Parker with gold Inlay

[Bill Murphy]

Chris, you probably have the same reference I do of the Dupont salesmen going on the road with try guns. I think you sent me a copy of the "Dupont Try Gun" article. However Parker GH #158,664 was actually specified to be for the Atlantic City Trapshooting School on the Parker Brothers order. It was to be sent directly to A.P. Curtis, then to Atlantic City. The school may have been promoting a certain brand of shotgun, but it wasn't just Parkers because the Ithacas were marked with big white letters on the stocks as was the Parker VH 20. I believe, as you do, that there were more than one Curtis Parker try gun, but I have never seen one other than #158,664.

[CSL]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

Chris, you probably have the same reference I do of the Dupont salesmen going on the road with try guns. I think you sent me a copy of the "Dupont Try Gun" article. However Parker GH #158,664 was actually specified to be for the Atlantic City Trapshooting School on the Parker Brothers order. It was to be sent directly to A.P. Curtis, then to Atlantic City. The school may have been promoting a certain brand of shotgun, but it wasn't just Parkers because the Ithacas were marked with big white letters on the stocks as was the Parker VH 20. I believe, as you do, that there were more than one Curtis Parker try gun, but I have never seen one other than #158,664.

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Bill,
I'm just curious, are you sure about a reference on the Parker Brothers order page to send #158,664 to the Atlantic City Trapshooting School after A.P. Curtis was done with it?... And are you sure it was 1914?...

Perhaps I miss read the Parker Brothers order page, but I did not see any reference to the Atlantic City Trapshooting School, and I thought the date was 1916...

Just want to make sure my information and time-lines are correct...

Best, CSL
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[Bill Murphy]

Chris, you are right. Although the order for #158,664 was December 31, 1914, it was ordered by Dupont, to be sent to A.P. Curtis. No mention was made that it be sent by Curtis to Atlantic City. However, the date of the order was close to the opening of the Steel Pier Shooting School. The date of the article about the Dupont shooters going on the road with try guns was 1917. I think you have that original article. The price of the gun was $60.00, a 25% discount off the normal $80.00 GH price. The order for the VH 20 gauge was 1916. I wish we had order dates and customer information on the Ithacas. The Curtis Lefevers are even more of a mystery.

[Bill Murphy]

Drew mentioned the possibility that the gun leaning in the background may have been a Remington. I looks more like a pump gun than another Smith for sure. Is that Sousa holding the gun?

[CSL]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

Chris, you are right. Although the order for #158,664 was December 31, 1914, it was ordered by Dupont, to be sent to A.P. Curtis. No mention was made that it be sent by Curtis to Atlantic City. However, the date of the order was close to the opening of the Steel Pier Shooting School. The date of the article about the Dupont shooters going on the road with try guns was 1917. I think you have that original article.

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Bill, Do you have an actual reference to the shooting school opening in 1914???... From what I have found in research, I believe the Dupont shooting school opened in the early part of 1916 with Hank Stevens...

I'll check on the 1917 article you mentioned... I do have an earlier article from March 1915 where Fanning is educating a group of Dupont reps on the function of the Try-Gun, and then sending those men back to their areas of the country with their own Try-Gun for use at various gun clubs and shooting events...

CSL
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[Bill Murphy]

Chris, my date reference is not too ironclad. It is a dated reference to the school being in its "third year" or some such. I'll look it up.

[Mark Conrad]

Chris, I have additional information on this gun that I found in a repair. I can post it here or in a PM if you desire. I do not see this repair in your research letter.

Mark

[Bill Murphy]

Mark, are you referring to the gold inlaid 20 gauge gun or the GH #158,664? Thanks.

[Chris Davis]

Originally Posted by Mark Conrad

Chris, I have additional information on this gun that I found in a repair. I can post it here or in a PM if you desire. I do not see this repair in your research letter.

Mark

Mark - I believe this might be the longest delay in responding to a post in the history of the forum. I would love to hear about the repair. Posting the information here is fine. I can't believe I missed this. thanks, Chris