Anything From Georgetown?

[Ed Blake]

How is the weather in Georgetown? You guys travel home safely.

[George M. Purtill]

weather is cloudy but good now.
Most of us are heading out. i'm hopping on a plane hoping not to get trapped at BWI. Dean and Larry are driving north but west and Edgar left yestaerday along with a lot of others.

[Bill Murphy]

Rick Hemingway is the man. Nothing seems to slow him down. What a great host. Linda and I will leave this morning. Best wishes to the Suponskis, who are home by now, but facing evacuation in Bridgeport. My mistake. Dave does not live in Bridgeport, as I had thought.

[Bill Murphy]

I don't mean to ignore the hospitality of Bill Kempfler, who gave away free display booths to the exhibitors when it was evident that there would be a few no shows. The display tent was enormous and dry. The grounds were fit for low shoes regardless of the wet conditions.

[neill mcinnis]

Rick Hemingway did a great job. I will certainly return next year. Enjoyed shooting the five stand with fellow parker owners and cant wait till the next event.

[Kevin McCormack]

I don't mean to ignore the hospitality of Bill Kempfler, who gave away free display booths to the exhibitors when it was evident that there would be a few no shows. The display tent was enormous and dry. The grounds were fit for low shoes regardless of the wet conditions.

What do you mean "gave away free display booths to the exhibitors, etc."??? I paid a lot of money for my booth; is Bill refunding?? We need to clarify this RIGHT NOW!!!

[Robert Rambler]

We left Georgetown at 8:15 this morning,arrived home (Lancaster area of PA) about 7:30. Light spotty rain and gusty winds along most of route 95.
Had a great time at Back Woods,enjoyed shooting with some of our New England friends, already looking forward to next year!
The Parker banquet was superb, great food,good friends,awsome Parkers to examine. Saw lots of pictures being taken,suspect many will be posted here soon.

[charlie cleveland]

glad you fellows had a good time at the shoot and that the meal and fellowship was so good...seems like a good time was had by all... now waiting on some of those pictures... how many 8 ga s werepresent.... charlie

[Bill Murphy]

Kevin, as usual, is right. Bill Kempfler "Let paid exhibitors spread out beyond their original assigned areas to fill in unoccupied space."

[Bill Murphy]

Charlie, Jerry Smith had a rare Grade 3 #5 frame lightweight eight for sale. I believe it is a lifter. It was not cheap. Maybe someone else knows the price. Sorry I did not examine it, because I had seen it before. The eight gauge Parker that was donated for the "silent auction" at the PGCA banquet was in the mid $300 range when I last saw it. I don't know what the final price was. Those were the only eights I was aware of.

[John Liles]

Just a quick update, as the tide is rising and winds a howlin.
Friday was wonderful. Between the Prelim, a couple of sub-gauge rounds, the Challenge Qualifier, and the Trap Shoot, our group sent about three hundred rounds each down range. Saturday was pretty wet at times, but not a wash-out by any means, and Lizard and I bagged Sunday entirely due to storm related concerns back in VA Beach.
Team Parker won the Challenge with a score of 101 to Team LC Smiths 90.
Super target setting, and the word "Challenge" was not used lightly!
I've not been able to find the official results posted yet, but I believe that Team LC won the Trap Shoot. Great shooting by all, and Ricks venue and staff were, as usual, awesome.
As soon as the dust settles, I'll send some great pictures to Mr. Suponski....but for now I've got bilges to pump.
John

[Larry Frey]

I'm not really sure why I'm posting and not sleeping after driving all night (arrived home at 2:00am)to get home before the storm. Deb and I had a great time and enjoyed seeing and shooting with so many of our friends from all over the country. It was especially nice to see and visit with our old friend Harry Collins who has not been able to make these events the last few years.

With out a doubt Backwoods Quail Club has to be one of the finest shooting venues in the entire country. The grounds are immaculate and they have more equipment there than you could possibly imagine. The targets were great and the staff couldn't have been more accommodating. We had showers for part of the day on Saturday but the rest of the time it was just a little windy which added a little challenge to the already challenging targets.

The Annual Meeting went great and the display of A grade Parkers was nothing short of amazing. Our member/friend Mike Smith from NC took a bunch of professional quality photo's of all the guns and I'm sure some will end up posted here and also in the next couple of issues of Parker Pages.

One last note, Dean Romig as usual did a great job introducing this years recipients of the Distinguish Service Awards to Mr. Mark Conrad and Mr. Art Wheaton. I will let Dean speak more about that when he gets home later today.

[Dave Suponski]

Danny,Edgar Spencer and myself arrived home yesterday about 2 pm. It was a disappointment to have to leave early but with the approaching storm it seemed the prudent thing to do.

I have wanted to shoot Backwoods for a long while and we were not disappointed. As Larry said the venue is wonderful and the targets were great fun. This is certainly a first class venue all the way. There were ample vendors displaying their wares. The annual meeting went off without a hitch and the display of A grade guns was nothing short of amazing.

Also it was great to meet Mr. Collins and other members that attended for the first time. As soon as I recieve some pictures I will post them up. I was very lax in picture taking as our camera never left my bag....:banghead: so we will have to wait for others to help us out here.

I would like to thank Dave Dwyer and Tom Carter for all the work they did setting this whole event up. They did a tremendous amount of work for the PGCA and it showed. Thanks guy's....:bowdown:

Also I would like to thank Bill Mullins and Josh Lowenstiener for being great MC's at the annual meeting. And a very special "Thank You" to all those fine members that brought or had someone bring those wonderful A grade guns for all to enjoy!

And last but certainly not least Deb Frey,Kathy Romig and Marge Bishop who did a fantastic job with the silent auction and set-up. These gal's are great!

[Mills Morrison]

Julia and I had a great time all weekend and are sorry it is over. Three cheers to all who pitched in and made the weekend the success it was. It was good to meet a lot of you and I hope to meet the rest of you at future events.:cheers:

[Mike.Smith]

I'm glad you guys all made it home safely, and I'm sure you'll keep us updated on how you weather the storm. I wish you could have stayed and shot the course yesterday. The target presentations were unique and challenging every day, but the Sunday portion of the main event was my favorite. Lots of true pair stations, Battues, Rabbits, and even Trampolines! Throwing clays into the face of a large trampoline, which then sprung the target out and up in a variety of directions was a new one for me. As others have said, the venue was First Class, the Banquet and Silent Auction were great, and best of all, I came home with a new Parker!

Mike

[Dave Suponski]

Come on Mike we need pictures! And tell us about this new Parker that followed you home.

[George M. Purtill]

yeah lets see em.
And how come a new parker didn't follow me home? Oh yeah, my wife came down.

[edgarspencer]

yeah lets see em.
And how come a new parker didn't follow me home? Oh yeah, my wife came down.

What are you complaining about? She bought you that nice cigar cutter.
A new Parker tried to follow me home, but we traded it for 15 gallons of gas, two coffees and a bag of beef jerky. Sorry George.

[Mike.Smith]

I got home yesterday evening, and got as far as downloading the pictures to my computer, but I haven't even had a chance to go through them yet. I'll try to work through them tonight and get some posted.

As for the Parker, I bought Harry's 1902 10ga DH Hammerless with 32" Damascus tubes. It has great patterning on the barrels, perfect shiny bores, Pistol Grip Stock, Original Skeleton Butt, and good modern shooting dimensions. And, it came with a 32" Leg O Mutton Case to boot. I've always wanted a 10 bore. Once I get through the pics from this weekend, I'll try to take some of this gun and post them as well.

Mike

[Mills Morrison]

Good for you. That is a fine gun and I was just sitting here wishing I had bought it.

[Larry Frey]

That's great Mike. All Harry's guns were good guns and fairly priced including the 28 gage.

[George M. Purtill]

What are you complaining about? She bought you that nice cigar cutter.
A new Parker tried to follow me home, but we traded it for 15 gallons of gas, two coffees and a bag of beef jerky. Sorry George.

Damn I'm gonna miss that 10 ga O grade hammer. But I will have cleanly cut cigars. What am I gonna do with that case of 10 gauge RSTs she bought me? maybe that 10 ga EH on that other thread?

[Daryl Corona]

Glad you guys had a great time as I sure missed being there but had a wonderful trip to So. Dakota. Looks like Mr. Smith took the Parker bait at the Southern in April then you guys set the hook last weekend. Just trying to weather the storm here on the Chesapeake and would have had to have left early as others did. Any chance of having this shoot in Sept. next year instead of Oct.? Hope everyone on the east coast is safe. Keep your powder dry.

[Harry Collins]

All but one of the Parkers were sold this weekend. Thank you all. I only wish that I cauld have shot the course with my friends, but was blessed with their company in the vendors tent and at the Banquet. I also met a Doctor from Naples that had shot with my father for years. I was introduced to a lovely young lady from my hometown. She mentioned her fathers name and doubted I would know him. He and I are the President and Vice President respectivly of an old Mineral company. New Parker friends were made as well. I do miss not seeing you all more often. I only had a ten hour drive. It did rain all the way through the North Carolina and Tennessee mountains, but I forged ahead and arrived home this morning. I pray all arrived home safely.

Harry

[Mills Morrison]

It was great to see you and I hope we run into each other at future PGCA events. That is great you were able to sell so many guns. That DH 10 was eating on me this morning and then I saw that another member bought it.

[charlie cleveland]

thanks bill for the 8 ga update...maybe someday i will get to attend one of these shoots... wonder who got the old 8 ga on the silent auction... charlie

[George M. Purtill]

thanks bill for the 8 ga update...maybe someday i will get to attend one of these shoots... wonder who got the old 8 ga on the silent auction... charlie

My new friend Mills Morrison got it I believe.

[Mills Morrison]

Yes I did. I have wanted an 8 gauge for a while. We will see whether it is feasible to restore or not. If so, the turkeys had better watch out. If not, it can sit above my bar and tell stories in the silent way such guns do.

A research letter was included and the original owner was E. T. Allen from San Francisco. I googled him and he made hunting knives and apparently ran an early sporting goods store in San Francisco.

[neill mcinnis]

Harry,
It was good meeting you this past weekend. I have left you a private message. Talk soon.

[Dean Romig]

Kathy and I left the hotel in Waynesboro, VA this morning at 6:30 and arrived home this evening at about 6:20 aftef a couple of 'pit-stops' on the way.

I would like to echo just about every good thing that has been said on the thread so far with the exception of the fact that Danny Suponski's name seems to have slipped through the cracks as an invaluable contributor to setting up for the banquet and the silent auction tables and identifying and tagging the items. Deb and Kathy rely on Danny so much that he has become part of the Silent Auction "team".

Regarding the 8 ga. silent auction gun... That gun is an amazing piece of 'folk art' the likes of which are rarely seen in their original used, abused, rapaired, altered (form follows function) condition. Some people might think that gun is just a piece of ______ (fill in the blank), but I find real beauty in it's American 'utility' uniqueness. I wouldn't change it at all but just oil it all over and hang it proudly for all to enjoy.

It was a pleasure to be with all of you and to shoot with some of you too. I wish I had shot on Sunday so that I could have shot some of those trampoline targets!

I can't ever remember anyone spending so much time agonizing over the purchase of a gun that Mike did over Harry's 10 ga. I mean he measured every single aspect of that gun then rechecked his measurements. Good for you Mike! That's the way more buyers should go into a gun purchase and I'm sure Harry respected you for the trouble you took in doing it. That will be a fun Parker to shoot!

[charlie cleveland]

congratulations on being the new caretaker of that old 8 ga....shes a beauty for sure mills.....she will no doubt be thetalk of the town for a while... i envey all you fellows on the good times and fellowship...hope all got home safe and sound..... charlie

[Dean Romig]

That old 8 Gauge sure has some secrets... Take a look at the identical clamp marke on either side of the stock. That gun was clamped into position on something back in the day... It may even have been the bow-gun on an early "Prarie Schooner".

[Thomas L. Benson Sr.]

Mills: any chance that you could post a photo of your new to you 8 Ga. Thomas

[Mills Morrison]

Dean, It has lots of secrets and lots of very interesting features to it. I am going to do some research on it to learn more about it.

Thomas, I will get some pictures up soon.

[Dean Romig]

This should get you to three pictures of the 8 gauge Silent Auction gun.

http://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=8010&highlight=silent+auction

[Mills Morrison]

By popular request . . . a whole bunch of pictures of the 8 gauge. I also included a photo with my new 1 frame 12 gauge for comparison (I did get some that work too).

According to the Research Letter included, it was purchased by E. T. Allen of San Francisco. According to Google, he made hunting knives and ran an early sporting goods store in San Francisco. Whether this was his personal gun or whether it was bought for inventory, we don't know, but all of the repairs/alterations must have been done by someone with his metal working abilities. Very interesting piece of gun history regardless.

[Mills Morrison]

For those of you who are concerned . . . I did get some that work. Here is an L C Smith Grade 2 12 gauge with chain Damascus and a 12 gauge toplever Parker on the 1 Frame - a light bird gun. Sorry I am no Bill Headrick

[George M. Purtill]

Mills
I want the decoy on the right!!

[Mills Morrison]

Those came from my father in law and I know nothing about them except I like them.

[George M. Purtill]

It looks like a Wildfowler from Old Saybrook. When you come to Connecticut i'll show you some.

[Mills Morrison]

I would love to see them. My wife and I are minor decoy collectors.

[George M. Purtill]

I would love to see them. My wife and I are minor decoy collectors.

Ohhhh Up here in CT we only collect adult decoys.:rotf:
Can you tell the storm has had its effect on my brain?
Seriously when you come north for the Vintage Cup next year we will arrange a detour.

[Mills Morrison]

Well it is getting cold down here and looking forward to using my plastic decoys soon.

[George Lander]

The most amazing decoy collection that I have ever seen was at Havre de Grace just off I-95 in Maryland on the Delaware border.

Best Regards, George

[Daryl Corona]

Havre de Grace has a wonderful decoy festival in May but if you really want to get overloaded on decoys and everything associated with them you must come to the Easton Waterfowl Festival in Nov. on Maryland's Eastern shore. It's right down the road from Pintail Point where the Vintager's was held for a few years and is a really cool town with a great local gunshop and some darn nice duck and goose hunting.

[Mills Morrison]

We have all the minors we need in the form of our two sons. :rotf:



Ohhhh Up here in CT we only collect adult decoys.:rotf:
Can you tell the storm has had its effect on my brain?
Seriously when you come north for the Vintage Cup next year we will arrange a detour.