What a surprise that is. I guess my opinion that it is a Del Grego gun was correct. My friend, Shelly's guns appear out of nowhere. Jim Hall will remember when what seemed like dozens of Shelly's guns were on display for sale at the NRA collectors show many years ago. That was the right time to pick up an underpriced Gitman gun. In all the years I was around Shelly Gitman, he never shot one of his Del Grego guns. He did not hunt, and he only shot proper clay target competition guns when he shot clays. He had gorgeous graded Superposed Brownings and other heavy competition guns, not Parkers.

Why wouldn’t he shoot Parkers? I don’t have any of his guns but I have one of his shirts.

Upgraded and "return to mint" Parkers were his life's project. It had nothing to do with shooting. He shot the guns designed in modern times for the game at hand. He was an International trapshooter. It was a religion for him. He built a fifteen trap International bunker for his use and the use of his friends. He participated in the Macabee games in Europe in the International Trap events. Some of his Jewish friends and shooting companions were also shooting friends of mine. He was personal friends with Larry Del Grego Sr. Larry not only built his guns, but he assisted in the procurement of the guns. One day in Tennessee, at an invitational shoot, at lunch in a horse barn, Shelly shared with Kevin McCormack and me, the story and history of the Invincibles. I was astounded that he finally let it all out. It was just Shelly, Kevin, and me. Shelly mentioned names that I knew, people that lived just a few miles from me, were in gun clubs that I had attended, that had owned the Invincibles. Shelly told us how he had become the owner of the Invincibles. It was a bit of information that has never been revealed to the Parker "importanati".

Not to derail this thread but Shelly also had a DHE 20 in a Trap configuration that was done by Del Grego. 32" VR gun with double triggers. The owner provided me with some not so great cell phone pictures. This one and the subject gun of this thread together would make a nice pair.

Looking at the initials SG on the oval and assuming those stand for Shelly Gitman my question is, did Shelly use a standard style for the engraving or did it vary from gun to gun?

Don't know Mike but the subject gun and this one is very similar. One would think that the guns Del Grego completed for him would have all had the same style.

Shelly
 

The man behind those initials

A photo of the forenend loop,on the bottom of the barrel would be helpful in determining if it was originally built with a beaver tail forend and can be really called a double trap gun. Gittman provenance aside, that beaver tail looks aftermarket.

It has the correct checkering pattern for a DHE trap forend but the loop will tell the truth.
There is a picture on page 1 that shows a section of the underside with about 3+” of the rear rib section and there is no evidence of a reinforced loop… but we need to see that entire section including the loop.





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I have seen additional pictures of this gun that clearly show it does have the correct reinforced loop.

Shelly and a bunch of MD and VA shooters regularly participated in a PRE=USSCA sporting clays shoot in the area of West Virginia west of I-81 and Wardensville. The shooting facility was on a many hundred acre estate, with a clubhouse at the end of a gated several mile long dirt and gravel road. The shoots were held monthly in the ATA off season. One shoot coincided with a wicked snowstorm and its related meltoff. Three of us decided to struggle through the weather and the near impassable road and attend the shoot. The road was as bad as anyone could imagine with muddy ruts and washouts. There were areas where my GMC four wheel drive Blazer struggled. We came to the bluff that overlooked the clubhouse area and were only mildly surprised to see Shelly's new Corvette parked in front of the clubhouse. We knew better than to question Shelly about whether he had any trouble getting in. We knew what the answer would be.

Great story, Bill. Sounds like Shelly was a helluva guy!

[QUOTE=Dean Romig;356586]It has the correct checkering pattern for a DHE trap forend but the loop will tell the truth.
There is a picture on page 1 that shows a section of the underside with about 3+” of the rear rib section and there is no evidence of a reinforced loop… but we need to see that entire section including the loop.


Hope this helps. I also wiped the grease of the barrel.
Thanks for the comments.
-Brett