The Road to Yesterday
 

A copy of this book sold here recently and it prompted me to hunt down a copy of my own which I found on - of all places - walmart.com. Lots of really cool pics; I love some of the old shooting vests and coats, etc. ..

https://i.imgur.com/hAzoz1vh.jpg

the dedication page shows the author and his dad in 1949, with Dick shooting his Parker SC left handed...

https://i.imgur.com/Ui6UTeWh.jpg

and I wonder if Billy Beers knew he was starting a fashion trend back in 1948?

https://i.imgur.com/BRyQutwh.jpg

Billy Beers ??

Thanks for sharing Phil!!!! Appreciate it. I just ordered me a copy!!


Thanks,


Bobby

Fantastic book. A must for any gun library.

I got a copy of this book when I was doing research for an article on Fred Gilbert. A great read! I especially like accounts of early trap shooting in those days when it was such a popular spectator sport. You trap shooters here have gotten me very interested—thanks!

Cliff Baldwin always had an "In" at Remington. It looks like he equipped son Dick with a 26" or 28" Parker single. I wonder who has that gun today. One of our posters bought a short barrel SC a few years back. It could be the same gun.

I thought the barrel looked short too. Bill you might be thinking of Orphan Annie which I bought with a 27-3/4" barrel. The gun books as a 34-incher and the numbers all match on the gun so the assumption has always been that the barrel was cut, but as per my piece in a recent Parker Pages, the choke measures as Full. It would really be something if Annie was that gun and had custom work done or a new barrel made for it at some point :eek:.

Dick Baldwin's short barrel SC was probably built that way at the Ilion works.

Received my copy yesterday of this fantastic book. I read it cover to cover last night. What a piece of history, I would highly recommend this book. It was wonderful to see all of the Parker's, among other SBT's of course as well in this fine publication. A true treasure.

Thank you Phil for sharing. Really appreciate it.


Thanks,


Bobby

I was able to contact Dick Baldwin's daughter and asked her about the short-barreled SC in the photo, which was taken in 1949 when her dad was 12. She very graciously replied that she had no info on the gun unfortunately, and she asked her sister who also had none. Her dad was killed in a car crash a year after the book was published and the gun was not in his possession at that time.

Since I've had a couple of fellows contact me about copies I asked if she knew of any for sale. She said she had thought of having it reprinted but the cost was prohibitive, and the only copies she knows of are family copies.