1896 The Parker Gun

[Randy Davis]

Recently picked up an old Trapshoot Program from 1896 Tournament. This was one of the full page ads...

Trap3

[Bruce Hering]

Dont think one could even say the words gun or shoot in Guttenberg now days without cops piling in.....

[J. Scott Hanes]

AND $2,000 added money!!! Translated into 2021 dollars, that would attract quite a crowd!

[Drew Hause]

Wow Randy - what a find!

May 16, 1896 Sporting Life
https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll17/id/47116
FIRST OPEN COMPETITION for the “E.C.” Inanimate Target Championship Cup was held May 5-8, 1896, at the Guttenberg racetrack, above Weehawken, N. J. Noel E. Money, then secretary of the “E.C.” Company, and Elmer E. Shaner, were the moving spirits in the management of the tournament, Mr. Shaner, of course, running the shoot on lines devised by him and which even at that time had reduced tournament management to a science. The first event on the program for the first day had over one hundred entries, a record entry then, although entry fees were stiff, and professional and amateur shooters were allowed to shoot for the cup. The list of aspirants for championship honors gradually simmered down until only 26 finished their strings of 300 on the last day, and Gilbert, the shooting star, who had risen above the horizon the year previous, when he won the du Pont pigeon trophy at Baltimore, WAS HAILED AS CHAMPION.
The match at that time consisted of 100 targets, unknown angles, from known traps; 100 targets, unknown traps and known angles (commonly called expert rules - At expert rules, one man up in the centre of five traps, pulled unknown, according to an indicator); and 50 pair of doubles.
Gilbert’s score (using a Smith) at that time was 266. Fulford (Greener) and Elliott (Winchester) were next with 261, while Heikes (Winchester) came in third with 258. Capt. A.W. Money used a Smith
GUNS USED
https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll17/id/47117
Smith - 42, Parker - 32, Winchester - 16, Greener - 7, Francotte - 6, Lefever - 5, Daly - 3, Scott - 3, Colt - 4, Cashmore - 2, Forehand, Spencer, Burgess & Baker - 1 each.

The history of the "E.C." Cup starts here about 1/3 down
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I_5GfGqfidbrfhpwzMvsccjDxjCd39M6nERp99wVEBQ/edit

[Drew Hause]

April 4, 1897 Sporting Life Parker ad - "Simplest, Strongest, Safest, Handsomest, and Best"

https://photos.smugmug.com/Trap-Skeet/Parker/i-qzbRs98/0/6e883ed9/L/Sporting%20Life%20April%2024%2C%201897%20Most%20Pe rfect%20Gun%20Made-L.png (https://drewhause.smugmug.com/Trap-Skeet/Parker/i-qzbRs98/A)

[Dave Noreen]

Capt. A.W. Money and most of his family arrived in the U.S. in 1890 and established the American E.C. & Schultze Powder Company with works at Oakland, Bergen County, New Jersey and offices at 318 Broadway in New York City.

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On 7 October 1891, Lieutenant Noel E. Money (Princess Victoria’s Royal Irish Fusiliers), resigned his Commission and subsequently joined his Father’s business in the U.S. He had been stationed in India. This picture supposedly of Noel was in an 1894 sporting paper --

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but sure looks like the old man to me. Noel was representing the company at the meeting forming the Interstate Association.

By the late 1890s, younger son Harold Money, later known as "De Shootin'est Gent'man", was shooting with his Dad.

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Noel went off to again serve Queen & Country in January 1900, in the Boar War.

[Drew Hause]

Capt. Money was 2nd in the 1894 GAH and used his Greener in the 1897, 1898 & 1899 GAHs; a Parker in 1900 & 1901. He purchased a CH Parker SN 87238 in 1897 which he returned for his discount purchase price of $75 in Dec. 1898. He also used a L.C. Smith in 1897 and purchased a Smith A2 in 1901.

He later had two Parker pigeon guns stolen.
Reward offered for Parker stolen July 20, 1901; SN 90,635, 8#, 30” barrels.
“Captain Money, of the “E.C.” and “Schultze” Powder Company, New York, is mourning the loss of his Parker pigeon gun, which was stolen February 15 (1902) at Paterson, N. J. The gun was taken from the case and shells substituted, giving it the required weight, so he did not discover his loss until some hours later. This is the second Parker gun Captain Money has lost in this manner.”

Noel Money was 2nd at the 1st GAH at Live Birds in 1893, and prior to the 1895 GAH ordered a $400 AAH Parker SN 81122; “30” barrels, a slender grip, no safety, 2 3/4" chambers, scroll and flowers, no birds, trigger pulls 3 and 4.”

Harold Money used a Parker at the 1901 GAH at Live Birds and later was a Professional Representative for Winchester, using a Winchester 1897 Repeating Shotgun and competing primarily in the South.

[Garry L Gordon]

:bowdown:to all! This student continues to learn -- thanks.

[Drew Hause]

Interesting Parker ad in the March 27, 1915 Sporting Life

https://photos.smugmug.com/Trap-Skeet/Parker/i-NFRnQnJ/0/2e04f4a3/L/G%2012%20Gilbert%20March%2027%2C%201915-L.png (https://drewhause.smugmug.com/Trap-Skeet/Parker/i-NFRnQnJ/A)

"Mr. Gilbert has used a PARKER GUN over 20 years"

Well not exactly.

Gilbert used his Smith at the 1895 DuPont and 1896 "E.C." Championships, and up to and at the 1899 GAH at Live Birds. Thereafter he switched to a Parker.
Parker Brothers Order Book No. 41 records BH SN 83855 placed into stock in January, 1896 consigned to Fred Gilbert. The stock book lists a D5 hammerless, 0 extras, straight stock, 12 gauge, 30” barrels, Gun count No. 482, Damascus barrels.

[Randy Davis]

Wow Randy - what a find!

May 16, 1896 Sporting Life
https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll17/id/47116
FIRST OPEN COMPETITION for the “E.C.” Inanimate Target Championship Cup was held May 5-8, 1896, at the Guttenberg racetrack, above Weehawken, N. J. Noel E. Money, then secretary of the “E.C.” Company, and Elmer E. Shaner, were the moving spirits in the management of the tournament, Mr. Shaner, of course, running the shoot on lines devised by him and which even at that time had reduced tournament management to a science. The first event on the program for the first day had over one hundred entries, a record entry then, although entry fees were stiff, and professional and amateur shooters were allowed to shoot for the cup. The list of aspirants for championship honors gradually simmered down until only 26 finished their strings of 300 on the last day, and Gilbert, the shooting star, who had risen above the horizon the year previous, when he won the du Pont pigeon trophy at Baltimore, WAS HAILED AS CHAMPION.
The match at that time consisted of 100 targets, unknown angles, from known traps; 100 targets, unknown traps and known angles (commonly called expert rules - At expert rules, one man up in the centre of five traps, pulled unknown, according to an indicator); and 50 pair of doubles.
Gilbert’s score (using a Smith) at that time was 266. Fulford (Greener) and Elliott (Winchester) were next with 261, while Heikes (Winchester) came in third with 258. Capt. A.W. Money used a Smith
GUNS USED
https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll17/id/47117
Smith - 42, Parker - 32, Winchester - 16, Greener - 7, Francotte - 6, Lefever - 5, Daly - 3, Scott - 3, Colt - 4, Cashmore - 2, Forehand, Spencer, Burgess & Baker - 1 each.

The history of the "E.C." Cup starts here about 1/3 down
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I_5GfGqfidbrfhpwzMvsccjDxjCd39M6nERp99wVEBQ/edit


The shooting stars of the Tournament...

Trap3

[Bill Murphy]

Captain Money's CH 12 must have been broken down for parts, because his Titanic Steel barrels, #87,238 are now installed on one of my Damascus guns. I don't know the location of the rest of the gun. I may now be "De Shootin'est Gent'man".

[John Davis]

I have Capt. Money's CH, serial no. 87238. It's still in one piece and it still has it's Titanic steel barrels.

[Garry L Gordon]

I have Capt. Money's CH, serial no. 87238. It's still in one piece and it still has it's Titanic steel barrels.

Hmm...I think I know who the modern day Shootinest Gent'man is!:bowdown:

Keep the information coming guys. This is great stuff. I feel like I'm back in class and prepping for the test.

So, how many shots do you suppose Gilbert fired while using his borrowed L. C. Smith?

[JAMES HALL]

Mr. John Davis is Gent'man in all his endeavors of life.

[Bill Murphy]

The barrels came on a gun, #74,151, that I bought from John Davis Esq. Some time later, I found the original barrels for #74,151 in Virginia and put them back on the gun they were made with. Don't ask me to swear to any of this.

[John Davis]

Bill, I remember the gun. It was a DH that originally had damascus barrels but those had been replaced (non-factory) with a set of Titanic steel barrels. I think you found the original barrels and popped the Titanic barrels on another gun or found the original gun that the Titanic barrels went with? Not sure which but I do remember it was the case of another rabbit you pulled out of the hat.

[Bill Murphy]

John's BH gun has something to do with this. I have all the correspondence, but I promise to never look at it again. John, I miss you and your paper.

[Will Gurton]

Randy,

Did you get the entire lot from the Mason?

Will

[Randy Davis]

Will... No, but did put a bid on it...

RD