Invincibles
 

Just watched a program on The Outdoor Chanel titled "Gun Stories". Subject matter was side by side shotguns. There was a segment on Parkers and the three Invincibles at the NFM. It was mentioned that the museum had been offered 5 million $ for the three but the offer was rejected. Now that the kitty has escaped the sack, which one of you guys got turned down? Come on fess up. Mr. Romig, charlie, Col. Day, Mr. Murphy........??
James

The three Invincibles were on display at the Annual Banquet in Maryland two years ago and we all got to see them right up close, even as they were being placed in the glass observation case. They all are quite an expression of the gunmaker's art, to say the least. The curator, and I'm ashamed to say I don't recall his name, asked me what I thought they, collectively, might be worth... I suggested something like $3 million to which he replied that they had turned down $4 million just weeks before they were displayed at the Banquet. So now they have turned down $5 million... I wonder if the offered sum might ever be accepted? I sure hope not. It's nice to know that they can be viewed by the public anytime someone wishes to visit the National Firearms Museum.

Me, a player? Not even by an extremely loooooong stretch!

you could have just made the excuse that none were small bores so you'll pass
:whistle:

Dang it! Why didn't I think of that?

I understand that one Invincible went missing after it was enroute to it's next destination after it was displayed in a hardware store. Has that one resurfaced? And were they all 12 bore? I have heard of a 16 bore Invincible in the Aiken, South Carolina area.

Best Regards, George

Two twelves and one sixteen. The museum currently has all three in its possession.

I seriously doubt if they would be displayed in a hardware store these days.

Wasn't it the sixteen that was discovered in a closet on the third floor of a Victorian mansion that was being rehabilitated by the new owner a decade or two ago?

Certainly not a military pensioner like me. I know it wasn't a small farmer like Charlie. Dean the import car man says it wasn't him. So that leaves only Bill who lives close to the NRA museum and is being very quiet.........

Dean--The 16ga. was found in a closet in Moorestown, NJ in the 60's, I believe. About 1 1/2 miles from me!! The original purchaser was a Mr. A. C. Middleton--an RCA CEO. He bought it in 1929 before the crash. It was sold by Paul Jaegers in Jenkintown, Pa. on consignment for $12,000. It's a well documented story. It went into the Ford collection--of Libby--Owens --Ford--fame and was purchased from his Estate by Gary Herman--Safari Outfitters--then in Ridgefield, Ct. I traveled there in the 70's to view it and still have the color photo print that Gary was handing out back then. The gun was featured on Safari Outfitter catalog covers back then and I still have some of those. I think the asking price was 100K, but don't hold me to that. That's the abbreviated version. Hope it helps!!

That sounds like a great TV special on SxS guns.

In 2011 the NFM Curator said, in a video clip, that the Guns belong to a Robert E. Perterson in CA and that they are on loan to the museum. He also stated that at that time the estimated worth of them was $5mm.

The first Invincible, SN 200000, is a 12-ga. 32" barrel straight grip gun. The second, SN 230329, is a 16-ga. 26" barrel gun with a ball grip with scalloped 'clamshell' carving on the ball; the third, SN 233565, is a 12-ga. 28" barrel with straight grip stock.

The 16 ga. was indeed found on the top shelf of a clothes closet in a mansion on Long Island after the house was sold and subsequently closed on; apparently the angle of view from the floor of the closet prevented the gun in its oak & leather case from being seen during the frequent walk-thrus during the showing and sale of the house.

The 'gone missing' Invincible, SN 233565, was in fact built for a wealthy publisher, partly in the desire to prove that a superior grade American side-by-side could compete in elegance and finish to the best that Great Britain and Europe had to offer at the time. (I think he proved his point). This gun, still in the same family of the original purchaser, surfaced with much fanfare and was auctioned off several years ago.

This gun was restocked by the Del Gregos, with carving done by Bob Runge and checkering finished by Remington Custom Shop artisans (Leo Bala?). The original stock, which accompanied the gun at auction, had been broken through the wrist. Many wild tales surrounded this story; some said the shooter crippled a rabbit and, being either out of shells or 'overly frugal', tried to brain the bunny, breaking the stock. Another story had the gun laying on the ground while the sportsman backed over it, thinking it was safely stowed in the trunk. The truth came out when the family rendered the gun for auction: the original owner's son had loaned the gun to his nephew on a shooting trip to Great Britain. Coming off a bank in a snipe bog in Ireland, the boy lost his footing and fell backwards; in an attempt to protect the gun he tucked the stock under his elbow and held the muzzles high. Before his elbow hit the ground, the toe of stock struck it first, breaking it through the wrist.

All three Invincibles were eventually brought together by magazine publisher Bob Peterson, who loaned all three in sort of 'perpetual exhibit' to the NRA National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, VA. They reside there now, side by side in their display case, for all to enjoy. If you ever get the chance to view them, don't miss it.

Kevin--Not Long Island--Moorestown, NJ about 12 miles east of Phila!

I believe Robert Petersen, great man that he was, no longer owns anything.

We indeed owe a world of gratitude to Mr. Peterson for putting them all together. I'll take the 32incher.... I need another long bbld duck gun. Where do I send my piggy bank?!

Thanks for the history on the sixteen Bill. I'm sure I had heard or read the story at one time or another but my memory cells failed me as to the particulars. Thanks.

Parker Bros. Invincible -- Dick Baldwin's article on the A.C. Middleton 16-gauge was in the May 1971 Guns & Ammo. The Roger Lake article on the Dr. Lyman gun is in Shooting Sportsman, September/October 2000, and a letter from the good Doctor's son is in the January/February 2001 issue. The Parker Pages article on the 16-gauge Invincible is in Volume 15, Issue 1, Spring 2008.

Parker 200000 was consigned at Von Lengerke & Detmold by W.H King on December 20, 1923. It was returned (c/o Parker Bros.) on January 5, 1924. I guess that at $800, it was a bit too expensive for a last minute Christmas present. It came back to VL&D later in 1924 and was sold on December 1, 1924 for $850. At that price it was over $300 more expensive than the A-1 Special below it.

http://pic80.picturetrail.com/VOL213.../403367646.jpg

Note that in the VL&D record book it was not called an Invincible but rather a "Quality Grade".

Compliments of Griffin & Howe, Inc.

Bob Beach

Tony Galazan's name is frequently mentioned in discussions about the Invincibles. Did Tony own one or more of these at one time?

The appraisal of the guns is partly a result of the sale and resale of the guns, both individually, and as a group. The untold part of the story was courtesy of The German Gun Collector's Association, Paul Jaeger and family. Another part left out was the Tony Galazan connection.

Sorry, Dave S., I was writing as you were posting. Dave Noreen's bibliography covers a lot go ground and clears up many misconceptions and ommissions in this story. I recommend reading it.

Geographically Challenged?
 

Yeah; thanks Bill, you 'MapQuester' you - JHC! - I must have lost my head - I was thinking about the first gun, which went to Long Island.

Tony G. was likely the "phantom bidder"acting on Peterson's behalf on the 'lost gun'. Its aquisition brought all 3 of the guns together, Bob Peterson having already purchased the other two from private collectors. Tony's greatest coup may have been producing the larger-than-life color photograph poster showing all 3 guns.

Thanks Kevin, That is what I had heard and you just confirmed it. Would anyone have copies or scans of the Shooting Sportsman articles? I don't have back issues going back that far....:banghead:

Certain of our members and authors have much more detailed information on the 12 gauge guns and their histories. Deitrich Apel and Gary Herman have much more information on The 16 gauge. Information on the 12 gauges is being held in confidence by trusted friends of previous owners. it will be shared in time, but not before.

Bob Beach shared information available to him through Griffin and Howe about #200,000. I shared information from my files about #200,000 with Austin Hogan, which he wrote about in The Parker Pages. Sorry, I don't have the reference. I am away from my reference material.

FYI... Roger Lake wrote an article in Parker Pages, Vol 8 Issue 6 (Nov/Dec 2001) entitled "The Lost Parker Invincible". Lots of good information to be found in it.

OK here's the skinny, I offered the $5M for all three thinking I could sell the two 12's and have the 16 for free. Seemed like a sound idea but they must have done a background/financial check as I haven't heard of acceptance of this generous offer.:whistle:

Dave-I have back issues of Shooting Sportsman also check the Library.

Well...Don't just sit there get to looking......:whistle:

I know exactly where they are.

Here are the three Invincible Grade Parkers, which are fully owned by the NRA. While at one time they were held by the NRA as trustee, they are now owned. Two are straight hand grip, one is half pistol grip with a foliate or leaf carving. Some have described the grip as "clamshell" carved but I think you will see the difference in the true clamshell grip carving photo following.

OMG
 

What a beautiful butt- i mean - clamshell.:shock:

Bruce, thank God we here have you to clarify the carving renditions on these great guns! I was the one who referred (erroneously of course) to the grip carving on the half-pistol grip gun as a "clamshell" motif; obviously I should have correctly referred to it as representative of that of the Pectinidae, or commons sea scallop (since the Mactridae, or true sea clam, exhibits no striations or grooves on its shell, whereas the former shows vertical striations on its shell). I guess the ultimate in accuracy is to refer to this carving motif as that representative of the Actiniaria, or sea anemone, which exhibits the exotic wavy tendrils of that aquatic organism. I remain eternally grateful that George Lane is no longer alive to suffer wading through this taxonomic drivel in critiquing these carvings!

Kevin, I'm just a Parker novice being out here on the Great Windy and have a lot to learn. But it doesn't look like these river clams I am familiar with. Maybe its like a sea scallop but I haven't seen any of those things in either the South or North Forks of the Solomon.

Sorry, I don't know George Lane from Jack LaLaine.

Did George Lane do these stocks?

Yes, George Lane did the checkering on all 3 Invincibles.

Robin, thanks for bringing up the Roger Lake article. I will review it when I get time and Kevin and I will compare notes and probably comment. Kevin's and Roger's research on this gun are from two entirely different directions and, as I recall complement the other rather than repeat the same information.

George Lane
 

Thanks, Kevin.
Where can I learn more about him? He did custom upgraded checkering on two guns I have. He brought DHE checkering up to BHE and did a very nice job.

I'm going to offer 7.5 million but not a penny more. I'll let you all know how I make out. I think SN 200000 will make a great turkey gun.

This is just my opinion,of course, but I don't think anything from the Petersen donation will be deasessioned in our lifetimes. It is the most elaborate collection of sporting arms in this country and it is being monitored on a daily basis by interested collectors. RP funded the entire Petersen Room and there is a movement to have the Invincibles, the Annie Oakley gun, and #100,000 moved to the new room. Phil will be asked about that when I get back home. The new room is the proper place for these guns.

George Lane
 

Thanks, Kevin.
Where can I learn more about him? He did custom upgraded checkering on two guns I have. He brought DHE checkering up to BHE and did a very nice job

George Lane joined Parker Bros. in 1901 as a checkerer and took a sort of 'leave of absence" (approved by his boss and Parker Bros.) in 1908 to investigate and perfect his skills in painting, photography and wood carving. He somehow engineered a job for 8 or 9 years as a personal chauffer to a widow to a bigwig with International Silver Co., which of course was centered in Meriden at the time. He apparently spent his idle time improving his craft at these three pursuits.

Around 1919 he returned to Parker Bros. and a few years after that took over as checkering contractor. Unfortunately for Remington, when they moved the Parker works to Ilion from Meriden around 1937, Lane did not accompany the move. When it became apparent after the move to Ilion that Remington needed a master checkerer (some engravers actually did the work from about 1938-1940), Lane fabricated a set of tools identical to his own used at Parker Bros. for use on the AA and A-1 Special grade guns and sent them to Ilion.

Bob Runge told me that when the "Lost Invincible" was restocked by the Del Gregos, they used some of George Lane's original checkering layouts to exactly duplicate the pattern and execution. Bob himself did the carvings.

Save your cellphone minutes; the "Teddy Roosevelt Room", which formerly housed all of the above (Invincibles, "Annies" Parkers, the Beretta collections, etc.) is now devoid of nearly all guns. Behind a temporary glass wall, a mock-up of "Teddy's Favorite Room" is under construction as we speak where the above formerly resided. Right now Teddy's writing desk is looking right across the room into the fireplace, flanked by those massive elephant tusks of Soski Piroeff's. The feet of Teddy's trophy rhino anchor each far corner of his desk, and one of his favorite single-shot 'belly guns' lies open on the desk.