It's Time To Play . . .
 

. . . Guess That Gun!

Every Saturday morning, here in the Upper Midwest, Bally Sports Wisconsin broadcasts a block of hunting, fishing and other outdoor activity programs, one of these shows is called "Due North Outdoors". At the beginning and end of this 1/2 hour program they show a short clip that features various outdoor paraphernalia with their musical jingle playing in the background. The clip features a shotgun.

This ought to be an easy exercise for this crowd. So here's the deal . . . Guess what gun it is, the gauge and its configuration. The first respondent to correctly answer will be awarded an Atta-Boy Award and get his/her name thrown into a drum for our Grand Prize Drawing to be held at a later date.

Because the above pic didn't post with the sharpness that was intended, the judges have decided to suspend this "Guess That Gun" exercise until a better pic can be obtained.

Tank you,
da judge

Well....since we were just guessing anyway, I would say it is a Parker Bros VH 12ga with straight stock, double trigger, beavertail forend, 26" barrels and a 2 frame (possibly 1 1/2).

Just turn this into a "Guess what kind of Raptor is on the Bookcase" game.

My entry: Duck Hawk (aka Peregrin Falcon) ??

Good guess Russell.

Well, well . . . the judges were a little surprised this morning upon waking up to find replies to this thought-to-be-temporarily-put-on-hold-thread . . . so let's make the most of it!

David made a good guess given the quality of the pic, but unfortunately his guess is not correct.

Russel's guess and seconded by Daryl of the raptor carving is indeed a Peregrine Falcon carving. If the judges were a bunch of nitpickers, they might rule they're only partially correct because the bird is on our mantle and not a bookshelf. In a gesture of good faith, I'm personally going to overrule the judges and call them correct! (wink!)

This all leads to the Bonus Round! In the pic below there are two other carvings of birds on the mantle. Name the species of the large raptor on the left and the small bird under the gun. And a Special Bonus Question for the gun nuts . . . What make of gun is resting in the display stand?

Broad-winged Hawk?

Nope, it's not a Broad-wing. Good try though.

Red-tail hawk? Can't enlarge the photo enough to make out the songbird.

Bingo, you got it right! I realize it will take some guess work to get the little bird correct, so I'll give you a hint: The street we live on carries the same name, but the bird is what type?

Kathy G. guesses Finch family

Sorry Russel, unfortunately Kathy G took a swing and she missed. This songbird is actually in the "Regulidae" family of birds.

Possibly a golden crowned kinglet?





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Golden-crowned kinglet

Congratulations Dean, the bird is a Golden-crowned Kinglet. I commissioned the carving back in 1992 when we built our home on Kinglet Circle. Too bad for Mike, although he entered a correct identification he was a little late on the draw. I'll give him another shot at identifying the gun in a follow-up post.

Here's a better pic of the bird:

Now for Mike and others playing along, the Special Bonus Question with a new and revised pic to help identify the maker. You will have to be a real bonafide aficionado of London-built hammerguns to get this right. This maker can be identified by his own unique style of "house engraving".

That kinglet on a red osier dogwood stem?

If the lever was on the left side I'd say it's a Hollis. I have a Hollis hammer gun with side lever like that.

Is that a Clabrough or Grant?

Although at first glance it does appear similar to red osier dogwoods, but I'm not so sure that it is. I don't believe that red osier dogwoods have thorns and don't they normally have the leaf buds growing off the stem directly across from one another?

Sorry Mike, the maker of the hammergun was not Hollis, Clabrough or Grant. Take another shot!

I guessed at the shotgun but others had already guessed the same and were incorrect. I had guessed Stephen Grant.

Sorry Dave, although similar to a Grant, it is not. The exclusive vine & scroll engraving style of this particular maker tells the tale.

Scott? Greener? Richards?

None of those, Mike. Seems like you might be taking the shotgun approach with your guesses. Better use the rifle approach and zero in on the house engraving-style of this London maker.