Chris, you are right. Although the order for #158,664 was December 31, 1914, it was ordered by Dupont, to be sent to A.P. Curtis. No mention was made that it be sent by Curtis to Atlantic City. However, the date of the order was close to the opening of the Steel Pier Shooting School. The date of the article about the Dupont shooters going on the road with try guns was 1917. I think you have that original article. The price of the gun was $60.00, a 25% discount off the normal $80.00 GH price. The order for the VH 20 gauge was 1916. I wish we had order dates and customer information on the Ithacas. The Curtis Lefevers are even more of a mystery.

Drew mentioned the possibility that the gun leaning in the background may have been a Remington. I looks more like a pump gun than another Smith for sure. Is that Sousa holding the gun?

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Bill, Do you have an actual reference to the shooting school opening in 1914???... From what I have found in research, I believe the Dupont shooting school opened in the early part of 1916 with Hank Stevens...

I'll check on the 1917 article you mentioned... I do have an earlier article from March 1915 where Fanning is educating a group of Dupont reps on the function of the Try-Gun, and then sending those men back to their areas of the country with their own Try-Gun for use at various gun clubs and shooting events...

CSL
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Chris, my date reference is not too ironclad. It is a dated reference to the school being in its "third year" or some such. I'll look it up.

Chris, I have additional information on this gun that I found in a repair. I can post it here or in a PM if you desire. I do not see this repair in your research letter.

Mark

Mark, are you referring to the gold inlaid 20 gauge gun or the GH #158,664? Thanks.

I am referring to Chris Davis's DHE 20.

Mark

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That's interesting reading. Now what is the next step in this research? I guess I shouldn't bring that up.

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Mark - I believe this might be the longest delay in responding to a post in the history of the forum. I would love to hear about the repair. Posting the information here is fine. I can't believe I missed this. thanks, Chris

Chris, I passed the records off to Chuck Bishop last year. He may see this post or you can PM him. Mark

I would contact Chuck indicating that you would like an updated letter. There should be no problem. I guess it's my turn to post about my date reference for the opening of the Dupont Shooting School. Hang on just a little longer, Chris.

Mark, Bill, thanks for the response and for pointing me in the right direction. Chris

F. B. Potts No. 717 is stamped on one of my guns also.
 

Hello Chris Davis, I purchased a very unique 22 single shot breakover on December 13th, 2008 from an individual at a gun show in Tyler, Texas. The gun has no manufacturers information on it only the stamping " F. B. Pptts No.717 with three small stars above the F.B. Potts and a serial number 13278 under the trigger guard which I don't believe is original to the gun. I came accross your posting while trying to research more information about this gun. I have found some interesting things about our stampings (1) The United Mine Workers of America Local Number 717 represents the employees of Remington Arms in Ilion, N.Y. and has for many years. (2) The individual I purchased the gun from claims it belonged to his father who had bought it from in Oklahoma many years ago. (3) The Potts family has several members who were involved in shot gunning sports, an article in the New York Times dated Feb. 13,1901 mentioned a Frederick A. Potts competing in a trap shoot at Lakewood Trap Club in Lakewood, New Jersey. My 22 appears to be old and is in excellent condition, it has a beaver tail forearm and a beautiful walnut stock with hand checkering including the butt plate area. The checkering closely resembles some of the checkering patterns I've seen on Parker's. My gun has a Bull barrel 21 7/8" long x 3/4" diameter with eight stars stamped on the muzzle end. I am beginning to believe that perhaps F. B. Potts may have been a gunsmith or owner of our guns at one time. If you or anyone out there can help with more info please contact me here or by e-mail. kyleemckain@embarqmail.com. Thanks!

Kyle, it sounds like our guy. Maybe someone will add some information.

Chris - If you decide that you would like to sell please let me know. Andrew

Realize this is an old thread, but remembered the subject of the million dollar pier-there is a very nice article on the shooting school and an Ithaca I believe that was sent there in the curgent DGJ. The school only allowed 20 gauges to be used.

This is the gun that was auctioned off earlier in the year at Julias. It had a non-original btfe on it. I just happened to habe the original serial number matching forend wood and tip for it. After the sale to the new owner,i had the opportunity to reunite the lost forend with the gun.

Brian it sounds like this would be a great addition to an article if one was done on this gun.
My wife's mothers Madain name was Potts. She was born in Oxford NJ in 1923 probably no relation but interesting just the same.

Here is an interesting DuPont Parker. Looks like it spent some time at the DuPont Wilmington gun club. It appears the VP at DuPont ordered for the President at the time. Like many of These old Parkers, sure wish I new more about the history of this gun.

http://www.jpgbox.com/jpg/50379_1024x765.jpg

I wonder what a "comb bolt" is....






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That means Combination Bolt. It was the post 1910 bolt and wear plate. Put into pre-1910 guns as a service upgrade.

First time I've ever seen that even mentioned in a letter. I have three such guns that went back for various services and all three had the replacable wear plate replaced with nary a word of it having been done. I had always believed it was done to all pre-1910 guns that went back for service simply as a matter of course and that particular free service not even recorded.

Chuck, what's your take on this?






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Chuck will support what i am saying... As , i believe, he is who told me what a comb bolt was when i first saw it in a letter for other guns.


It was a standard service upgrade, maybe it was just noted in some repair entries and others not.

A parker below AA grade with factory gold inlay is indeed x rare and possibly unique. the name of F.B.Potts # 717 and three stars is a mystery, any ideas?. very interesting gun.

I believe Dean determined in previous research that he was a three star General in the US Army.

Three star or not.....it's part of the gun's history but still not-so-great his name is stamped into the receiver.

Glad to see this old thread revived. I guess it remains another Parker unsolved mystery.

This gun is easily one of the more unique Parker's I have seen!

I was mostly reviving it because of the very good article on the shooting school in DGJ.

I may have missed it... Did we ever find out for sure what the crude stamped letters of F.B. Potts, 717, and 3 stars on the frame-bottom truly represented???

Best, CSL
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I'm not the new owner of this gun (sold at Julia's last spring) but I envy the lucky person who bought it. I handled this gun for quite some time at the preview, and have to say, it's getting a bit of bad press here.
As the recent thread on 'soul' is fresh in my mind, I would say this gun had been imbued with a lot of it. The stamping was not offensive, but, on the contrary, very intriguing. Dean didn't pipe up re the history of Potts, and the Military, so perhaps it was someone else who made the connection.
That gun would be made very welcome in my rack.

I also found the gun to be very interesting and unique, just wanted to know if anyone had discovered the significance or identity of the person named on the bottom... The gun oozes early 1900's shooting history, and I'm sure there is a great story surrounding Parker #175916.

My research regarding the relationship between Parker Bros, Dupont Powder, Louis Parker, Jack Fanning, Try-Guns, Hank Stevens and the small-bores used at the Atlantic City shooting school, continues as a work in progress... Always something new to be found...

Best, CSL
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The only thing I was able to learn from a few quick Internet searches about the name stamped there was a reference to a "Capt. F. B. Potts" paying $19.00 in dues to the Society in a document containing hundreds of names of military people, all paying some amount of dues money. The title of the document was "Recorded Procedures of the Society of the Army of Tennessee" and dated 1879. It could be deduced that Capt. F.B. Potts may have been around twenty years old in 1879 and in 1922 or so would have been around sixty-five or so and may well have risen to the rank of Lieutenant General by then. Just a WAG on my part but it is quite plausible.

Further examination in this same document yields the name of Brevit Major General B.F. Potts of Helena, MT. Probably nothing to do with the subject of the name stamped on the gun.




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