A Fred Gilbert SBT

[John Davis]

How did the gun shoot?

[Mills]

The gun shot fine. Me, not so much. Julia did best of all of us

[charlie cleveland]

good for Julia...guess we know who this gun will be shot by....charlie

[Drew Hause]

Lots of information on Fred here
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...iW-cpc/preview

Fred Gilbert’s Parkers
“The Phantom of Spirit Lake” started with a Smith. After winning the First Grand DuPont Live Bird Championship, he was appointed representative of the DuPont Company, with the entire United States as his territory. He briefly traveled for Lefever, shooting one of the company’s doubles, before switching back to a L.C. Smith. Orders for Live Bird guns poured into Hunter Arms with the “Fred Gilbert Specifications”: drop at comb of 1 3/8 inches; at the heel, 2 inches; length from trigger to heel, 14 1/4 inches; trigger to toe 14 1/2 inches; and trigger to center of butt 14 inches; with a full pistol grip and 30-inch full choke barrels.

After the 1899 GAH he switched to a Parker
https://digital.la84.org/digital/col...oll17/id/43586

Order Book No. 41 records BH SN 83855 placed into stock in Jan., 1896 consigned to Fred Gilbert. The stock book lists a D5 hammerless, 0 extras, Straight Stock, 12 gauge, 30" barrels, Damascus barrels.

November 23, 1901, The Sportsmen’s Review, in an article written by “Gaucho” (Captain A.W. duBray, Parker Brothers shooting professional & traveling salesman from 1884 to 1926) entitled, “A Few Remarks on Some Celebrated Guns,” du Bray lists some prominent shooters and Gilbert was reported to be using a Parker with 30” barrels; 1 3/8” DAC; 2” DAH; 14 1/4” LOP with a Pistol Grip (which appears to be his Smith; his BH had a straight stock).

Toward the end of 1901, Gilbert received his new Parker DH SN 103649; no dolls head, no ejectors, 32” barrels, ordered by Russell Klein, Gilbert’s brother-in-law
https://digital.la84.org/digital/col...oll17/id/41367

Gilbert, Klein and John Burmister operated the Okoboji trap club in Spirit Lake. Both Klein and Burmister were accomplished shooters and Klein used a Smith at the 1899 GAH
https://digital.la84.org/digital/col...oll17/id/43586
then a Parker
https://digital.la84.org/digital/col...oll17/id/43599
https://digital.la84.org/digital/col...oll17/id/40027
https://digital.la84.org/digital/col...oll17/id/40273

In 1917, Fred took delivery of a Parker SBT SN 180116

Gilbert continued to compete thereafter, but at a gradually slower pace, troubled by high blood pressure and arthritis. Remarkably, in 1919 at age 54 he made a straight run of 589 and had the highest average of his career - 97.53 percent on 6,860 targets.



He was 2nd in a shoot-off after 199 in the 1921 Professional 18 yd. Singles GAH
https://books.google.com/books?id=Ob...J&pg=PA476&lpg

[Mills]

Have Gilbert's SBT's from other manufacturers surfaced?

[Drew Hause]

From 1899 on he was a Parker guy Mills.

October 1919 Forest & Stream
The straight stock gun does not have the finger groove FE
https://books.google.com/books?id=F9...J&pg=PA568&lpg

Outers' Recreation, November, 1919
Finger grooves back
https://books.google.com/books?id=l3...J&pg=PA383&lpg

[Autumn Daze]

I used to own 180115 Close but no cigar!

[John Davis]

I believe Gilbert was referred to as "The Wizard of Spirit Lake."

[Jeff K.]

These pictures are from the ATA museum at Sparta.

[Drew Hause]

John is correct. After the Du Pont World's Pigeon Champion in 1895 one enthusiastic sportswriter proclaimed Fred Gilbert the “The Wizard of Spirit Lake” and it stuck.
He was still referred to as such in the Sporting Life December 19, 1914 announcement "The Du Pont Company Plans to Pay Tribute to Fred Gilbert"
Fully 500 clubs are expected to hold “Fred Gilbert Anniversary Shoots” and figuring on the most conservative basis of an average of 15 shooters at each club, it will mean that 7500 shooters THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY will assist in doing honor to a man long known and loved by thousands as “The Wizard Of Spirit Lake”.

BTW Dr. W.F. Carver was “The Evil Spirit of the Plains”