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- - Live Bird Gun? (https://parkerguns.org/forums/showthread.php?t=17653)

And, obviously the morgan pad would be a more modern addition.

Not certain where this gun came from. But here is some info I found on a William PJ Blair who was born in 1847 and died in 1910 in Kentucky I believe.

21. WILLIAM P.J.3 BLAIR (NOBLE2, GEORGE1) was born April 26, 1843, and died July 16, 1910. He married LYDIA A. RICE.

Notes for WILLIAM P.J. BLAIR:

Private in Company K, Regiment 1 Ky. Enlisted October 30, 1862, discharged April 23, 1864. Died in hospital in Louisa.

Children of WILLIAM BLAIR and LYDIA RICE are:

i. CYNTHIA A.4 BLAIR, b. September 18, 1870; d. August 22, 1946, Johnson County, Ky; m. JESSE ARMS, November 26, 1888.

ii. SARAH C. BLAIR, b. October 13, 1875; d. April 09, 1961; m. GEORGE W. RICE.

iii. DORA A. BLAIR, b. Abt. 1878; m. LEONIDAS WEDDINGTON.

iv. CLAUDE BLAIR.

v. CURTIS BLAIR.

vi. CLATE BLAIR.

vii. VIRGIE BLAIR.

Its a shot in the dark, but if it matches with info in the letter, you might have a gun that belonged to a civil war vet. Could be no connection, but there aren't a lot of PJ Blairs out there from the 1900 era.

Quote:

The public shooting of live birds was pretty much a thing of the past by 1900.

The 1901 Grand American Handicap at Live Birds was shot at Interstate Park on Long Island, 1-6 April. After New York "passed that silly law" it was moved to Kansas City for 1902, and had the largest attendance ever with over 400 participants. The International Flyer Championship was shot at Kansas City every year from 1917 to 1941.

True Dave, but the "protectionists" were gaining a tighter and tighter stranglehold on the activity around the turn of the century... not siding with them by any means, just reciting general social mores of the time.

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It is my understanding a live gird gun would also have a Beaver tail or trap fore end?
David

Not so David. Live bird shooting competitions had been going on for decades before Parker introduced the "Trap forend".
On the other hand, a true Parker "Double Trap Gun" should almost always have a BTFE.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Mark Estrop (Post 181090)

I recently came into possession of a Parker VHE 12ga. I've ascertained the following information - 30” 4.5 bbl, trap stock, 2 frame, (1900 date) F&F. The Shield on the stock has the original owner's name. It has a straight English stock, with Vulcan barrels, no safety. The bores of the barrels are mint - nary a scratch or pitting.
I've been told it is a live bird gun. I'm sure it was used for trap because somebody added an adjustable Morgan pad to the stock. Other than that, everything else looks original. Stew Wright at Wright's Model 12 Shop looked it over and declared it a "grand old gun".
What officially designates it as a live bird gun? And how rare are these? I'm a novice with Parkers, so any help or info would be appreciated.

Great gun. You will have fun researching the original owner. And that gun is a VH; it has an extractor, no ejectors. Better still IMO.

An early Parker live bird gun usually has one or more of several features. Very few have all the features. Basically, it would be a tight bored 12 gauge with 30 to 34 inch barrels. Features generally unique to the live bird gun include no safety, no extension rib (non ejector gun only), and flat rib. It is quite unusual to see all these features in one gun. However, such guns are out there. Guns without extension ribs are quite scarce, as are flat rib guns.

The butt plate had a bird rather than a dog on live bird guns.

Rare 1902 Grand Ameircan celluliod attendance badge... Last sanctioned live bird shoot. But did continue yearly at Kansas City, was known as the Interstate
Shoot at Elliotts Shooting Park...