Period correct cases

[Rick Riddell]

Was curious to see if Trojan through GH came with cases and what they may have been, I was thinking LOM or canvas and leather soft cases. Anyone know or perhaps hazard a guess as to what options these grades may have been offered with?

[OH Osthaus]

other will know better-

but i would guess that the lower grades were not shipped with a case but in a shipping box

and the buyer would get a case from the dealer - such as a Redhead LOM

[Bruce Day]

Rick is correct. Leg of Mutton breakdown cases were the most common. Kevin McCormack has a very nice one for sale in the forum sale section. Brauer Bros was in St Louis as was much of the leather and fur trade. If I was looking, I would not pass his up.

[Wilmurt]

What case(s) would have been appropriate for a Grade 3 top lever hammer from the late 1880's?

[Dean Romig]

I don't know which year Parker Bros. catalog this is from, but Parker continued to offer various cases throughout their years of gun production.

The Trojan I started hunting with in '60 or '61 had its original canvas take-down case with the extra pocket for the forend and a leather carry-handle and leather trim at wear points - much like No. 65 in the first illustration..

A little DHE I have was ordered in 1912 with an "Annie Oakley style case" according to the letter I ordered. (I have no idea what an 'Annie Oakley style case' is.)


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[Kevin McCormack]

None came with cases from the factory unless requested by the customer, but the Parker Bros. catalogs over the years offered a variety of cases of all types made by half a dozen suppliers. Occasionally the Order Books will include a notation specifying a certain type of case and/or reloading or cleaning supplies with the gun, and these were usually provided from the catalog offerings.

The customer had several choices - canvas 2-piece breakdown with leather trim, leather shell leg of muttons of varying quality and weights, and several styles of traditional English type trunk cases, including a real oak and leather style manufactured by Utica Luggage Co. of Utica NY.

These were manufactured and sold to compete directly with the English 'best' cases offered with top of the line British makers. I restored one of the Utica Luggage Co. oak and leather cases that the second Parker Invincible came in when it was ordered. It was full of mildew but luckily did not require extensive relining or repair, just "de-lousing."

The best of the 'very compact' (VC) trunk and motor cases offered by Abercrombie & Fitch were made by Brady of England (still in business today) and the Parker Reproduction cases are mimics of them with minor variations. I believe they were manufactured by Emmebi of Italy.

So far as I can date them, the heyday of American LOM cases was from about the late 1880s (catalog references) to just after WW II, when the ads for them from various makers began to disappear from Outdoor Life, Field & Stream, and Sports Afield.

[Wilmurt]

In my stash of old gun stuff from my grandfather I have one of the Canvas Gun Covers as pictured in the catalog Dean shows. Have to see if my top lever hammer fits. The gun cover doesn't fit any other gun I have. Maybe mystery solved.

[Wilmurt]

Bummer. Stock fits nicely, but 28" barrel too long.

[Rick Riddell]

Excellent Thanks guys!! I recently picked up a GH that has a canvas and leather case, hopefully the letter will list a case with it, now that would be a neat find!

[Bruce Day]

Many V and higher grade Parkers originally came from the factory in gun socks of tan muslim for low grade guns and chamois flannel for high grade guns. Few of these exist but reproductions can be made. The guns were boxed in cardboard, some exist. The ones I have seen were from the 1930s with Vs or Trojans still wrapped in paper. Sometimes the cardboard boxes were boxed in wood shipping crates , none known to me.

A person wanting to replicate period correct casing for most Parkers would use gun sleeves in a US made leg of mutton case such as Red Head, Brauer , A&F labeled, or H H Heiser if one can be found. High grade guns would sometimes use the costly Utica trunk cases, an oak and leather one such I have shown before with a little 20 C. Parkers bought from A&F might be purchased with A&F labeled LOM cases or the Brady made VC (very compact) cases, as stated by Kevin.

By the way, I have only seen a couple original Parker gun sleeves, but I have a Lefever E in what was purported to be its original green flannel sleeves in a LOM case bought new with the gun.