Unknown shooters

[Ken Descovich]

Deans thread about a unknown fella with hunting vest reminded me that I purchased a photo long ago of some shotgun shooters that I did not know who they were, I know some of you guys are very knowledgeable about professional shooters of which I think they are. Please let me know who you think they are. Thanks in advance, Ken

[Mike Franzen]

No clue, but look at the size of the big fellas gun! I assume it’s a Winchester ‘97

[Christopher Lien]

Ken,

Second man from the right is well known Dupont Powders rep Jack Fanning... J.S. Fanning was an accomplished high average shooter in his day who was very instrumental in establishing new Gun Clubs and promoting the Sport of Trapshooting all over the country... One of our members here may have a Parker Try-Gun that Jack actually carried with him as he traveled the U.S. offering his services to professionally measure and fit Shooters to their proper stock dimensions... The more Clubs he helped open, the more Shooters he brought to the game, and the more Dupont Powder they burned. Jack is one of the forgotten Trapshooting Icons of Gundom that should (IMHO) have been inducted into the Trap HOF long ago for his outstanding shooting abilities and tireless contributions to the Sport.

I also have it on good authority that Jack was well acquainted with Louis Parker of the Parker Gun Co. And somewhere in the vast Universe there is a Rare pair of Original Old Photos of Louis Parker and Jack Fanning standing on the front deck of the Dupont Gun Club, where Louis Parker is proudly holding Jack's Parker/Curtis Try-Gun...

I'm sure Dr. Drew can expand on the subject of Jack fanning, if he sees this.

You have a great Old Shooters Photo Ken, thanks for sharing.


Best, Chris
_________________________


.

[Ken Descovich]

Thank you Chris I hope more can be recognized.
Ken

[Drew Hause]

Chris is most certainly correct.
More on Fanning here
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vxq51k6ZAXt9xK5KPnZeVQOlMGkoldNxENR70d2RXcQ/preview

I'll work on the other fellas

[Bill Murphy]

The man that Chris identified is surely Jack Fannon, but I am unsure of the gun he is holding. Thanks so much for the pictures. I do own Jack Fannon's Parker try gun, built by A. P. Curtis, and would like to know more about Jack Fannon and his work with Dupont.

[Ken Descovich]

The gun Jack Fanning is holding is a L C Smith.
Ken

[Drew Hause]

Possibly this one

October 19, 1912 Sporting Life
https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll17/id/25615
Jack Fanning, the famous little professional of the du Pont Company, has been flinching so badly in the past two years that his usually good average has suffered. He is having a new gun built now that will incorporate some of his own ideas and he hopes to overcome the flinching.

It didn't work and he retired from competition

He did know something about gun fitting

Jack Fanning, the A.P. Curtis try gun, gun fitting and shooting style
Recreation, December 1914, “Your Shotgun Affinity”
https://books.google.com/books?id=DYA7AQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA323&lpg
https://books.google.com/books?id=DYA7AQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA347&lpg

Ken: I've been looking but can't ID the other shooters.

[Ken Descovich]

Drew thanks for trying I really appreciate it.
Ken

[Bill Murphy]

The Curtis try gun pictured in Drew's post appears to be a straight grip sideplate gun, probably a Smith. Another of Fannon's Curtis try guns is my pistol grip GH grade Parker. Thanks for the pictures, Drew.