My DHE Trap is provenanced to a B.C. Melman of Cozad NE. Evidently a trap shooter of no known provenance.

Mark, I find some of the frustration and mystique is what we don't/can't know vs what we do know. I remember you telling me my VH with the annotation "Trap Configuration" was unusual. I don't know what was meant by Trap Configuration but believe it has to be related to the abnormally large comb (pic of it next another 1 1/2 frame 30" VH attached). It's stock dimensions, 30" barrels, tight chokes and double ivory beads make well suited for trap shooting but the stock seems unusual to me. I have no provenance to a trap shooter but I have a letter with information that suggests this gun was to be used on the trap field.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/j...r/100_0553.jpg

Richard, Ed Mellman of Cozad certainly has trap provenance. Don't worry about the spelling of his name. Parker Brothers and ATA could both have spelled his name wrong. In one year he shot, he had a 92.42 average, a pretty hefty average for his time. What year was the DHE built? I wonder if he'll let us hunt on his property?

Bill,I know I asked you this before but you never replied. Do your records have anything on HH Ganson?

Here's a couple of "Trap" guns. Top is DHE #236734; non auto safety, VR, SST, BTFE, 30" BBls; DAC is 1/16" more than DAH. Below is VHE #190872; no safety, SST, 32" bbls; fat comb. Both are 20ga. Was there a sub guage class in Trap?

Probably better business sense would have been to promote the purchase of a second gun replete with all the features most desirable to the 'champion' trap shooters of the time. But, business 'ethics' were held in higher regard then than now, so Dave, you are probably correct that they could make your Parker 'better' thereby building faith and loyalty within an already strong customer base.

There is no question in my mind that John Dunkles's Great Grandfather's trap gun is the Parker trap gun by which all other 'Parker Traps', 'Parker Double Traps', Parker 'trap configured' guns be measured. And I mean that more than any other statement I've ever made about Parker guns.

Gentlemen,This is a great discussion.We know that prior to the introduction of the single trigger(first offered in the 1922 catalog)the vent rib on double guns(1923)the trap forend(catalog offering1926)Parker produced many guns that were used at the traps.

In the hammergun era there were non of these options available so I would think that a gun with provenance to a trap shooter play's an even bigger part in determining a "Trap" gun.In that era Parker equipped guns with the Trap buttplate to promote sales of trap guns but in many cases other than that the gun was a standard gun.

Austin has mentioned and we have read in the Parker Pages,The Parker Story" and sporting advertsing of the era that many noted trap shooters used "off the shelf" guns to great success while others had guns"built" for their needs.

To my mind we have determined that 1) Many Parkers both hammer and hammerless were used at the traps by novices and professionals alike.Some were field guns some not.2) That prior to the introduction of trap gun options the use of a Parker Gun at the traps provenance plays a large roll in determining weather the gun was a trap gun or a gun used at both the traps and in the field.3)With the coming of the 1920's Parker advertising decided to cash in on the continued popularity of the sport and introduced "Trap Model" guns.I am sure industry pressure had alot to do with this and with that came the opportunity to upgrade some guns as repair work.

That is not to say that trap guns were not used in the field or duck blind just as today when we see skeet guns on the sporting clay's courses.

Wheeeww...

Fred, just as today, there were rich people and gun freaks who just had to have another shotgun. I don't know of any small gauge class in ATA trap, and women and children were happy to shoot 12 gauge guns.

SN 159,799, a 1912 BHE 12/32 ordered by DuPont agent W C Howard in Denver and believed to be for trap, but put away and not used. Only known occurrance of rounded skeleton butt.

Letters at F & F, LOP 13 7/8, 14, 14 1/8; DAC 1 3/8 DAH 2, Wt 7/15.

"A rounded skeleton butt" Sheesh, leave it to those trap shooters . . . they'll do anything to improve scores. I'm guessing Mr. Howard believed such a butt would assist gun rotation on the shoulder for rising birds . . . now that's a stretch! No wonder he never used it - :shock:

That's a beautiful gun Bruce - thanks for showing it to us - is it yours?