter!

[Brett Hoop]

I suppose it was the first Parker I ever held that had the most effect on me. And it was the second shotgun that my grandfather put in my hands. It happened to be a VH 20 ga with 28" barrels. It wasn't a "good one" according to my uncle. I didn't get that then and still don't. To me it was magical there was something about it, there about it's wrist, and the way it pointed and swung. And that sweet smell of the paper shells. Time passed and other double guns got the call, but in those days they had rifling and threw solids and softs and got carried lots of miles following tracks. When a great bird dog came into my life and I realized just how good he was I began to search for the perfect gun to highlight our time together that lead me back to the Parker Bros. The original VH 20 went to another, but thankfully 45 years latter I have found great satisfaction with a few Parkers with which to make memories.

[CraigThompson]

Ah the confounded voices :cool: There’s the circa 1881 W&C Scott back action hammerless 10 gauge that was my maternal grandfathers from 1946 until he passed .Then there’s the 1928 VHE 20 gauge a friend owned since 1958 and he finally let me acquire four or five years ago ! Then there’s the circa 1891 Parker EH 10 with factory original 28” barrels I acquired almost a year ago thru an internet auction while I was in Manila . Actually this could go on and on :cool:

[Jack Cronkhite]

[QUOTE=John Campbell;262911)

After all, our grand old double guns aren't really guns. They're time machines. Complete with the memory chips of our own lives.[/QUOTE]

Well said. I have one that goes nowhere until I leave the planet. My Dad’s VH 145522. The gun has had a number of fixes and even a second set of barrels fitted after the originals had truly seen their service. No end of memories from the time I was allowed to be gun bearer to taking my first grouse to enjoying many hunts to ultimately becoming custodian and many more memories. The long shot that took the bird. The gimme shot inexplicably missed. That gun is so much a part of me. That gun is the reason I found PGCA where I met many talented folks only too happy to share knowledge so that I could make various necessary repairs. That gun speaks to me.

I have other interesting pieces but nothing that has been part of my life from a very tender age. Cheers Jack

[Bill Murphy]

Joe G., can you give me the name of the skeet shooter that shot that gun you describe, and the state the competitor shot in? I have NSSA average books back to the beginning of skeet. I would share this information with you.

[Joe Graziano]

Bill, thanks very much. His name was David J. Hasinger, with one “s”. He seemed to always go by DJ. He was from Western PA. His wife was Jane, also a competitive shooter. I also found one AKC reference to them winning at a show with their Irish setter.

[Joe Graziano]

I found these photos of Mrs. Hasinger this morning. She was pictured in the book, “Expert Advice on Gun Dog Training”, first published in 1979. They seem to have been quite a sporting couple. I also found a Phila Inquirer article from 1954, which mentions them winning men and women’s high gun at a trap tournament. It’s neat to finally put a face with the name.

[Joe Graziano]

This is very neat. I just found her photo in another book, “How to Hunt Birds with Gun Dogs”. I was incorrect, they raised red setters, not Irish setters. The photo is a bit blurry. But, could this be my Parker VH 12 ga she is holding?

[Dean Romig]

Does yours have a beavertail?... the one in the picture seems to have one.





.

[Bob Roberts]

Bill and Joe - No telling what’s to be found among our old sporting photos.
Here are Jane and David J. Hashinger with some of their setters modeling in October 1966.
Sorry, a couple have not been cleaned and adjusted. The one unrecognizable spectator was the photo assistant. Sorry, no Parker guns either

[Joe Graziano]

Bob, fantastic photos! How very cool to see them. Dean, yes, mine has a beaver tail. I’ll post
a couple pics.

[charlie cleveland]

great photo s of the past....charlie

[Joe Graziano]

This was the gun when I purchased at auction. Lots of exterior rust. Some of it pretty bad. But mechanically good and very nice bores. There was also his name, deeply engraved on both sides.

[Mills Morrison]

I have a ph that has a lot of exterior rust, but is clean as can be inside

[Joe Graziano]

I would love to add a PH to my small collection at some point.

[Joe Graziano]

I’ve found some really fascinating information on DJ Hasinger that I look forward to sharing, along with information on the VH in a future issue of our excellent Parker Pages. He was quite the adventurer. If anyone has information they would like to share on DJ or Jane, please feel free to contact me.