Clark Gable Story

Pa SxS · 05-03-2014, 04:40 PM

For some reason I can't directly reply to Scott Janowski's thread on Clark Gable so I'll start another thread.

Recently I had the pleasure of talking to a gentleman in California who at one time owned an A-1 Special 20ga gun owned by either his father or grandfather. His relative was a golf course architect and designed the Rivera and Los Angles Country Clubs. As a gift the LA Country Club gave him the A-1 Special. While talking to him, he mentioned that as a boy, he went shooting with either his father or grandfather, I can't remember which, and watched his relative shoot with Clark Gable, Roy Rogers, Andy Devine, and some other famous people. It was either trap or skeet. He remained in contact with Gable and he purchased one of Gables guns. He told me that he later sold the gun to a dealer in California. This dealer wanted proof that the gun did at one time belong to Gable. This gentleman wrote to Kay Gable, Clark's widow and she verified that fact. I knew I had seen a reference to that. Check out The Parker Story page 647.

Now I don't know if it's the same gun, he may of had more than one. I can tell you that the stock book shows it as a CHE, 20ga, 2 barrel set, not a DHE. The ink stamp in some of the stock books is very faint and in this case, The D in DHE or the C in CHE is very faint. Roy Gunther made the determination that it was a C and wrote that in red ink.

Is this the same gun as in the article Scott posted? Can't really tell but both have a beavertail forend.

C.O.B. · 05-03-2014, 08:12 PM

If memory serves (here we go

) at one time Dave Riffle in Fla offered a CHE 20 two bbl set that was reputed to belong to Clark Gable.

Maybe someday either The Hollywood or Gunner's gun that belonged to C.O.B. will note worthy

Bill Murphy · 05-03-2014, 08:40 PM

Once, at a Millbrook Vintagers, a gentleman appeared at the PGCA booth with a Clark Gable gun. Maybe Kevin McCormack or Dave Noreen will remember the details. I am a little faint. It was a heck of a gun with serious provenance, as I recall.

Pa SxS · 05-03-2014, 09:16 PM

Rich, you do have a face for the movies...Horror movies

Researcher · 05-07-2014, 02:44 PM

This is the 32-inch BHE-Grade 20-gauge that spent time at our PGCA booth at Sandanona a couple of different years. Supposedly bought by Carol for Clark as a Dove gun --

As I recall it has a shaggy English Sheepdog they owned engraved on the trigger plate.

Larry the Gun Guy · 09-20-2014, 12:02 AM

I don't know if these were Clark Gable's guns, but this was sure his case.

charlie cleveland · 09-20-2014, 11:01 PM

nice.......charlie

Bruce A Lyons · 09-23-2014, 07:15 PM

My new desktop backround. NICE!

MarketHunter · 10-12-2014, 09:54 PM

That's a dandy case. What's the provenance on it?

Destry

Drew Hause · 11-05-2014, 02:15 PM

Gable in 1934 with his Cutts equipped M11

With John Barrymore skeet shooting in the Hollywood Hills

Gable gave Carole Lombard a 20g Crown grade Smith as a wedding present in 1939, but in this image from South Dakota they look to have switched guns. Her gun looks to have a Monte Carlo stock? His with gold inlay? One of the Parkers with a BTFE?