Proud Parker Shooter

[Drew Hause]

[Harry Collins]

I love the cocked hammer on the gun pointing at his ribbs....

Neat pictures...

Harry

[Old and Reliable]

I am not sure, nor trying to play "Devil's Advocate" here- but the recessed hinge pin- is that the only clue as to the shotgun being a Parker. A friend has a early 12 Sterlingworth Fox (Phila. mfg.) 30" ejectors and a recessed Parker style hinge pin- can you see enough of the receiver/frame side panels or "bolsters" to tell here? Just wondering is all-

[Autumn Daze]

I think the fluting on the nose of the comb is another indicator.

[Dean Romig]

Do we know of any early 'hinge pin' Foxes with a single trigger?

[Drew Hause]

The 10th GAH at Targets was 1909 and won by Fred Shattuck with a Parker
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL5319026.pdf

[Researcher]

I have recorded a couple of recessed hinge-pin Sterlingworths with after-market single triggers, the Infallible by Lancaster Arms Co. and the Philadelphia Single Trigger Co. A.H. Fox Gun Co. didn't begin offering their Fox-Kautzky single selective trigger until 1914 by which time the Sterlingworth had a smooth hinge-pin. The AHFGCo. would fit the Fox-Kautzky single selective trigger to any Fox double old or new. The Sterlingworth was introduced in 1910.

Do you have a date for that Ballastite Squad No. 1 photo Drew? The photo is annotated Ballastite while the signs on the building and tree is Ballistite? Is that Tenth Grand American Handicap referred to on the signs the 1902 at live birds at Kansas City or the 1909 at inanimate targets? I believe the one gent standing has a Baker Gun Co. single barrel trap over his shoulder, which should make it 1909 or later. My take on that photo is one Winchester Model 1897, two Marlin pumps, one Baker single and the Parker Bros. double or remotely possible to be a Philadelphia Arms Co. Fox.

[Dean Romig]

Thanks for the information Dave.

Drew, some of the names listed in the trap races at the Marblehead Ma. club are familiar to me having grown up with only the city of Salem seperating Marblehead and my hometown, Danvers. Curtiss, Goodwin, Witham, Spoffard and I think a couple of others are old Danvers family names. I went to elementary school through high school with kids of those names.

[Drew Hause]

There may have been some Francotte SBT sold by VL&D in 1902, but I believe that pic is some time after the (10th) 1909 GAH at Targets.

This from the (Last) 1902 GAH at Live Birds
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL3904019.pdf
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL3905018.pdf

"This was the first time Harvey McMurchy, of the Hunter Arms Co. ever participated in a Grand American Handicap. He said it was about time the L. C. Smith gun won this event, even if he had to do it, himself. He come all the way from California just to shoot in the race, and brought Phil Bekeart with him; to help win the prize. Both fell down, but "Mac" did not mind it when Hirschy, Spencer and Heikes won in one, two, three order, all using L. C. Smith guns.
With the record-breaking score of 78 straight kills, Mr. H. C. Hirschy, of Minneapolis, Minn., shooting Winchester Factory Loaded Shells, won the Grand American Handicap at Live Birds for 1902, the first prize of $688 and a valuable silver trophy. During the tournament Mr. Hirschy shot at 102 birds, shooting through the entire week without a miss, a record never before equaled in this great shoot. He killed 12 straight in the sweep on Monday, 12 more on Tuesday, 8 straight in the G. A. H. on Wednesday, 8 on Thursday, and on Friday 9 more, completing the 25 straight. Then 10 more in the tie the same day, and on Saturday he finished 43 straight to win making a total of 102 straight. He used an L. C. Smith gun, 3 1/4 drams Hazard smokeless, 1 ¼ ounces No. 7 chilled shot in Winchester factory-loaded Pigeon shells."
"Rolla Heikes, of Dayton, O., winner of third place, had a host of friends who were rooting for him for all they were worth. Rolla started poorly on Monday and Tuesday, but settled himself on Wednesday and went straight. No one in the tie killed better birds than did Rolla, and two of his kills were wonders. His twenty-eighth in the tie was one of the finest kills made on the grounds, a fast rising outgoer which required the greatest judgment to cover and it fell dead nearly to the outer boundary. This shot brought continued applause from the hundreds who saw it. Rolla killed several of the kind of birds which had driven less skillful men to the mourners bench. He was using an L. C. Smith gun, 3 1/4 drams, E. C. powder, 11/4 oz. No. 7 chilled shot in U. M. C. Arrow shells."
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL3904021.pdf
"The choice of guns the list shows 390 of the American product, of which fifteen different makes were given. The imported weapons number 62 and there were fourteen different makers represented in the lot. This is a great victory for the American gun manufacturers, as the percentage of guns used is very much in their favor.
Last year there was 56 imported guns, with 200 shooters, or 28 per cent. This year there were only six more foreign guns, a total of 62 in a field of 456 shooters, or 13 per cent. The total number of foreign guns was about equaled by the number of Winchester repeating guns used."
Parker 105, Smith 114, Winchester 61, Lefever 21, Remington 12. Ithaca 4, Stannard 3, Colt 2, Syracuse 3, Baker 1. M. Ward 1, Young 1, Baltimore 1.

Here are all the Champions from the 1909 GAH, any of whom could have used Ballastite. Sporting Life was not reporting guns, shells, nor powder used at that time. I had to figure out what guns they were using from advertisments.
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL5317023.pdf

High Amateur Average- Bart Lewis, of Auburn, Ill. (Remington pump) 79/80.
High General Average (including 10 Pairs)- 97 out of 100 Harvey Dixon, (Smith) Oronogo, Mo. (Dixon won the 1911 GAH.)
High Professional Average for 16-Yard Single Targets- Mrs. Ad. Topperwein, (Winchester pump) of San Antonio Score, 79 out of 80.
High Average for Double Targets- John R. Taylor, (Winchester pump) 72 out of 80 targets.
Grand American Handicap- Fred Shattuck (Parker), of Columbus, Ohio.
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL5319026.pdf
Score 116 x 120 in a shoot-off over John R. Livingston (Winchester pump), of Springville, Ala., (19 yds.), William Wettleaf, (Parker) of Nichols, Ia., (19 yds.) and George E. Burns (Winchester pump), of Cleveland, O., (16 yds.)
High Professional Average- D. G. Barstow, 18 yards, 95 out of 100. (Remington pump)
Amateur Championship
D. A. Upson, of Cleveland, O., 188 out of 200.
Frank E. Foltz, of McClure, O., second, with 187.
Woolfolk Henderson (Parker), of Lexington, Ky., third, with 185.
Professional Championship
Fred Gilbert (Parker), of Spirit Lake, Ia., 193 out of 200.
W. H. Heer, (Remington double) of Concordia, Kansas, and J. R. Taylor, (Winchester pump) of Atlanta, Ga., tied for second place, with 191.
High Average for the Entire Tournament- Fred Gilbert.

[Researcher]

I see our hero Theophilus Nash Buckingham was shooting at the 1909 Grand, but looks like he should have quit after the afternoon practice when he went 19, 19, 20, 16, 19 for a 93. However, he isn't annotated in the "Gin Squad" cartoon on page 25. Others that are mentioned in Mr. Buck, The Autobiography of Nash Buckingham in the Gin Squad chapter, Bright Goodbar, B.H. Finley, and Hugh R. Wynne are listed in the cartoon.