New CHE on the Way

[ArtS]

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.

[mobirdhunter]

A great production year, and an interesting gun.

[Researcher]

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

Huntley Recoil Pad H & D Folsom circa 1916.jpg

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

JOSTAM 1916 02 Sponge-Rubber.jpg

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

[ArtS]

Originally Posted by Dave Noreen

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.

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.

[J. Scott Hanes]

Originally Posted by Dave Noreen

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.

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

[Bill Murphy]

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.

[ArtS]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

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.

I saw a note that the base was tacked and glued, then the top layer glued on. They would be easy to get off, but they have to be a pretty rare item from that period. I will leave it a while until I decide what to ultimately do with the gun.

[B. Dudley]

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.

[ArtS]

Originally Posted by Brian Dudley

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.

Well, Brian is the winner of the Mystic's award. I received the gun today and there is absolutely nothing wrong mechanically with it. Whoever was assigned to assess the gun and do the writeup apparently never even snapped the triggers. It looks like it has been a long time since it was cleaned. There is a lot of crud in the screw slots and the engraving and checkering is dirty.

On the upside the gun is in better condition overall than I thought. The engraving particularly is much better than I thought. It has a little CC left aroung the triggers and inside. The engraving is very fine and in hand looks still sharp and unworn, though most of the finish is gone. The recoil pad is a cork center so I am sure it is an original from the same period as the gun. Unfortunately it is not really recoverable. The cork is compressed on the ends and flaking a little. The cork and plates are delaminating. I have a couple of new Silvers repros that will fit and will replace it with one of them.

The stock dimensions along with the full comb feels incredibly good, with an almost perfect hourglass sight picture that I prefer. The barrels, I believe, have been honed at some point in the past and measure 0.735 in both barrels with 0.041 constriction in the right barrel and 0.035 in the left. The chambers measure 2-5/8". MWT is .037-.040 behind the chokes and around 0.12 in front of the forcing cones. They need a good cleaning and the right tube has a few freckle pits (probable left from the honing) about 6 or 8" back from the muzzle but only barely visible. I may or may not polish them after cleaning.

Since there are a few compressions in the stock, I plan on taking it down, sonic cleaning, lubing and reassembling. While apart I will steam out the compressions as much as possible and install the pad. All in all I am really pleased with the gun, even though it will be primarily a pass shooting and turkey hunting choice. I will post some pictures when I get it together.

After getting the gun in hand, I am thankful that the class clown did the writeup. It probably deterred a lot of possible bidders.

[Drew Hause]

Odd that Walter Clark ordered the gun in February, then had it shipped to Cleveland Cartridge Co. Cleveland was a major promoter of trap shooting.
The 1904 GAH was in June in Indianapolis and Cleveland supplied the traps. I didn't find Clark in the list of competitors
https://digital.la84.org/digital/col.../37904/rec/115
nor was he listed in 1905
https://digital.la84.org/digital/col.../37132/rec/124

Found this re his father:
Hugh G. Clark was in business in Omaha from 1876 till his death in December, 1892. Beginning in 1876, he was in the general merchandise business until 1884, when he sold out, retaining the agency for various powder and dynamite companies only, which of late years has developed into a large business itself. In connection with a branch, conducted by his son, in Denver, Mr. Clark's business extended as far west as Nevada, and north to Montana.