Provenance- What do you have in your safe?

[Mike Murphy]

The closest I come is a Browning Continental set (20ga. / 30-06) that belonged to the late Robert Urich of "Spencer for Hire" and movie fame. He was a member of one of the gun clubs I belonged to. I also have a Rigby Hammer gun circa 1888. Goodness knows who previously had owned it over those many years.

[Chris T.]

Hi Daryl, What grade is the 20 ga.? I have a nice one in the same configuration also, I believe you looked it over at Ernie's last summer. Hope to see you there again this year!

[Double Lab]

It's a VH Chris It's interesting that a pro shooter ordered it without ejectors. He also specified the amount of pitch he wanted, something I don't think I've ever seen on a factory letter before. Maybe Chuck has seen pitch mentioned in some of the letters he has done. Hope to see you all at Ernies.

[StubTwist]

I have an 1896 LC Smith Pigeon ordered by WG Sergeant from Joplin, MO. It is a straight grip with ejectors and 30" barrels.

Researching the old Sporting Life magazines, WG Sergeant was an amateur trap shooter who was a pretty good shot winning events and prizes in the amateur trap shooting tournaments in the area. The Joplin Tournament on May 9, 1896 Fred Gilbert won first prize of the three day event with general average of 92.7 breaking 445 targets out of 480. WG Sergeant came in fifth place with a general average of 88.9%.

He was secretary of the Missouri and Kansas Gun Club, and was influential in the development of the game of trap. Initially, trap shooters using new disks participated in teams of six, one man behind each of five trap houses and an “extra” that rotated out after position number five. In, 1885, W.G. Sergeant of Joplin, Missouri, changed the game to incorporate three traps known to be called the Sergeant system. Two years later, five shooters were shooting from five stations behind one trap. So the game remains....

This is the gun I use in my trap league.