Circa 1900-05 Live Bird gun

[todd allen]

Nice ring, Frank

[Drew Hause]

What makes a Live Bird gun? Whatever gun Rolla Heikes happened to be using this week

Heikes was the first industry representatives in 1885, with the Lefever Gun Co. In 1895-96, Heikes participated in 67 tournaments (despite having malaria in the summer of 1895) and was high gun in 60 using a Winchester 1893 slide-action. He defeated Fred Gilbert in 1896 at the 2nd "E.C." Cup "Champion Inanimate Target Shot of the World" in New York and was 4th in the GAH at Live Birds. Prior to using the Winchester, he shot a L.C. Smith. He defeated Charles Grimm on Dec. 6 1897 for the Cast Iron Medal using a Winchester 1897.
He defeated Fred Gilbert for the "E.C." Cup at Chicago, August 13, 1898 with a score of 140 to 137 out of 150 targets, then successfully defended the "Cast Iron Medal" against Fred Gilbert at Eau Claire, Wis., in August and W.R. Elliston in Nashville in October.



In 1899 he used a Remington Hammerless Double to defeat E.D. Fulford for the "E.C." Cup in January and won the Sportsmen's Association Championship Trophy in the trapshooting tournament held on the roof of the Madison Square Garden in March. He used a Parker at the 1900 GAH at Live Birds, then went back to his Remington to win the first Grand American at Clay Targets held at Interstate Park in New York City June 12-15, 1900. In November 1900, he was using a new single trigger Remington hammerless double.
He was part of the victorious American team in the June 1901 Anglo-American Clay Bird Match using a Parker. He started 1902 shooting the Remington single trigger hammerless, then used a L.C. Smith at the Ohio State shoot and to take 3rd in the last GAH at Live Birds in Kansas City.
He came back from Typhoid Fever in 1904 to take HOA at the Dominion of Canada Exhibition Shoot in Winnipeg again shooting a Remington. In 1905 he began shooting a Remington Autoloading Shotgun and was 2nd High Professional at the 1906 GAH.

[Drew Hause]

Guns used at the 1899 Grand American Handicap at Live Birds
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL3305013.pdf
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL3305014.pdf
http://www.la84foundation.org/Sports.../SL3305016.pdf
Guns: Parker- 78, Smith- 56, Greener- 31, Francotte- 24, Winchester- 12, Remington- 11, Cashmore- 10, Lefever- 6, Purdey- 5, Scott- 6, Colt- 4, Daly- 3, Stannard- 3, Boss- 2, Richards- 2, Baker- 2, Forehand, Syracuse, Clabrough, Renette, Abbey, Spencer & Webley- 1 each.
Smith: C.M. Grimm, Charles Young, W.B. Leffingwell, Fred Gilbert (Gilbert switched to a Parker after the 1899 GAH), F.P. Stannard, J.J. Sumpter, J.S. Fanning, Fred Quimby, J.J. Hallowell (U.M.C. Co.), “Wanda” and Milt Lindsley, Wanda Shattuck, Fen Cooper, H.C. Hershey (Hazard Powder Co.)
Parker: Neaf Apgar, John Parker (Peters Cartridge Co.), Wilbur F. Parker, A.W. duBray, H.D. Kirkover, H.E. Buckwalter, L.W. Stoddard, Harold Money, C.W. Budd, J.D. Gay, George Loomis, O.R. Dickey, Ed Bingham, R. Merrill, C.M. Powers, Howard Ridge (Laflin & Rand Powder Co.)
“E.A. Sturdevant shot a 16-gauge Parker at 26 yards, with 2 3/4 drams Du Pont, and 1 ounce No. 8 and 7 shot. He killed 23, which was a very nice performance.”
Winchester Repeater: J.A.R. & Dave Elliott, Ed Banks (“E.C.” and “Schultze” Powder Co.), Ralph Trimble (WRAC)
Cashmore: T.A. Marshall, Dr. W.F. Carver
Francotte: Fred Coleman, Paul North (Cleveland Target Co.), J., C., & O. Von Lengerke
Remington: R.O. Heikes, Col. A.G. Courtney, Frank Parmelee, B. Le Roy (Remington, DuPont and U.M.C.) E.D. Fulford, George Roll, Captain J.A.H. Dressel (U.M.C. and president of the Interstate Association)
Greener: Capt. A.W. Money
Baker: “William Crosby, of the Baker Gun Company, made a good showing with his $30 Baker hammerless, killing 24 out of 25 in the big event, and 15 straight in the Nitro handicap. ‘Billy’ made last year’s record with 98 straight kills.”

1899 (and 1897) GAH Winner Thomas Marshall in Leslie's Weekly Illustrated, N.Y., May 4, 1899. Marshall, C.M. Grimm, J.G. Knowlton, J.A. Jackson, S. Hoffman and Geo. Roll (possibly standing behind Marshall and using a Remington Hammerless) all killed 25 birds. Marshall won with 33 birds in the shoot-off after Grimm missed his 32 bird.

[Drew Hause]

Remington "Pigeon Guns"; CE,DE,EE; 1902, courtesy of David Noreen

[Drew Hause]

A $75 Baker "Paragon Pigeon Gun" ($100 with AE) was offered in 1897 with 30" steel barrels, straight grip, and engraved pigeons. The Baker Krupp was introduced in 1904 and became the N Grade in 1906.

[Drew Hause]

October 19, 1895 Sporting Life
http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrar.../SL2604014.pdf
Dr. Williamson, of Milwaukee, Wis., has just purchased a new gun of more than ordinary proportions. The Doctor was quite taken with Carver's Cashmore gun, having long barrels and shooting a big load in a 3 1/4 inch shell; but desiring to give the American gunmakers a chance he ordered a gun from the Lefever Arms Company, of Syracuse, N. Y. but at the same time rather doubted their ability to make such a weapon as he desired. However, the gun was furnished and Dr. Williamson killed 79 out of 80 live birds on one trial, and 74 out of 75 targets, part being doubles.
The gun is a Lefever, 12-gauge, weighing 8 1/4 pounds, 32-inch barrels, and chambered for a 3 1/4 inch shell, and guaranteed to stand 4 1/2 Drams of “E.C.” powder, which is the amount of powder which he uses.
(1 1/4 oz. with 3 3/4 Dram “Schultze” was about 14,000 psi. “Schultze” pressures were somewhat lower than “E.C.”)

Another criteria might be a longer than standard chamber

At the 1895 Grand Smokeless Championship Handicap Live-bird Tournament, Capt. John L. Brewer used a Greener. His shells were the U.M.C. Trap, 3 1/4 inches long, 4 Drams of DuPont (Bulk) powder by measure; one trap wad, two pink felts, 1/4 inch 11-gauge wad and one ordinary 12-gauge pink edge wad over the powder and 1 1/4 ounces of No. 7 chilled shot; the shell had a very hard square crimp.

[Drew Hause]

Ask Destry what he was using