Guy walks into a gunshop

[Mark Parela]

Guy walks into a gunshop looking for a pigeon gun, tells the clerk he's a trapper and also enjoys running coon hounds. Keeps talking about shooting live birds, explains clay shooting is like golf stupid and boring. More small talk about running traplines for coon and mink in the midwest. Clerk explains he trapped as a kid,ran hounds, likes parkers and Francottes, hammer guns OK I'll take the 21 done deal in short order. Clerk says since your a coon hunter come on, OH yeah, door opens BINGO there's about 7 pigeon guns sitting there, rare Parkers, Francottes, 4 bore Parker 8 gauge. Special built Parker on 31" barrels, cut back fences, 32 lpi checkering no engraving.... Just some nutty guns.

There's his 8bore
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v321/boxbirder/8gauge.jpg

[Dave Suponski]

Believe me when I tell ya ....The guy's I shoot clay's with are anything but boring and I don't believe anyone of them think's it's stupid.

[Mark Parela]

AD... lets face it all clay shooting is from the foundation of bird shooting. I mean come on you can not compare clay shooting to wing shooting.

[Daryl Corona]

Mark,
Gotta throw my 2 cents in on this one. If you think shooting clays is stupid and boring then then you are shooting with the wrong guys at the wrong clubs. I, along with two of my best friends, shot live birds throughout PA in the 70's and 80's at all the main clubs. Hegins, Vally View, Powderbourne before they were a clays club, Straustown, North Kill, and many more small now defunct clubs as well as Malloy's down south and ones in Illinois. So I consider myself qualified to comment. I now shoot live birds about 6-8 times a year. Back then as now my prefered gun was a sxs choked .020-.025 right, .035-.045 left, double triggers because they go bang every time. Single triggers are just not reliable on the older Parkers. I shoot the boring and stupid game of clays because it allows me to pull the trigger just about whenever I want and hanging out with good friends is a bonus. If you really want a challenging event to shoot why not join me at a Columbaire shoot. I'm doing one this weekend and another at the end of this month. Trust me- box birds are fun but Columbaire is the ultimate live bird event. If you've never done it you should try it. No boring or stupid stuff going on here. If you are interested PM me. I also have a 32" F/F, vent rib trap gun {Parker of course] that you can shoot if you like although it has double triggers.
Regards,
Daryl

[Mike Poindexter]

Come on guys--I don't think the point of the story was to dis clay shooting--only to describe how he was shmoozing a gunstore clerk and it opened up a cave of treasures. I enjoyed the picture of the 8 gauge, and the story. Never hurts to shmooz. Real question is did the clerk know the value of the guns?

[Mark Parela]

Daryl I just love the Mexican style pigeon shoots. My duck camp is outside of rock hall we need to meet, this weekend bad, end of month better. Do you shoot off a platform or ground level with the columbarie . Either way we need to hook up.

Lima yes the owner knew his guns his man cave had some unreal gems.2 Parker pigeon guns along with a very nice Francotte collection. He had Parkers from the mighty 8 right down to 410 and n everything in between top shelf indeed. I walked away with a Monte Carlo stocked 2 barrel model 21 UN-FIRED. The gun I really liked was a Parker 410 I believe BHE to many gems to absorb in an hour

[Daryl Corona]

Mark,
I too hunt out of Rock Hall- Next door to the old Remington Farms. We shoot ground level and this Columbaire is one of the best I've ever shot against.
Daryl

[Mark Parela]

I'll send ya a PM Friday, this Ipad is a killer in bed. I have a wonderful set up down there a stone throw away from where your gunning. Legend has it that the old Rem camp used 40 tons of corn a season back in the day.

At the end of the day I don't think I have been excited about a clay target like when you pull a flock of geese 1/2 mile away, couple of woodies coming down the pike on the sneak, bunch of green heads lighting the decoys. No way can a clay target compare, sure I like to go to my clubs, play smash up derby with my golf cart LOL. I love to do the 3 second delay on a target that no one does and watch people complain.

[Bill Murphy]

Box, I know where you were and I also know the "clerk", and I don't know if this collector would like being called a "clerk". By the way, the "clerk" who agrees that clay shooting is boring shoots thousands of boring clays every year and is pretty good at it.

[Mark Parela]

Bill I don't want to let the Proprietor's name out. What he showed me is his private collection as you know then I have to respect that. Yep he likes to shoot clays but he lit up when speaking about birds, I guess that is why he has that kennel right.

[Bill Murphy]

I just have a feeling that you will somehow "let the proprietor's name out". Just a feeling.