Herschel Chadwicks guns

[Grayson Williams]

Anyone still have any Parker's that they purchased from Hershel. ?

[Dean Romig]

I never bought any guns from Herschel but a lot of members did and I’m sure most still have them.





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[Bill Murphy]

I have one very nice DHE 12 gauge, 207,000 range, that HC misrepresented as a skeet gun and refused to offer the buyer any satisfaction or a refund. I have the full file of letters back and forth, a very entertaining correspondence. He was quite a personality, and sure knew how to buy and sell guns.

[Greg Baehman]

Chadick, not Chadwick

[todd allen]

I had two, but unfortunately sold both. One, a 250.00 grade Lifter was drastically misrepresented, but in the buyers favor.
It was listed as a B Grade with 3 something inches of drop at the heel. Actual dimensions were 2 1/2" drop at heel.
My guess was that the drop was measured with the hammers down, which corresponded with the listed dimensions.

[todd allen]

BTW, both of my dealings with Herschel were positive.

[Scott Janowski]

I was at the Syracuse gun show many years ago hawking the door. A very nice AHFox HE walked in and I was the first to have it in hand. A gentleman was standing next to me and never said a word. I was able to purchase the gun for a very good price all while this gentleman listened.
After the sale was completed he asked if I would like to double my money, it was Hershel.
He could have stepped on my deal but did not, I always thought of him as a gentleman after that.

[Dave Noreen]

Not quite a Parker Bros. --

133388

133389

His ad and our phone conversation never mentioned that it is a "no safety" gun --

133390

[Grayson Williams]

Met Herschel early 1980s at Leo Bradshaw gunship Waco,Texas.Billy Hodge was also there selling some Parkers to him.He had a very talented gunsmith that just worked on Herschel guns.All three have passed away.

[J. Scott Hanes]

What are the chances that you would find any Parker at that show today? I have given up going to any shows around Houston; all they have are handguns, black guns (I have no issue with them - I own three) and jewelry.

[Daryl Corona]

Not quite a Parker Bros. --

133388

133389

His ad and our phone conversation never mentioned that it is a "no safety" gun --

133390

Is that your P.A.C. gun Dave?

[Grayson Williams]

Leo and Billy had many wealthy clients in the 1960s/1970s.Oilmen,Hollywood and Vegas lots of Parkers,Purdy, H@H and a few Boss.Most of the Parkers sold to Herschel were from widows that they had sold to years ago.Herschel had 100s of orphan Bbls and his gunsmith was a master sleever..gw

[Grayson Williams]

Leo and Billy had many wealthy clients in the 1960s/1970s.Oilmen,Hollywood and Vegas lots of Parkers,Purdy, H@H and a few Boss.Most of the Parkers sold to Herschel were from widows that they had sold to years ago.Herschel had 100s of orphan Bbls and his gunsmith was a master sleever..gw

[Keith Sirmans]

Not quite a Parker Bros. --

133388

133389

His ad and our phone conversation never mentioned that it is a "no safety" gun --

133390

Wow! What grade is that fox pin gun? That thing is amazing! I would love to see and hear more about it

[Dave Noreen]

Is that your P.A.C. gun Dave?

Yes, C-Grade, 32-inch. Herchel's ad also stated it was "the highest grade known." We now know of a D-Grade and two E-Grades.

[Grayson Williams]

Best condition high grade like new with original casecolors.Gunlist

[Daryl Corona]

Yes, C-Grade, 32-inch. Herchel's ad also stated it was "the highest grade known." We now know of a D-Grade and two E-Grades.

Don't forget my B-grade.

I still have two smallbores I bought from Herschel in the 70's.

[Grayson Williams]

Leos shop 1985 a high grade Parker in the back rack.Asked permission to walk back and handle the gun BHE OO marked think 28b.50 percent condition one tube could see daylight pinhole.2 years later Gunlist just found in like new condition. Just saying when Parker book info came out years ago some upset buyers.

[Kevin McCormack]

Leos shop 1985 a high grade Parker in the back rack.Asked permission to walk back and handle the gun BHE OO marked think 28b.50 percent condition one tube could see daylight pinhole.2 years later Gunlist just found in like new condition. Just saying when Parker book info came out years ago some upset buyers.

Typical of the 'Herschialized' guns that came out when TPS outed the available records; a veritable Court of Miracles - they blind see and the lame walk!! Trust me, you have NO idea!!!

[Dave Noreen]

Wow! What grade is that fox pin gun? That thing is amazing! I would love to see and hear more about it

See The Double Gun Journal, Volume Thirteen, Issue 4, page 47, for my article on Philadelphia Arms Co. featuring my gun and the P.F. du Pont E-Grade.

[Channing Will]

Blast from the past, I was just looking at Chadicks old website on the internet archive wayback mahine a few days ago. Never had any dealings with Herschel. I'm surprised no one took over the shop, as their name was well established in the fine gun world. They seemed to always have a revolving inventory of Parker guns.

https://web.archive.org/web/20020605161944im_/http://doubleguns.com/employees.jpg

"Chadick's, Ltd. was founded by Herschel Chadick in 1976 after three years active part time trading firearms. Herschel was a local East Texas boy from Pioneer stock. While in college, at Texas A & M at Commerce, he met and married (1956) the former Bette Tinney of Winnsboro, TX and worked part time on his father-in law's chicken ranch. After graduation he was employed by Texas Power and Light in Terrell, Texas. Herschel was a bird hunter - other obligations permitting - and admired fine shotguns. One year he got a little bit ahead on finances and bought a nice Parker. All his hunting cronies greatly admired his gun and a few made offers to buy it. The following April came and there was a tax problem. Bette suggested that he might just sell his Parker. Reluctantly, he did, and at a profit. In July he bought another Parker and the cycle repeated itself. Thereupon, a light went on in Herschel's head. Buying and selling fine firearms was a lot more fun than generating electricity. After a few years as a hobby and three as a part-time business he left the corporate "rat race", against the strong advice of his wife, father-in-law, and T P&L supervisor, to form Chadick's Ltd. He has never looked back. " I've met many fine people in the gun business. It's so much fun, you just can't call it work."

Chadick's, Ltd. specializes in fine double barrel shotguns and rifles. Herschel buys and sells a full range of high quality firearms - double shotguns, double rifles, bolt action rifles, antiques, sporting accessories, and memorabilia. Chadick's, Ltd. is located at 119 E. Moore Ave, which is old Highway 80 in the middle of Terrell in the downtown business district - just east of Dallas. Hours are 9 am to 5 pm by appointment weekdays. Saturdays by very special appointment on occasion. You should definitely visit his shop - an experience akin to visiting the "Mecca of Doubleguns". The photograph below does not do it justice, but it is the best we can do on the Internet."

[Phil Yearout]

I visited the shop once many years ago; anything they sold was way above my pay grade but the experience was pretty overwhelming as I recall.

[Bill Murphy]

Kevin and I were privileged to view some of Herschel's records of A1 Specials that were represented as original but weren't. Too bad, because he had originals as well as those that weren't.

[John Allen]

When I was just starting out in the late 79s, Herschel was one of my best customers. I sold him several 20 gauge VHE guns that appeared later as higher grade guns. There are still a few of them floating around still. I don't know who was doing his upgrading, but the work was very good.

[Terry Hobson]

I remember probably in early ‘90s at the Louisville show handling a 16 H&H Royal at his table. Price was $12,500, I thought that was outrageous ��.

[Russ Jackson]

I only had one dealing with Herschel ,I always liked the LC Smith guns and in our neck of the woods when I was younger you very seldom ran into any one carrying a Parker Shotgun but there seemed a good supply of Smiths ! I had about a dozen or so and I had been admiring a OO Framed Straight grip 28 Gauge VHE that had a set of Briley 410 tubes with it that Steve Barnett had for sale , Steve wasn't much interested in trading any of the Smiths so just for curiousity sake I called Chadick's and happened to get Herschel on the phone. I ask him if he would be interested in purchasing all the Smith guns and we went over what I had and he said sure ,he would send me boxes and shipping labels and I should pack them up ,send them to Texas and he would give me a price for the lot of them , we had discussed a Ball Park Figure and shortly after he recieved the guns ,I got a call and the offer exceeded the Ball Park by a couple of Grand ! I recieved the check a few days later cashed it added a little to the Chadick money and contacted Steve about the 28 Gauge , I told him I would like to purchase the gun and would like a three day inspection ,Steve said I'll do better than that ,I'll ship you the gun and you hunt with it a couple of weeks and if you like it ,send me a check and if you don't just send it back !!! I couldn't believe that, I had never done business with him but he knew he had a fish on the line and he also knew he had me once I had it in my hand !!! Two Great Guys to do business with !!!!

[Phil Yearout]

Great story!

[Kenny Graft]

You have to be a real beagle to sniff out any of the old collectible guns. They end up online for all the money and sum! Some of the specialty shows like Ohio Gun Collectors is still a good place to look, you must be a member or one time guest to get in.

[Dave Noreen]

Don't forget my B-grade.


To date I've recorded 102 Philadelphia Arms Co. guns from serial number 16 to 1846, with seven being B-Grades, six C-Grades, one D-Grade and two E-Grades both for directors of the company - P.F. du Pont & C. William Haywood. The rest A-Grades. Then just to confuse things a single gun in B-Grade livery has surfaced with ejectors and serial number in the 26xx range.

[Garry L Gordon]

To date I've recorded 102 Philadelphia Arms Co. guns from serial number 16 to 1846, with seven being B-Grades, six C-Grades, one D-Grade and two E-Grades both for directors of the company - P.F. du Pont & C. William Haywood. The rest A-Grades. Then just to confuse things a single gun in B-Grade livery has surfaced with ejectors and serial number in the 26xx range.

Dave, keep collecting that data, but consider putting it in a book. You amaze me. Thanks for your dedication.

[Dean Romig]

Dave, keep collecting that data, but consider putting it in a book. You amaze me. Thanks for your dedication.


Absolutely!!





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[Chad Hefflinger]

I had a nice GHE skeet gun from Hershal, sold it on here a few years ago

[Jim Thynne]

Hershel was the first of the real Parker dealers. We became friends many years ago, I believe in 1968 or close He and Betty would come to the Las Vegas show and we would talk way too much.Herschel had more A1 Specials over the years than anyone "possibly Jimmy Austin had" Boy was that along time ago. I remember a A 1 special for $3,750.00 and no one I knew had that kind of money for a gun! He was always in Guns America when it was the shotgun paper!

[Dean Romig]

I remember Jim Austin at Kittery Point in Maine. I met him just once just before the pot boiled over.





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[Dave Noreen]

W.O. Rowley was dealing Parkers in Dallas well before Herchel. Sold the A1-Special 28-gauge two-barrel set to Clem Buckman in California for $3000.

Jimmy Austin's wormy cherry paneled barn at Kittery Point was a favorite shop of mine for looks, and for some time David Trevillion had his workshop there. I bought my No. 2 NID 28-gauge from Jim. A year or two later I was at the Syracuse show and he had a big display there. Invited me to sit with him and share a libation and his big ice chest full of ice and shrimp. Treated me like his long-lost friend from the old country! Always wondered if he had me confused with someone with money!

[Bill Murphy]

I was only at Jim's shop one time, but he wasn't there. I shot geese with him and Terry Smith on the Eastern Shore. I remember us taking a Mag Ten Ithaca apart in front of our blind when it malfunctioned. As we were outside the blind with a disassembled gun, a flight of geese started to pitch into the decoys. We ran for our guns and, as I recall, one of us took a desperation shot and killed one goose. Jim kept us entertained with a variety of stories about just about everything.