A Fred Gilbert SBT

[Mills Morrison]

Starting a new post with some photos of my recent SBT acquisition

[Jim DiSpagno]

Very nice Mills. Keep up the good work.

[J. Scott Hanes]

That SBT is a treasure no matter what. Having any Fred Gilbert Parker is a treat. Have any of his double trap guns been acquired by PGCA members?

Scott Hanes

[Mills Morrison]

I bought it because I wanted at least one SBT. The fact that it belonged to Fred Gilbert is just a bonus (a big one).

[charlie cleveland]

is your son left handed...charlie

[Mills Morrison]

He and I are both left handed

[Dean Romig]

Do you shoot bare footed too Mills??





.

[Mills Morrison]

If Julia would let me I would

[Jeff Christie]

I wouldn’t advise barefooted shooting in Savanna. They have sand burrs as I remember from the 50’s and 60’s.

[Mills Morrison]

Little boys learn best the hard way

[John Davis]

How did the gun shoot?

[Mills Morrison]

The gun shot fine. Me, not so much. Julia did best of all of us

[charlie cleveland]

good for Julia...guess we know who this gun will be shot by....charlie

[Drew Hause]

Lots of information on Fred here
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k2_50HPC18lm2BZmH5SlgYSptcngORnmLTZ5iiW-cpc/preview

Fred Gilbert’s Parkers
“The Phantom of Spirit Lake” started with a Smith. After winning the First Grand DuPont Live Bird Championship, he was appointed representative of the DuPont Company, with the entire United States as his territory. He briefly traveled for Lefever, shooting one of the company’s doubles, before switching back to a L.C. Smith. Orders for Live Bird guns poured into Hunter Arms with the “Fred Gilbert Specifications”: drop at comb of 1 3/8 inches; at the heel, 2 inches; length from trigger to heel, 14 1/4 inches; trigger to toe 14 1/2 inches; and trigger to center of butt 14 inches; with a full pistol grip and 30-inch full choke barrels.

After the 1899 GAH he switched to a Parker
https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll17/id/43586

Order Book No. 41 records BH SN 83855 placed into stock in Jan., 1896 consigned to Fred Gilbert. The stock book lists a D5 hammerless, 0 extras, Straight Stock, 12 gauge, 30" barrels, Damascus barrels.

November 23, 1901, The Sportsmen’s Review, in an article written by “Gaucho” (Captain A.W. duBray, Parker Brothers shooting professional & traveling salesman from 1884 to 1926) entitled, “A Few Remarks on Some Celebrated Guns,” du Bray lists some prominent shooters and Gilbert was reported to be using a Parker with 30” barrels; 1 3/8” DAC; 2” DAH; 14 1/4” LOP with a Pistol Grip (which appears to be his Smith; his BH had a straight stock).

Toward the end of 1901, Gilbert received his new Parker DH SN 103649; no dolls head, no ejectors, 32” barrels, ordered by Russell Klein, Gilbert’s brother-in-law
https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll17/id/41367

Gilbert, Klein and John Burmister operated the Okoboji trap club in Spirit Lake. Both Klein and Burmister were accomplished shooters and Klein used a Smith at the 1899 GAH
https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll17/id/43586
then a Parker
https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll17/id/43599
https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll17/id/40027
https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll17/id/40273

In 1917, Fred took delivery of a Parker SBT SN 180116

Gilbert continued to compete thereafter, but at a gradually slower pace, troubled by high blood pressure and arthritis. Remarkably, in 1919 at age 54 he made a straight run of 589 and had the highest average of his career - 97.53 percent on 6,860 targets.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1373/6511424/19974446/385571236.jpg

He was 2nd in a shoot-off after 199 in the 1921 Professional 18 yd. Singles GAH
https://books.google.com/books?id=Ob0JAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA476&lpg

[Mills Morrison]

Have Gilbert's SBT's from other manufacturers surfaced?

[Drew Hause]

From 1899 on he was a Parker guy Mills.

October 1919 Forest & Stream
The straight stock gun does not have the finger groove FE
https://books.google.com/books?id=F99JAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA568&lpg

Outers' Recreation, November, 1919
Finger grooves back
https://books.google.com/books?id=l3s7AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA383&lpg

[Dave Suponski]

I used to own 180115 Close but no cigar!

[John Davis]

I believe Gilbert was referred to as "The Wizard of Spirit Lake."

[Jeff Kuss]

These pictures are from the ATA museum at Sparta.

[Randy Davis]

Jeff...

Short story about Gilbert and his trophies. At the Grand in 2002 or 2003. I was having a conversation with Dick Baldwin about Gilbert and he asks If I had seen the medals and trophies in the museum. Remarkable collection... He tells me the story that he had located them in Overland Park, Kansas stored away at the home of Gilbert`s grandson. I couldn`t believe it... all of Gilbert`s trophies 20 minutes from where I live...

RD

[Drew Hause]

John is correct. After the Du Pont World's Pigeon Champion in 1895 one enthusiastic sportswriter proclaimed Fred Gilbert the “The Wizard of Spirit Lake” and it stuck.
He was still referred to as such in the Sporting Life December 19, 1914 announcement "The Du Pont Company Plans to Pay Tribute to Fred Gilbert"
Fully 500 clubs are expected to hold “Fred Gilbert Anniversary Shoots” and figuring on the most conservative basis of an average of 15 shooters at each club, it will mean that 7500 shooters THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY will assist in doing honor to a man long known and loved by thousands as “The Wizard Of Spirit Lake”.

BTW Dr. W.F. Carver was “The Evil Spirit of the Plains”

[Randy Davis]

Here are a couple examples of DuPont`s tribute. Shotshell crate insert and Gilbert Trophy...

Trap3

[J. Scott Hanes]

Dick Baldwin was still working for Remington when I started. We became good friends through our mutual love for the history of the company and trapshooting. He had a bulldog mentality when it came to finding historical memorabilia. He would search high and low and come up with creative avenues to get the 'mother lode'. He was the perfect person to head up the ATA Hall of Fame Museum and added countless treasures to the museum during his tenure. He had a fascinating memory of the past legends in Trapshooting and had met many of them as a youth.

Scott Hanes

[John Davis]

I became acquainted with Dick during my days of researching Fred Kimble. He was a Kimble fan and I provided him with pictures of my Kimble paintings and Kimble score card and he used them on the Trapshooter's Hall of Fame web site. I believe I recall Dick's wife buying one of my Kimble books as a Christmas gift for him. He was a wonderful gentleman and I really enjoyed our brief friendship. But it was cut short with Dick's untimely death. His book, "The Road to Yesterday," is a must read for anyone interested in the history of trap shooting.

[Bill Murphy]

Dick gave me a large collection of Parker Brothers and Remington literature, only because he knew I was a researcher who was very interested in it. The things he gave me are a valuable treasure trove that he accumulated over years with "The Company". He was very interested in getting it into the hands of someone who would appreciate it and share it with others who would also appreciate it. I obtained more items from his daughter in the years that followed his death. He was a great guy and a great shooter. I was lucky to have known him.

[John Davis]

Looks like two Parker SBT's in the circa 1912 gun cabinet? Or is that another maker? Or is the picture from a later year?

[Steve Cambria]

Congrats Mills on a beautiful and historic SBT! Were you aware of the Gilbert attribution prior to the purchase, or was this added bonus bestowed by "The Wizard of Harrisburg" via a factory letter?

[Chuck Bishop]

Congrats Mills on a beautiful and historic SBT! Were you aware of the Gilbert attribution prior to the purchase, or was this added bonus bestowed by "The Wizard of Harrisburg" via a factory letter?

I like that title:rolleyes::cool:

[Mills Morrison]

I was pleasantly surprised by The Wizard of Harrisburg

[Larry Stauch]

Congratulations Mills on your new gun. You inspired some great stories and accounts of our national shooting history. Wonderful reading.