Chicken thief gun
 

Been a long time coming but should have it next week

chicken thief Gun
 

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What a neat gun and engraving!!!!

Incredible....what's the story?

Absolutely incredible. Thanks for posting Gary

I will try to post a couple more photos they are large and cannot do but one at a time

chicken thief gun
 

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Not sure why my first reply didn't go through, I saw this gun over a year ago and I have been waiting for Gary to post it in it's restored state. What a neat gun.... Gary try and get some closeups of the engraving

chicken thief gun
 

I will get one more today and some more tomorrow

Very interesting gun. Thanks for sharing

I believe the stock is what I most like about the gun.

You might as well start collecting parts and pcs for a case for it Edgar....

Ditto here. I've been waiting a really long time for this gun to come to the forefront.

Me 3.

Heard a good bit about it. Really nice Gary.

chicken thief gun
 

These photos were taken by Parker Bachelder will try to get him to take a few more before he sends the gun to me

chicken thief gun
 

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The engraving is a conversation piece, but the geip carving is hands down the most unique feature about this gun.

Gary, Apart from the unique stock work, and engraving likely requested by the customer, would this gun be considered a $100 grade because of the lack of tear-drop detail on the bolsters?

The Ball grip carving on this gun is extremely unusual but we know of a few others like this in private collections. Personally, I think the engraving is the unique feature:rolleyes:






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Not a Chicken Thief?
 

The engraved scene fascinates me. I do not think he is a chicken thief. A chicken thief would not have a gun, would he?

In reading about George Washington and his plantations, illegal hunters were dealt with harshly, in accordance with English tradition whereby only those with permission to hunt the plantation were allowed to do so. Even the slaves were rewarded for catching illegal hunters, and they were told to respond to the sound of any shots heard on the four plantations.

You have a man with some type of fowl in hand, and I agree it does look like a chicken, but then you have a man with a whip closely approaching (under armed I would say). The picket fence does indicate a domestic scene though, and not in the wild. The dog has a collar, indicating domesticated and probably associated with the man and the whip.

Secondly, the man is a gentleman, with tall boots, wearing a coatee (I think the coatee tails in the air, but can't tell), and he has sideburns. I have no idea what is attached to the top tails of the coatee. Again, he has a weapon. I wish I knew what the engraver was relaying to the viewer or what the owner requested from Parker in this scene. Lost to time.

Perhaps a poacher?

I think if we delve too deeply into what the engraver was attempting to portray some folks might be offended. Personally, to me, it is a "chicken thief" being chased by the plantation owner or overseer... nothing more - nothing less.






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God forbid it was politically incorrect 👎🏻

Perhaps a hanging powder flask or shot pouch on a sling or string?

Offended? How would that be? Do we have chicken thieves among our membership?

With the apparent wealth of the man being chased, who has a gun, I doubt he would have to resort to being a chicken thief given the abundance of game during the time period. Notice he is missing his hat, which is mandatory part of ones clothing that he has lost.

Fred is probably correct in that it is a powder flask.

My theory is the purchaser of this Parker had a memorial event in his life told in the panel done by the engraver. Perhaps he was a poacher or a professional hunter, or had mistakenly killed someone's chicken. You can bet he proudly showed the depicted event to all of his friends.