Old Cases

[Bruce Day]

Russ, Parker Bros originally supplied gun sleeves with shotguns. For lower grade guns, Dave Suponski has an original gun sleeve set, a long narrow one for the barrels and a separate one for the butt. They had a fold over, string tie top and were of an olive drab loose weave cotton. Dave was kind to loan to me his original set and my mother made a duplicate, which I have posted photos of in the past. For higher grade guns, Parker used an artificial chamois fabric, a tan cotton flannel of the same shade as the real chamois that is sold in auto parts stores for washing cars. I know G's were supplied with the cheaper fabric sleeves, A's with the higher grade chamois. I assume the divider was V-D, cheaper fabric, C's plus would be the chamois. I have seen Dave's original sleeve set and one A grade sleeve set. Original Parker sleeves seem rare and I suppose many were thrown away when they got holes in them or dirty. The A set I saw was not in good shape. I do not know if the practice of supplying gun sleeves survived into the Remington era.
Galazan sells gun sleeves of a thicker than Parker original flannel, with the Galazan logo imprinted on them.

A chamois is a European mountain goat. Today, "chamois" sold for washing cars, gloves, etc is made from a specially processed sheepskin. Deerskin is close but not the same, its thicker. Shakespeare ( US made in Kalamazoo, Michigan) used to supply its machined and jeweled fishing reels in chamois flannel bags in a sturdy cardboard box to keep the reel from damage, and with a replacement parts package. Now today, stamped part fishing reels come from China in a blister pack and try to find the parts to fix one. They are just throw aways when they get loose or malfunction. Don't get me started.


Added: I looked at my Galazan sleeves, and they are some kind of synthetic fiber flannel adhered to a mesh backing. They have a drawstring top. I think if a person really wanted to be authentic to the Parker originals, he would have to make his own, because the originals were cotton fabric and a fold over top with wrap around and tie ribbons. The original chamois ones use a fabric like those L L Bean chamois cloth shirts.