Iver Johnson Special Trap

[Stan Hillis]

This forum is dedicated to "Other Fine Doubles", and this gun isn't a double, or fine :rotf:, so if I have overstepped my bounds I will not get my feelings hurt if the thread is removed. Not sure how strict these rules are.

A friend who doesn't get to shoot doves much, and loves to eat them, was the recipient of the limit I took Thursday afternoon. So, thinking ahead to Monday evening, and wanting some grilled dove breasts myself, I took to the field this afternoon all by my lonesome. I knew where about 50-60 doves were feeding and set up my decoys and blind there. Today was a first for me. In 61 seasons I had never shot doves with a single-shot gun before. I took my 32" barrel Iver Johnson Special Trap and some B & P Comp One shells. The Comp Ones are lower pressure one ounce loads that I have had problems using in my other guns, due to misfires from light primer strikes. They will, however, fire with 100% reliability in this external hammer gun. It has a tight choke, and the drop is not so minimal that I can't shoot it well, though it is a trap gun. I've got a feeling it won't be the last time I use it on late season doves.

All I wanted was a few fresh birds to grill Monday evening, and it worked out nicely. They are marinating in the fridge tonight.

https://www.jpgbox.com/jpg/62169_800x600.jpg (https://www.jpgbox.com/page/62169_800x600/)

SRH

[John Davis]

I have one of those as well. The only exposed hammer SBT made and on the rare side, just as the doves should be cooked.

[Stan Hillis]

Amen on the "rare side". I may try something a bit different tonight when I grill these. My bacon never gets cooked enough to enjoy, when I wrap it on the breasts, because the doves will be overcooked if you get the bacon done. I may partially cook the bacon in the microwave before wrapping it on the doves.

[John Davis]

That's a good idea. Let us now how that works out.

[Stan Hillis]

Cooked eight doves on the grill for supper. Marinated them overnight in the fridge in Lawry's Hawaiian Marinade. Cooked bacon slices for two minutes in microwave then wrapped the doves with the bacon.

By the time the doves were ready the bacon was completely cooked, too! Give it a try, John. Works great!

SRH

[todd allen]

That IJ has a very high cool factor!
I would love to try your your dove recipe. And plus one on cooking them rare.
When doves taste like liver, they are overcooked.

[Stan Hillis]

I have two of these I J Special Traps. One has the fuller trap forend without the schnabel tip, and of course the one you see has the typical "sporty" f/e. I'm in the process of restocking the other one. These guns had black walnut that was upgraded from the regular old Champion. Every one I've ever seen with original wood had nice figure in it.

They shoot well, and have a great trigger pull. Typically around .037" choke. Steve Barnett had one for sale last year, but it's gone now. Puglisi had one awhile back, too. Barnett's was listed at about $900, as I recall. To put that in perspective they sold for about $18.00 when new.

SRH

[Dave Noreen]

Very nice.

I'm eating a plate full of Dove breast filets right now. Diced up a large onion and saute'd in olive oil until starting to turn brown. Then added a teaspoon of minced garlic and stirred another minute, add Dove breast filets (Eurasians 90 seconds on each side) then add 3/4 cup sherry and simmer another two minutes. Dump over a bed of long grain and wild rice. Enjoy!

91943

[todd allen]

Dave, that's pretty much how I usually do them. Butter and garlic. Marinade in Bragg Liquid Aminos sauce.
I would like to try Stan`s recipe.

[Stan Hillis]

My dove shooting buds and I have them all sorts of ways. Fried, slow simmered in brown gravy, sautéed with peppers, onions and 'shrooms, and grilled various ways.

I usually marinate them in Italian salad dressing before grilling, but the Lawry's Hawaiian Marinade was really good on them tonight. Also have marinated them in an orange/citrus salad dressing with great results, but can't find it anymore.

SRH

[CraigThompson]

My dove shooting buds and I have them all sorts of ways. Fried, slow simmered in brown gravy, sautéed with peppers, onions and 'shrooms, and grilled various ways.

I usually marinate them in Italian salad dressing before grilling, but the Lawry's Hawaiian Marinade was really good on them tonight. Also have marinated them in an orange/citrus salad dressing with great results, but can't find it anymore.

SRH

I use that Lawry’s Hawaiian stuff on chicken breast with water chestnuts and mushrooms .

[John Davis]

Another Iver Johnson Special Trap

[Dean Romig]

Very nice example John.





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[Stan Hillis]

That certainly is a nice example, John. It also has the "trap" forend that my other one has. It will look much like yours after the full refurbishing it's getting.

JFYI, there are many internal parts still available for them, probably because of the plethora of "Champions" still around. Internals are the same. One thing that usually needs attention on them is the top lever linkage.

Thanks for posting those pics.

[Bill Murphy]

Here's the story of my Special Trap, the one pictured in Frank Conley's book. One of my shooting buddies had a gun store some years ago, in the basement of an office building in Bethesda, Maryland. He sold everything up to and including Class lll and wheeled cannons, as well as being our source of loading components for shotguns. I was in the store one day and he said that he had taken in three guns, coated in shallow red rust. One was a high condition EE Krupp barrel Lefever, cut off at 20". Another was a wonderful Damascus Neumann in good condition. The last one was an Iver Johnson Special Trap. I asked the price for all three. He said "What is thirty nine times three?" I paid him $117.00 for the three guns. I didn't mind losing the Iver Johnson, but I sure would like that Lefever back. I sold it to a friend for $300 and he immediately turned it around for twice that.

[Dean Romig]

One was a high condition EE Krupp barrel Lefever, cut off at 20".
I sure would like that Lefever back. I sold it to a friend for $300 and he immediately turned it around for twice that.

Funny thing about sawed-off high-condition Lefevers... I have a set of Bernard barrels from Lefever No. 3026 or 6026 or 8026... (can't read that first digit) that were cut off at 21.75" and they are in otherwise beautiful condition inside and out.





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[Bill Murphy]

Dean, in today's world, I would be happy to have a 20" EE grade Lefever, to go along with my 18" BH Parker World's Fair gun, and my 3" magnum 20" Model 21 Winchester.

[Dean Romig]

It scares me to know there are people out there who have such disrespect for such works of art as to destroy them in making a home defense or cowboy action gun out of them.






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[todd allen]

I have Mossbergs for that.

[Ken Waite III]

Happened to find the 1929 catalog today.

[Bill Murphy]

Ken, can you show us the Skeeter page? We missed you at Baltimore. Maybe next year.

[Dave Noreen]

Bill, there is no SKEET-ER in Iver Johnson Catalogue A-29. The doubles in A-29 were the HERCULES and the SUPERTRAP. Likewise not in the undated catalogue considered to be 1931-2. From a later SKEET-ER folder it shows Dr. Robert G. Vance won the .410-bore events with a SKEET-ER at the 1933 Great Eastern.

[Dean Romig]

I think the SKEET-ER first came out in 1933.





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[Ken Waite III]

Bill, I really miss seeing everyone at the shows too! Dave is spot on. I think this is an insert from the 1936 catalog.

[Bill Murphy]

Kenneth C. Miller ran the first 100 straight in NSSA .410 competition around 1936, reputedly with a Skeeter. I think his Parker .410 was built later. My Skeeter .410 is a 30" gun with Miller trigger. I would like to know where another 30" .410 is. In yesterday's skeet event at our club, there were 2 .410 Skeeters in attendance. Mr. McCormack shot a nice little 20 gauge Fox. Maybe I'll try my Iver Johnson Super Trap in the Chinese skeet event.