John Phillip Sousa AAHE Pigeon Gun

Who cannot recognize a Gershwin tune or a Sousa march. Nice to know that a fine AAHE is now in the care of a person who will appreciate it. I wonder where Mr. Sousa's Ithaca shotguns are now? I have seen two LC Smith shotguns that may well have also belonged to this great composer and Trapshooter- at Quantico in the USMC National Museum. Mae and I visited there last June/July (2009) after our summer trip to: Gettsysburg, Valley Forge (and Devon), Wilmington, Dover, Ocean City, Norfolk and then Williamsburg VA-

Of course, you can't see them up close, any more than the guns on display out in Cody. When I was at Quantico years ago, Skeet was more popular, although they had a Trap range, with the older pipe, rod and lever linkage system and a Trap Boy in the house doing the loading. Reading the cycle of that older style mechanism would often give the shooter 25 straight-away targets at 16 yards.

[Bill Murphy]

Francis, it's a small world. The human who is owned by my Wirehair's littermate is a curator of the new Marine Museum. He actually occasionally posts on one of these forums. He is a serious bird and duck hunter, as are most people who mess with Wirehairs. A bit more about this "small world" business. Kevin McCormack used to shoot the Quantico bunker and I shot the Quantico International Skeet program and was a member of the Quantico Rod and Gun Club. Some more of the Sousa guns are closer than you think. Of course, he had a bunch and some are hard to document.

[Pa SxS]

Murphy, you sly dog, you always tell of being a Parker bottom feeder. How was your visit to Hatfield Pa?

[Bill Murphy]

Did not go and I'm a little sick about it. What did you think about the glass ball thrower and the "shooting gallery"? They were the hottest items in the sale, but I wouldn't have minded looking at the double trigger 21 with 32" barrels. Did you go? What did you see and buy? I could write a book about the old days at that place.

[Bill Murphy]

OK, so the Sousa Ithaca is in Vandalia, but where is the Daly single barrel that he gave up for the Ithaca? Anyone know?

[Pa SxS]

Bill,

Never been to Alderfer's auction. Growing up I knew of them but just assumed that they were the run of the mill local auction type. Guess they've moved up to a higher level. I just find it kind of ironic that the two places I've lived in my life, Souderton Pa and Harrisburg Pa, two of the most desirable Parkers have been sold within a few miles and I never knew about them. The AAHE in Hatfield and the AHE 410in Gettysburg. This all happened before I became a PGCA member.

[Bill Murphy]

Kevin, thanks for the rehash of the auction of John Phillip Sousa's AAH pigeon gun. It was a great day at the auction house, unfortunately not for me. For years I have been on the trail of Sousa's original Lindner Daly Diamond Grade single trap that he shot before his Ithaca was made. I have known for years of its location and the history of its ownership since Sousa bought the Ithaca in 1917. This year at the Southern Side by Side, I was able to add the great gun to my collection. His Ithaca single, of course, as Chuck says, is in the ATA Hall of Fame Museum.

[Pa SxS]

Bill, knowing you, pictures will be here shortly

Send them to me if you still haven't figured out how to do it.