Since I’ve always believed the best offense is an 88MM nutcracker, allow me to make a few comments on the Averill article before someone levels their sweet little .410 at that poor, defenseless Fox in the hen house!
1) While I don’t know much, I do know that Remington date codes are not found on the top rib AND that as far as I know, PB never built guns on a 1 ½
inch frame. (Unless of course it was that Hayes covert- op, HO-scale, 64 gauge with lightening cuts?) Therefore, two points for the “proof house” in East Jordan, MI.
2) Also, please note that my opening paragraph was altered somewhat. My intro read:
“As an envoy from the Fox Nation, I rarely go hunting for Parkers. Oddly enough they just seem to fall into my lap. And
like a pimple on prom night, they have an egregious habit of emerging at the most inopportune times.”
Holy forcing cones Batman, I can’t even get “pimple” past this Editor? I hope she has an ample supply of red ink!
3) For the Navy men in our midst, Averill served aboard the supply ship USS BRIDGE, the battleship USS UTAH and as a surface warfare officer on the destroyer USS KANE. He also represented the Navy at the prestigious, Chicago Air Races for several years running. He exceled at every task they threw his way and I have little doubt had he lived, he would have ascended into the Admiralty if not by Korea, certainly by the time hostilities in Vietnam started to escalate.
4) Finally, I thought you might enjoy seeing a few additional pics that unfortunately didn’t make the cut.
1) Underbelly shot revealing some wonderful case colors and the absence of the “PARKER” stamping
2) A wider angle (and far more poignant) treatment of the engraved name plate on Averill’s leg o’ mutton case
3) BTFE close-up w/Parker catalog
4) Side shot w/Parker catalog
5) I wish they could have enlarged the hat photo just a bit. Here’s the close-up sent to me from the EBay seller. I damn near went into
tachycardia that night!
Here’s to all who served in that, “gut-bustin', mother-lovin' Navy war!!” 