A.W. du Bray's great grandson

[edgarspencer]

Bruce, it simply boggles my mind how you pull this stuff up. I struggle with whether I took my pills this morning.

[C.O.B.]

The guns of Arthur DuBray would make an interesting article. He led an interesting life from his narrow escape of going with General Custer to being a top salesman for Parker. A friend has a W.C. Scott Premier grade pigeon gun that the rib is inscribed "custom made for Arthur DuBray. It has the finest engraving of any gun I've ever seen.

[John Davis]

June 18, 1910, The Sportsmen’s Review, “Capt. Arthur W. DuBray (‘Gaucho.’) Learning that one of our old-time friends and correspondents is going to leave Cincinnati to take up his abode in California, we take this opportunity of presenting this sketch to our readers, who doubtless have read many articles from his pen, signed ‘Gaucho.’
Arthur W. duBray is an Englishman by birth and parentage, a naturalized American citizen and a cosmopolitan. At an early age he went to South America, where he spent several years on the Patagonian frontier in the days of Indian raids, when game was plentiful and when a good sound horse and a couple of powerful, plucky dogs and the best of firearms for companions were about all that constituted his belongings. There he enjoyed fine sport, chasing ostriches and deer, shooting an occasional puma and plenty of feathered game. He speaks both French and Spanish, and at one time when using them almost exclusively was as fluent in them as in his own language.
Upon reaching the United States, Mr. duBray devoted several years to his favorite sport, game shooting, and in Minnesota, when duck, grouse and snipe were plentiful, enjoyed excellent shooting.
In 1875, having met with financial reverses, he joined the army, and in 1876 was stationed at Fort Seward, North Dakota, adjoining the present site of Jamestown. There he had the honor and pleasure of meeting General George A. Custer, and at their meeting the general, himself a thorough sportsman, and knowing of Mr. duBray’s passion for shooting and a wild, roving life, offered to take him on the campaign that ended so disastrously to himself and his famous crack regiment, the flower of the army, the Seventh United States Cavalry. Owing to an unlooked-for delay, occasioned by the general not being in command of the fatal and memorable campaign, orders for Mr. duBray to join it were never issued, as in the meantime the general with the greater part of his valiant command were annihilated.
Upon the return of the remnant of this superb regiment to their winter quarters at Ft. Abraham Lincoln, he received an appointment in the quartermaster’s department at that post, and in the spring of 1877 he went afield with his cherished regiment on the Nez Perces expedition. Here he was fortunate enough to come under the observation of that splendid and most intrepid Indian fighter, Colonel F. W. Benteen, who then commanded a battalion of the Seventh Horse, and after an engagement with the Nez Perces Indians, Colonel Benteen made special mention of Mr. duBray in an order that was read at the head of his battalion. Such an honor emanating from one of the foremost Indian fighters of his time, Mr. duBray regards as the most important event of his life and the climax of his checkered career, and even today, when speaking of his idolized Colonel Fritz, he cannot do so without feelings of the deepest emotion.
In the following year he again took the field with his beloved regiment in the pursuit of fugitive Cheyennes, and saw some hard service in that campaign.
During these two expeditions he had exceptionally fine shooting at antelope, elk, deer and buffalo, and always kept his mess well supplied with game, even when in a hostile Indian country, and as he generally accompanied the foremost scouts he naturally had many lively experiences when away from the command.
In December, 1890, Mr. duBray left the army and accepted the position of traveling salesman with Parker Bros., his fondness for guns and shooting causing him to take this course. During the succeeding years he has traveled in the interest of his company through the South, the entire west coast, Canada and Mexico, and is now going to take up his residence in San Francisco as resident agent there.
As a writer for the leading sportsmen’s journals he has been before the public for nearly thirty years, and has contributed gratuitously many articles on shooting, guns, etc. He is now regarded as the leading exponent and firm believer in small-bore guns for upland shooting, and was the first writer to bring twenty-bores into prominent notice, having learned while shooting with his friends in Texas what these small bores can be made to do.
It is with profound regret that Mr. duBray is leaving his southern field of work, for, as he has said, he only too well knows that nowhere can he find more loyal, sincere and true friends and companions than those he has made among the chivalrous Southern sportsmen, whose memory will always remain as one of the brightest episodes of his life, and to whom it pulls hard to say good-bye, for they entertained him in their homes, divided share and share alike with him afield, and invariably treated him with frankness, kindness and courtesy.”

[Bruce Day]

The accounts of the time of DuBray tell how he would shoot sea ducks in the San Francisco Bay wetlands, perhaps with the same gun his grandson is inquiring about to sell. Lot of family history there. I’m sure glad I have my grandfather’s gun, although it sure isn’t anything high grade or special except to me.

Edgar, I was in San Francisco a few years back and stayed at the Marine Memorial Club. Lines of flags with battle streamers carried at Guadalcanal, Tawara, Iwo Jima, Saipan , where my father was. It’s always a humbling experience. Too bad the old quarters at the Presidio where I used to stay for almost nothing are closed. I thought I’d walk on down to the Sutter, go to Tadich, and old North Beach. All those places that Dashiel Hammett wrote about are there.

[James Palmer]

Sea ducks in the bay were fantastic this yr....

[John Davis]

Been trying to attach a copy of du Bray's gun list. If successful, you'll see the AA is the second gun listed.

[John Davis]

The list is actually two pages.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Originally Posted by John Davis

Been trying to attach a copy of du Bray's gun list. If successful, you'll see the AA is the second gun listed.

I owned #97426 a BHE 28 Gauge ..... during the time The Parker Story was being written...

I sent photographs to be published in the book

However since the gun was an exceedingly early 28 gauge
..straight grip
... Titanic Fluid Steel barrels #97426 1901?

and was equipped with
Automatic ejectors....

The photographs of the gun were returned to me unpublished
As at the time, the order books for that year had not yet been discovered
And the authors of the Parker Story were unable to verify the guns originality
....My guess is it was suspect because it was too early to be a 28 gauge

It seems likely to me, that upon the return of that salesmans sample 28 Guage by Mr. du Bray to the Parker Factory

The ejectors were likely added by the factory or had actually, in fact- been original to the gun, as this is one of the first 28 gauge fluid steel guns ever built

And it was clearly intended to be shown with all the “modern amenities” as it had been Mr. du Bray’s sales tool....

To add further interest, I acquired the gun in the late 1980s
....out of the Cincinnati Ohio area

Sadly, I no longer own the gun, however, I have some very nice digital photographs which I will hope to find and upload in the next week or so...

The engraving is a very unique and gorgeous deep relief

...almost in the expression of the first A1 special

[Southpaw]

Great stuff, I think Scoop Romig will find all this interesting.

[Trap3]

I would like to see the Live Bird Trophy...

Enjoy the Sport

Trap3