BH Project Grouse Gun
 

What can I say? I'm a sucker for project guns and I end up losing money on almost all of them. But yet here wea are.

Gun is a 1.5 frame BH, and I had some orphan 12 gauge 26" reproduction barrels. Going to try and have the barrels fitted, and if they can be the plan is for a mild restoration. Stock redone at least. the barrels are Q1/Q2 so I'm hoping to make it my grouse gun.

Is this the BH Josh L had for sale that the original 26” barrels had been cut?

Kirk: Good luck with your project, but think twice about restoring the stock it has so much character and history. A restore would wipe it all away.

it is. interesting letter too, sent back 3 times for dent repair.

Looks like Mr. Pratt wasn't too careful with his gun.

Nice. Certainly worthy of your efforts. Do you have the forend? More pics?
Sorry, I see the other photo. That stock looks like a beautiful piece of wood.

What a beauty!

Do you also have the original 26" barrels? Looks to be another set of barrels in a box at the bottom of the picture.
Good luck with the project and of course pictures when you are done.

Sounds like Mr. Pratt was a serious bird hunter.

I have the original Titanic Steel barrels, they've been shortened to 24". I find it interesting that one of the special instructions was "1 1/2 frame". I thought that frame size wasn't something that a customer would be aware of.

It looks like a worthy project

I think that gun must have fallen off the tractor a few times, or the horse, or both. Helluva gun for sure.

PS. Mr. Pratt's middle initial "F" must have stood for "Fall".

I also admired this one. Cursory google searches turn up J Frank Pratt as a grocer and involved in some civic leadership. Perhaps the historic society would know more. Pretty nice gun, he must have been out hunting a lot. I second keeping the stock patina, but thats just me.

I’m debating it, I could go either way. I think there is probably some figure to that stock hidden under there.

Also, for being an 1899 gun and having its barrels cut, it doesn’t look like it’s been messed with other than that. Every single screw on it is still in time. I’m guessing it wouldn’t hurt to have action cleaned.

You might be pleasantly surprised by how good the stock will clean up with some elbow grease and mild wood cleaning products.

I gave the Ole Girl a Good looking over when it came up for sale ,I almost pulled the trigger myself , Its a Great Grouse gun just the way it is ! If it were mine ,I would clean up the wood a bit and use it just the way it is !!!! I Like It !!!!! Nice Buy Kirk Congrats !!!!!

I also came very close to buying that gun. I'm a hopeless lover of old guns with character. Please keep us posted on your progress and pictures of the first blood.

Was it normal for a gun to go through a CT store to be drop shipped to Nebraska and then sent back to the factory numerous times. One would think that there was a Parker store/agent in Lincoln.

I definitely love the early Parker Setters vs the later ones.

Kirk: BH(E)s are the sweet spot in the Parker offering in my opinion. You get all the features of a AH with a little less engraving coverage. I agree the early engraving is fantastic but I think a little under appreciated by many. Here is my 86376 setters

I agree with Craig, and have felt that way for some time. The grade 5 guns have the gold treatment of the grip, and the beaded fence. I only have two at this time, and both are damascus barreled. The 1 frame 16ga is an 1892 gun, which had slightly less flair to the checkering, but the Gough engraving is very much finer than later guns. The 0 frame 20 has wonderful dog treatment, with two on both sides in addition to two on the trigger plate, chasing two birds.

That is great engraving.

Edgar: Very nice pair of B's. We see the double dogs flushing two birds on a number of B trigger plates. But none of them are exactly the same which adds to the intrigue of the grade 5 Parkers. Hope you make HHH this year and we can tie up in the parking lot for a show and tell.

Craig, The 20ga is such a delight. It's original 28" damascus barrels are very thin, and my initial thought was that it had been honed. I acquired two additional sets of damascus barrels, 26" and 30", and, while they too seem thin, are what I feel is a safe wall thickness, with plenty of wall in the first 15-18". They both have oversized bores, and measure exactly what the 28" measures. Both are now fitted, and the 30" are just so nice to shoot.
My first BHE had some sort of venison on the trigger plate, as does the 1892 16ga, so finally getting one with something other than antlered game is a treat for me. There seems to be quite a few 'ho hum' steel barreled grade 5 guns on the market, but it amuses me that at this late stage in my life, I find I'm especially attracted to small bore damascus B grades.
I think meeting up for an eyeball at Hausmanns would be great fun. I haven't made it for 3 consecutive years and it pains me.

Edgar, sure hope you can make Hausmanns this year. Just got off the phone with Brett Hoops and offered to pick him up, help set up camp, and let him use my Gator, but probably won't make it.