Initial?
 

Does anyone have a parker with the original owners initial built into the left side of the stock? I have my great grandfather's. His name was Harry Jay Allen, hence the HJA.Attachment 36878

Terry

It is not uncommon that we see examples of folk art wood carvings into the stock or engravings into the metal by owners personalizing their guns.

Parker provided badges or ovals inletted into the stock wood along the bottom edge for hammerless guns where many owners engraved their initials.

This is one of my favorites. I tried to be the winning bidder but fell a tad short.

Certainly not someone's initials but personalized nonetheless.





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I agree that the initials in that checkering pattern, though very nicely done, are not original to when the gun was done at the factory. You will note that the top section of the checkering looks more deeply cut than the bottom section, which would suggest work was done. It would have been easy to have almost completely worn checkering, and then work in that monogram when recutting it.

If by chance it was factory done, a letter would certainly tell you for sure.

Dean ,That was a beautiful gun ,after you quit bidding , I started and I came up short also ! Did one of " US " get that little 16 Ga. ???

nice to have a gun with grandpa s intials on the stock.. charlie

I'd like to see what a research letter from Chuck on the gun has to say.

How many people would say this dog and the maple wood was "factory original" on an Ansley H. Fox double --

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...psc50356e4.jpg

But, it is.

However, that Griffin and Howe repro pad probably doesn't letter with the AHFCA.

Looks like I'll have to get a letter done and join the club!

The only thing you'll regret is that you didn't join sooner. Welcome!

Seriously??

As Bill mentioned that is obviously a replacement pad, but the gun is right on, one of 13 I've found in the Fox records so far mostly ordered by Joshua Green for other Seattle notables in his hunting club near Toppenish. The gun I picture, and was in our A.H. Fox Collectors Association, Inc. display at Las Vegas last winter was Judge John B. Gordon's. All 20-gauges and most with 30-inch barrels. The A.H. Fox "cult guns" like the Parker Bros. Widgeon Duck Club Guns.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ps08398cb9.jpg

See the "Card of the Month" in the Members Forum on the A.H. Fox Collectors Association web site.

Thanks Dave. I learn something new every day. Were the stocks of the other 12 similarly carved and embellished?

Yes. Some with a Setter Dog, some with a Pointer Dog and some with a dog from a picture sent in. Gold S inlay in the top tang instead of the engraved word SAFE, silver duck or quail inlay on rib, gold plated trigger and selector, "Made Expressly for ...." on right barrel, on and on.

The earliest gun like this I've found a card for was ordered by Seattle lumberman A.S. Kerry --

http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm...m&file_id=8856

I'm guessing Joshua Green --

http://www.joshuagreencorp.com/

saw Kerry's gun and ordered ones for himself, and four of his friends, then ordered one for his son and a bit later ones for four more of his friends.

About half of them were ordered with maple stocks, several specified best quality walnut for stock and tip, and Anton Rez, the stained glass artist, specified best European Walnut for his.

Thanks Dave - always a pleasure learning from you.