Early Trap Guns

[Austin W Hogan]

I have a page from the Parker order books dated 1882 that Ron Kirby sent me by mistake. He thought I was asking for 26745 (but I had 26145) and sent me this page devoted to a Folsom order, with 26745 in the middle. The scan is not very sharp when compressed but there is a line on the left about one quarter of the way up the page. Above it at mid page is an entry "Trap Gun Butts" and below it an entry "not trap butts". All of the guns on the page are 30 or 32 inch 10 or 12 ga, quite normal for the time. There is a 5$ surcharge for 10 ga to $75. The entry is a logical progression; 12 ga 30 in increasing in weight, followed by 12 ga 32 in increasing in weight, 10 ga 30 in increasing in weight, then 32 in 10 ga increasing in weight; followed by a similar list of not trap butts of similar progression but shorter. The entries are in that progression but the serials do not proceed in numerical order. The weights are from 7 1/2 to 9 pounds in 12 ga and 9 1/2 to 10 pounds in 10 ga.

Trap gun butts and not trap butts appear to be the only differences specified in the order

Best, Austin