The Sporting Clays Classic

[todd allen]

Apologies in advance for taking this conversation into the weeds.
I met Muderlak once or twice, and knew Larry Baer to some extent personally. Been to his house, etc.
That would have been a cage match if you got them in the same room together ;-)

[Bill Murphy]

Maybe Dave Noreen will post the classic Maryland pigeon shoot picture that includes me and Ed in a good mood. Ed and I had our "cage match" after I brought a carload of rare and interesting Parkers for his book to his son's house in Virginia. After a grueling day of photography and setup, two of my guns appeared in his book. I don't know whether we ever met or spoke again, and our cage match was only a dream. I ordered the book directly from Ed and requested that it not be autographed. End of story.

[Wild Skies]

It's a small world we travel in . . .

I first met Ed Muderlak and his wife at the Ace of Clubs drinking and eating establishment in Sagola at one of the early Yooper shoots. The Muderlak's and I had a very nice conversation, which mostly centered around their travels, his books and Parkers. This conversation eventually led to talking about what Parkers I brought to the shoot which included a Sporting Clays Classic. He loved the SCC and said it was a pity that Parker Bros. didn't yet have the technology to produce guns with choke tubes during their production. Although his wife didn't mention that she liked my SCC, too; I could see it in her eyes!

I also met Larry Baer at one of the Antique Arms Shows in Las Vegas. This is the show that I examined the first BHE/DHE engraved Parker Reproduction 0000-frame .410 I had ever seen. This gun was on Paul Dorsa's table and was for sale. Larry Baer had a Parker Reproduction A-1 Special 28/28/.410 3-bbl. set in-the-white for sale on his table. It was this Baer's 00-frame 3-bbl. set that I measured to compare it with Dorsa's 0000-frame to properly recognize and identify as an actual 0000-frame gun, as I had never seen one before. What was doubly rare, odd and unusual was that it was a BHE with DHE engraving -- which turns out to be one of only three known to exist -- at least to my knowledge.

[Bill Murphy]

Ed's wife is one delightful person. I miss visiting with her.