New CHE on the Way
 

I purchased a CHE on GB for too much this weekend, but it was an interesting gun. It is a 1904 model sold through Walter E. Clark Co. in Nebraska and shipped to Chamberlain Cartridge & Target in Cleveland. The attached letter (hard to read) shows it was fitted with 31" Titanic barrels with Lyman sights, an extra full comb straight grip stock with drops of 1-1/8" x 2", very tight chokes with the tighter barrel on the right. No 2 frame size and weight of 7-3/4#.

A check of TPS production data shows that only 2 C Grade guns were ever made with 31" Titanic barrels. There are somewhat less than 200 31" barrels listed but less than 20 in grades C and above total, divided mostly between Bernard and Acme with a few Titanics.

I am scheduled to receive the gun Monday and will have some more info then. It is missing the hammers, but looking at the pictures at least part of the other internals are there and it opens and locks up normally. I have a selection of some internals as spares so hopefully it will be relatively easy to correct, especially considering there are no safety parts.

My major questions are does anyone recognize the style of recoil pad and does anyone maybe have a graded trigger plate available? It would be easier if I could find one rather than have an engraved copy made. The pad is worn and could be used for a while with a leather slip on, but eventually needs to be addressed. It appears in the pictures to be a glued on pad with a cork or foam center. I suspect the former but can't tell until it is in hand. I have never personally run across such a pad but suspect it could be rehabbed by slicing off a vintage style red pad and doing a transplant on the outer layer. I would only fool with that if it some sort of significant style.

I will post more pictures once I receive it and examine it in detail.

https://i.imgur.com/r5rVzqT.jpg

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

https://i.imgur.com/cgK2LAs.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/k0E4rms.jpg

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

A great production year, and an interesting gun.

It looks to me like it might be a one-layer Huntley from pre-WW-I days.

Attachment 129047

JOSTAM acquired Huntley by the armistice, and it became the JOSTAM "Sponge Rubber" Pad --

Attachment 129048

Later an upstart competitor made a similar pad for a while called AEROCEL.

The gun is likely not missing the hammers. Many parkers are described that way by people who dont know better. Because they cannot see the firing pins when the gun is cocked.


I can likely help with a D grade trigger plate. I know I have a few here.

I have a C top lever 10 gauge with 31 inch barrels which handles very well

I tabulated all these the other night, and if I am not mistaken, that would be the only C Grade 10 ga 31" barreled gun ever made. It has Bernard barrels, correct?

I will check when I get the gun but from the pictures it sure looks like the original one. I may have to try grafting a replacement piece in and then using it with a slip on to protect it.

I have a JOSTAM pad with two layers of sponge rubber that came off a 1951 870.

Dave, are these the pads that are nailed onto the buttstock? If so, I would remove the whole thing and start from scratch with a Hawkins or Silver pad.

You are correct and that is the one