Went out yesterday in the mist with my 28" Damascus GH, choked skeet and IC. Flushed 3 birds, all back in the trees. Never saw them, just heard them. There was an enormous rainbow as I walked down to the car, it was nice even with no shot fired.

Is this a bona fide Grouse gun?

If I can break away and get upcountry next month I will certainly be taking the 0-framed, 26” barreled, 16-gauge VH that I bought a few years back. It is one gun in my small battery that I won’t need spreader loads for, as it is factory-choked cylinder and modified.

It was originally sold through the old-time Boston sporting goods retailer and importer, Iver Johnson. Shipped in July of 1907, I can only imagine where it might have been; what game it might have taken and what outdoorsmen (or, outdoors-lady) might have owned it.

Below are some pictures. It was restored long before I bought it, and no one seems to know who did it. Neither the Bachelder; Del Grego nor Turnbull shops have any record of having had it.

well, I'm getting in a little late here, but Garry, I have your dream grouse gun-- a
DHE 16 O frame 26" cyl/Mod, straight grip, from 1905, weighing in at 6 lbs on the nose.
Ive just got a new laptop and don't have any of my photos downloaded yet.
Russell, I have a VH 20 with 26" cyl/M--a great choke combo

I happened upon a basically unfired, custom 20 ga. Francotte a couple of years ago. 25" barrels and it weighs 4lbs 11 oz.. That will occompany a Parker Repro 20Ga., 26" Barrel Q1 - Q2 toy!

Harold,

Yikes!! That sounds like a darned nice Parker. Post photos when you get the chance so I can really "dream" about it. My DH 16 is on a #1 frame and on the heavier side, but it's still a joy to use. When I hunt in the mountains, I carry a lighter gun so that I can hold the gun in one hand and hang on for dear life with the other. I am sure you know exactly what I mean.

I really do have about as perfect a grouse gun as there is but what fun is that?
I call it the "meat gun" a DHE straight grip 20 with 26 inch tubes cyl/IC. I bought it years ago and it's my first graded Parker.

Grouse guns? I don't think I have posted here in eight pages. OK, here goes. My shortened, chokeless 24" DHE 16 that I bought on this site, #1 frame, not the lightest, but maybe the best. My 24" original Damascus GHE 16, part of an original three barrel set, lighter than my DHE 24" 16, but not a bit better in the grouse woods except a few ounces lighter. My Francotte 28 gauge Knockabout ejector, 4 pounds, 13 ounces, uncomfortable to shoot with USA standard loads on the skeet field, but just right in the woods. Last, and maybe the best, my probably unique J.P. Sauer 10 gauge 26" six pound four ounce Krupp steel wonder gun with a bit of choke. None of these guns are probably worth anything in any atmosphere but the grouse woods, the first three maybe in the quail fields, but in those places, they truly excel.

Bill, I think you showed me that 16 GH three barrel set when we had dinner at Jeff's. As I recall, that was a high condition gun and the barrels were original Parker black and white in new type condition. That was a beautiful gun and I remember thinking "where the hell does he come up with this stuff".

Rich, that does sound like the perfect grouse gun--I've probably seen it, but just cant recall.
Bill, I had a little Italian Breda 28 ga OU w/ double triggers 4 lbs 14 oz, that would beat the snot out of you--after you pulled the first trigger, you didn't want to pull the back trigger. I traded it at Hausmanns to a gun dealer who loved it, and with alittle extra ended up with a GH 16 O frame Damascus that I shoot a lot.

For grouse and woodcock here inNew England it has to be a 26 inch barreled Parker, Fox or LC Smith 16 ga.