Winter Parker Pages

[Andy]

Mail date is "tentatively" Nov 17th. Then Thanksgiving and USPS and whatever other forces. Got mine two days ago. Who really cares about other collectors publications, quality is worth waiting for. And I'm not even joking here. : )

[edgarspencer]

I agree, Don, there were some really interesting reads in the PP. I was interested in the .410 Dupont gun which Shelly Gitman had upgraded to A1S.
SG guns have become my latest favorite topic, and this is yet another of the great Runge - Delgrego creations.

[Kevin McCormack]

Originally Posted by edgarspencer

I agree, Don, there were some really interesting reads in the PP. I was interested in the .410 Dupont gun which Shelly Gitman had upgraded to A1S.
SG guns have become my latest favorite topic, and this is yet another of the great Runge - Delgrego creations.

Shelly indeed ran with the Parker "Big Dogs." One of his closest friends was Dr. Robert C. Snavely of Hagerstown MD, one of many "country doctors" who transitioned through the post-WW I years through the roaring '20s and into the Great Depression as a small town family physician. When times really got rough, patients unable to settle their bills often offered the good Dr. family guns in trade for services rendered. Over the years Snavely accumulated a fair number of Parker guns, some very high grade and unusual.

During the winter months when little or no competition shooting was held, once a month on Sunday Shelly would hop into his Corvette with 3 or 4 notable guns from his collection or recently acquired and make the 2-hr. drive down to Hagerstown to spend the day with Dr. Snavely and examine and talk about Parker Guns.

Attached is a photograph of the good Dr. along with another of a letter dated July 7, 1937 signed by Walter King, documenting the Parker Gun ordered by Annie Oakley. Dr. Snavely is shown holding that gun in the photograph. He died in 1985.

Blurry and hard to read, the letter states:

"Dear Sir:

We are advised by our Mr. Bracher that you are the owner of a Parker double gun, 102516, and that you would like what information and records we have relative to this gun.

Our records show that it is a 12/30 BH and was made for Annie Oakley and sold to her care of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show in April, 1901. That is all the information we have relative to the gun and its sale. How long Miss Oakley or Mrs. Butler, as her married name was, shot this gun we do not know.

Very truly,
W.A. King
Parker Gun Works
Remington Arms Co."

[6pt-Sika]

My copy was in the PO box today but I'm not sure when it arrived as I'd not checked the mail all of last week .

I enoyed the Charles Norris article as well as the oe on the annual meeting and the one on this years Rock Mountain shoot . I'm sure Ill find others that intrest me its ust those three were I'd read here at the shop today .