A.W. du Bray's great grandson
 

I am Arthur's great grandson, and I own two guns that I inherited from him. I am interested in a $ amount for insurance purposes, or for possible sale to the right collector.

(1) Parker double barrel pigeon shotgun (March 26, 1878..serial # 86637).
(2) Sharps 45-90 carbine (February 15, 1859..serial #39695).

There is also a trophy he won in a pigeon shooting contest, and various hunting knives.

I have signed verification from A.W. du Bray that he owned them.

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

John A. Sexson

86637 is a grade 7 Top Action 12ga. There are very few grade 7 hammer guns, 5 are recorded in The Parker Story.

I'm sure that Parker will hold lots of interest with the members here.

In order to sell on this site you will need to join the PGCA to gain access to the for sale secton but a guess on value without seeing it would be difficult. But, it will command a large $$$ value; the question is how large.

I talked to Jack Puglisi a few years ago, he had one listed for sale. Since he has passed, I don't know where that Parker ended up.

I would love to see some pictures of these guns and trophy!

Yes, pictures please. I'm afraid you will not find many folks willing to help with values without the pictures. A Grade 7 hammer gun, WOW. Pictures :corn::corn:

Robin gives good advice. Yes, WOW, please post some pictures.

Condition will do a lot to determine value of both of the guns.

I always like to tell people to just use the Blue Book values for insurance since they are usually on the high side, and they are in print, thus documented. But, the book would not take into account any additional value your guns may have due to their being owned by your great grandfather. And, I would say that the Parker would hold value for that reason over the Sharps, due to his connection with the company.

Oh, if Muderlak was alive...

But you need to be a PGCA Member to even suggest a gun will be for sale.

You can join online from our home page and it is only $40/yr.





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John, Ed Muderlak and I talked about the hammer pigeon gun many times. The March 26, 1878 date you refer to in talking about the gun is probably a patent date reference; I own 88653, a Grade 6 hammerless, which was built in 1897. If you decide to sell the trophy, I would be interested in it.

I'm sure Mr Sexson was unaware of the prohibition for non-members to sell on the site. That being said, I wouldn't be surprised if his private message box is filled at this point. I wonder if it would be appropriate in the future to limit the Private Message function to members only. I'm sure Mr Dunkle is looking for more work to do:eek:

Yes condition counts. These grade 7 hammer guns are at the top of my Parker desire list, even more so to me than any of the three grade 9 guns. I just think the AA hammer guns are perfection. Over the years I have had the opportunity to buy two of them but passed because of the asking price. In the mid 90's I passed on one that Dick Stewart had, he was asking $49K at the time and a few years ago Jack had one that he was asking $250K. The one that Jack had is pictured in our Grades web page.

Pictures will get comments going I'm sure so please post some for our viewing pleasure!

Where your great grandfather lived in San Francisco. Corner suite , top floor, Sutter Hotel at Sutter and Geary streets.

This is only a couple blocks away from the Hotel Belvedere, where private detective Sam Spade officed at Spade and Archer Detective Services. Sam met Mrs Archer in the first level coffee shop of the Sutter Hotel after the untimely death of her husband, Sam’s partner. Discussions were held about the whereabouts of a certain black bird.

Bruce, it simply boggles my mind how you pull this stuff up:shock:. I struggle with whether I took my pills this morning.

The accounts of the time of DuBray tell how he would shoot sea ducks in the San Francisco Bay wetlands, perhaps with the same gun his grandson is inquiring about to sell. Lot of family history there. I’m sure glad I have my grandfather’s gun, although it sure isn’t anything high grade or special except to me.

Edgar, I was in San Francisco a few years back and stayed at the Marine Memorial Club. Lines of flags with battle streamers carried at Guadalcanal, Tawara, Iwo Jima, Saipan , where my father was. It’s always a humbling experience. Too bad the old quarters at the Presidio where I used to stay for almost nothing are closed. I thought I’d walk on down to the Sutter, go to Tadich, and old North Beach. All those places that Dashiel Hammett wrote about are there.

Sea ducks in the bay were fantastic this yr....

Been trying to attach a copy of du Bray's gun list. If successful, you'll see the AA is the second gun listed.

The list is actually two pages.

Great stuff, I think Scoop Romig will find all this interesting.

I would like to see the Live Bird Trophy...

Enjoy the Sport

Trap3

John, are the two pages in the original attachment? If not, can you post a picture of the second page? I spent a lot of time yesterday looking for that list in my files and couldn't find it. Thanks. I would also like to see a good picture of the trophy.

Bill, second page was not attached but l’ll do that as soon as I get back to my computer.

Bruce, I share your same interest and passion for military history especially WW2 Pacific theatre but not exclusively. I've swam off the invasion beaches of Saipan and toured the island. Pillboxes, Japanese tanks and artillery pieces still litter the invasion beaches. But the most moving experience I had in the Pacific was visiting the American Cemetery of the Pacific just outside Manila. If that hallowed ground does not move one to tears, they're not human. Not my intent to hijack this thread, just wanted to respond to something Brice said earlier in this thread that moved me

Page 2 of du Bray's gun list attached.

I just signed up to be a member, trying to figure out how to post pictures.

Welcome to our Parker family! I look forward to learn about your great-grandfather and your Parker experiences.

Go to www.parkerguns.org and click on the faq link on the left side. At the bottom of the FAQ page are two links that may help with posting pictures.

Welcome to the Parker Gun Collectors Association John!

Your joining should prove to be mutually beneficial.





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The guns of Arthur DuBray would make an interesting article. He led an interesting life from his narrow escape of going with General Custer to being a top salesman for Parker. A friend has a W.C. Scott Premier grade pigeon gun that the rib is inscribed "custom made for Arthur DuBray. It has the finest engraving of any gun I've ever seen.

June 18, 1910, The Sportsmen’s Review, “Capt. Arthur W. DuBray (‘Gaucho.’) Learning that one of our old-time friends and correspondents is going to leave Cincinnati to take up his abode in California, we take this opportunity of presenting this sketch to our readers, who doubtless have read many articles from his pen, signed ‘Gaucho.’
Arthur W. duBray is an Englishman by birth and parentage, a naturalized American citizen and a cosmopolitan. At an early age he went to South America, where he spent several years on the Patagonian frontier in the days of Indian raids, when game was plentiful and when a good sound horse and a couple of powerful, plucky dogs and the best of firearms for companions were about all that constituted his belongings. There he enjoyed fine sport, chasing ostriches and deer, shooting an occasional puma and plenty of feathered game. He speaks both French and Spanish, and at one time when using them almost exclusively was as fluent in them as in his own language.
Upon reaching the United States, Mr. duBray devoted several years to his favorite sport, game shooting, and in Minnesota, when duck, grouse and snipe were plentiful, enjoyed excellent shooting.
In 1875, having met with financial reverses, he joined the army, and in 1876 was stationed at Fort Seward, North Dakota, adjoining the present site of Jamestown. There he had the honor and pleasure of meeting General George A. Custer, and at their meeting the general, himself a thorough sportsman, and knowing of Mr. duBray’s passion for shooting and a wild, roving life, offered to take him on the campaign that ended so disastrously to himself and his famous crack regiment, the flower of the army, the Seventh United States Cavalry. Owing to an unlooked-for delay, occasioned by the general not being in command of the fatal and memorable campaign, orders for Mr. duBray to join it were never issued, as in the meantime the general with the greater part of his valiant command were annihilated.
Upon the return of the remnant of this superb regiment to their winter quarters at Ft. Abraham Lincoln, he received an appointment in the quartermaster’s department at that post, and in the spring of 1877 he went afield with his cherished regiment on the Nez Perces expedition. Here he was fortunate enough to come under the observation of that splendid and most intrepid Indian fighter, Colonel F. W. Benteen, who then commanded a battalion of the Seventh Horse, and after an engagement with the Nez Perces Indians, Colonel Benteen made special mention of Mr. duBray in an order that was read at the head of his battalion. Such an honor emanating from one of the foremost Indian fighters of his time, Mr. duBray regards as the most important event of his life and the climax of his checkered career, and even today, when speaking of his idolized Colonel Fritz, he cannot do so without feelings of the deepest emotion.
In the following year he again took the field with his beloved regiment in the pursuit of fugitive Cheyennes, and saw some hard service in that campaign.
During these two expeditions he had exceptionally fine shooting at antelope, elk, deer and buffalo, and always kept his mess well supplied with game, even when in a hostile Indian country, and as he generally accompanied the foremost scouts he naturally had many lively experiences when away from the command.
In December, 1890, Mr. duBray left the army and accepted the position of traveling salesman with Parker Bros., his fondness for guns and shooting causing him to take this course. During the succeeding years he has traveled in the interest of his company through the South, the entire west coast, Canada and Mexico, and is now going to take up his residence in San Francisco as resident agent there.
As a writer for the leading sportsmen’s journals he has been before the public for nearly thirty years, and has contributed gratuitously many articles on shooting, guns, etc. He is now regarded as the leading exponent and firm believer in small-bore guns for upland shooting, and was the first writer to bring twenty-bores into prominent notice, having learned while shooting with his friends in Texas what these small bores can be made to do.
It is with profound regret that Mr. duBray is leaving his southern field of work, for, as he has said, he only too well knows that nowhere can he find more loyal, sincere and true friends and companions than those he has made among the chivalrous Southern sportsmen, whose memory will always remain as one of the brightest episodes of his life, and to whom it pulls hard to say good-bye, for they entertained him in their homes, divided share and share alike with him afield, and invariably treated him with frankness, kindness and courtesy.”

Great stuff from our most proficient historical archivist. :bowdown::bowdown:





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I expected to see Dr. Truitt's name in the customer column of the second list.

John, do you have an address where DuBray lived in Newport, KY? I live just 30 minutes from there and would like to go see it I could get some pics and post them.

Sorry I do not know that address

John welcome to the PGCA. I’m sure Arthur would be proud you are keeping his legacy alive. Someone on here might have his old address.

Mike, Arthur had addresses in Cincinnati, like 3214 Perkins Avenue or 3314 Perkins Avenue depending on the source, and maybe others. However, his digs in Newport were probably at the Newport Barracks, where, in December of 1878, he bunked in with a General Greene for the winter. However, in 1896, his address was Newport, according to the National Gun Association. However, that may have been Newport Barracks also. If he was at the now abandoned Newport Barracks, we may never get a good address in Newport for Dubray. Newport, and Newport Barracks are just across the river from Cincinnati, and Newport Barracks is now a park.

Cincinnati directories show DuBray living at 809 Ridgeway Ave from at least 1895 to 1903. He was at 3314 Perkins Ave from 1904-1910 after which he left Cincinnati. Time has not been kind to those neighborhoods and the area today is blighted. The Perkins house may still be standing but appears to be in poor condition.

but have the streets ever been renumbered - that is not uncommon

How about pictures of the guns????

Cincinnati streets were re numbered in 1895

Somebody told me that one of DuBray's direct line relatives was a professional baseball player. Is that you John?

Yes...Richie Sexson. He would be du Bray's great great grandson.

John, I just mailed your research letter to you yesterday. I have to tell you it was the most complex and interesting letter I've ever done. It took me over 1 hr to do it.

Congratulations on a fabulous gun!

Thank you for your efforts. I can't wait to see what information you came up with. I have been working with Brian Dudley on the gun and I am sure this will help him figure out the details on what i have.
Thank you
John Sexson

























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