Parker with gold Inlay

[Bill Murphy]

Another 20 gauge Dupont Shooting School gun is #172,459, a VH Grade ordered in 1916. It had (or has) "The Parker Gun" in white letters. The GH Curtis try gun, mentioned in The Parker Story, is #158,664, ordered New Years Eve 1914, in time for the opening of the School, as I recall. No brand identification was placed on that gun.

[CSL]

The more I've studied and researched the early Dupont related "Try-Guns" the more it seems they had less to do with the Dupont Shooting School at the end of Youngs Pier, and more to do with being on the road with a select group of Dupont Powders factory reps touring as many gun clubs as possible in their respective territories... I'm also inclined to think there may have been more than one Curtis equipped Parker Try-Gun, but only the person in charge of the Parker records would know for sure... From what I've been able to find in my research, Jack Fanning was initially going to be in charge of the Atlantic City shooting school, but for whatever reasons, Hank Stevens assumed that Dupont position at Youngs Pier in early 1916... Fanning went on the road with his Try-Gun, which was probably the best way for Dupont to utilize a man of his skills and celebrity shooting status...

I have always suspected there was a great untapped story with the relationship between Parker Bros and Dupont Powders... I believe (head Parker store guy) Louis Parker and Jack Fanning were probably good pals. And who better to grease with gun favors (like a gratis Parker Try-Gun) than "Jack", an aging pro-shooter and respected shooting instructor who could recommend Parker Bros guns to people at gun clubs all day long... This would be like having Ty Cobb or Babe Ruth hanging out at the ball park telling kids what brand of baseball bats and gloves to buy... A sure thing, money in the bank...

Murph had mentioned an Ithaca single Curtis modified Try-Gun, which may well be the gun that Jack Fanning is sharing with other Dupont reps in the 1915 image below. Also looks like there is another single Try-Gun leaning against the table behind them...

Best, CSL
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[Drew Hause]

Chris: I scanned these images from the August, 1926 National Sportsman article by Fanning "Technique of Trapshooting"
It is similar, but longer, than "Trapshooting Hints by Jack Fanning" which appeared in Forest and Stream August, 1921 http://books.google.com/books?id=xUs...AJ&pg=PA356&dq

He looks to be in his 50s, and was shown shooting a Smith





The gun against the trap house may be a Remington pump, and that could be 'Hank' in the middle leaning over the try gun

[CSL]

Originally Posted by Drew Hause

Chris: I scanned these images from the August, 1926 National Sportsman article by Fanning "Technique of Trapshooting"
He looks to be in his 50s, and was shown shooting a Smith

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Drew that's a good one, I remember running across that article a few years ago, Murph and I were debating over whether or not that was a Smith he is holding... The straight on image you posted of Jack's mug looking directly at the camera was a rare occurrence, as he had this thing about always turning away for a profile shot in photos... Of the 7 or 8 original old photos I have of Fanning at gun clubs and other shooting events, most folks are looking straight ahead, and Jack is looking sideways in all of them...

Best, CSL
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[Drew Hause]

You've no doubt seen this DuPont trade card Chris: Jack Fanning, Tom Marshall, Fred Gilbert, Rolla Heikes and J.A.R. Elliott and all look to be 'seniors'
Elliott retired in 1912 to promote his "Elliott Ear Drum Protector" introduced in 1904

[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.

[Dean Romig]

This is the only picture I can remember seeing of a famous shooter of that era using a glove on his barrel hand.

[CSL]

Dean Romig;
This is the only picture I can remember seeing of a famous shooter of that era using a glove on his barrel hand.

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Dean,
Go back and look at the photo I posted of Hank, Jack, and Neaph, all three men are wearing gloves, Apgar's is on his right hand as he was a left handed shooter... Gloves on hot barrels back in the day of high volume competition shooting with splinter forends was very common...

Best, CSL
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