Sometimes a Letter

[Arthur Shaffer]

Sometimes a Letter doesn't have a lot, but it is always good to know. I requested a letter on the Back Action 12 gauge I bought, #1036. Turned out there was only one fact in the records. The gun, which was likely from the late 1860's, was returned for modification in 1901. Someone somewhere, after 5 generations of hammer guns and the advent of the hammerless models, returned it and paid a dollar plus shipping to have the original chambers modified to the modern 12 gauge chamber.

That cleared up one question about the gun. Parker did the work, not an unknown worker.

It also gave me a good feeling to know that someone liked an outdated gun enough after 30 years of service to have the chambers modified to use current ammo so he could continue to use it, and he only trusted Parker to do it.

[todd allen]

That's an awesome bit of history right there! And a dollar?
A buck won't buy enough regular unleaded to fill a Zippo these days.

[Arthur Shaffer]

The other gun I bought at about the same time was an 1879 lifter. It was the equivalent of a Grade 2 gun. The Letter gave his name and delivery city of Hastings MN. Investigation showed that he was born before the Civil war in Wisconsin to parents originating in New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. According to census records as a youngster he had several siblings. When 26 years old and working as a printer in Hastings or the nearby county, he ordered a rather expensive shotgun while living in what had to be some of the best hunting land in the US. By the time of the 1900 census at the age of 47 , he lived in San Francisco with his 77 year old mother who was listed as the head of the household. She owned the house and was listed as a "capitalist". He still worked as a printer. They were the only two living there, even though he was listed as married for 14 years.

Sometimes these brief peeks into a life story make you realize what unique and rich lives with many twists and turns ordinary people live.

[Daniel B Sweet]

My VH 16 Gauge letter states that after sitting in J.D. Weed & Co. of Savannah, Ga for over one year it was returned to Parker Bros for credit. It would have been great to know where it went after that and if it had been modified somehow from it's original configuration.

[Garry L Gordon]

Arthur's original note on his gun's letter also reveals something about lengthening chambers. From articles I've read I know that Parker was pretty persnickety about what they would and would not do when any sort of safety issue came up. What does this suggest about lengthening chambers? We've had some of this discussion before regarding barrels shortened by Parker and a gun's originality. My own belief is that a gun like Arthur's that had its chambers lengthened is original (absent any other modifications that can't be documented).

[Arthur Shaffer]

Just noticed this reply and wanted to pass on that the chambers weren't lengthened, they were modified. The gun had the old chambers for the smaller brass shells. parker opened them up to the standard paper shell size. The length is still 2-1/2".