An Invincible Trojan?

[Bill Murphy]

Oh, now I see it, engraved sideclips. By the way, another upgraded Trojan was done years ago by New York engraver Steve Olin. It is worth looking at if you ever get the opportunity. I have no idea who owns it now. A Trojan is a good basis for upgrading if you have a set of non ejector Parker barrels with a severely damaged doll's head to use. How about a 32" Damascus Trojan. If you have a rough set of Damascus barrels in either #1 or #2 frame size, cut off the doll's head and install them on a Trojan. What a great project gun that would make. Our late friend, Russ Bickel, installed Trojan barrels on a late hammer gun to make a very nice serious shooting gun. Now that Russ is gone, another Parker smith should take up his method of installing hammerless barrels on hammer guns. He claimed it was a piece of cake. Of course, that was Russ Bickel talking.

[Mike Poindexter]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

By the way, another upgraded Trojan was done years ago by New York engraver Steve Olin. It is worth looking at if you ever get the opportunity. I have no idea who owns it now.

Bill: An Olin engraved 12 ga A1S upgraded Trojan was sold in Denver a few years ago by MW Reynolds, Ltd. for around $8K. I have no idea who bought it, but I followed the gun from its upgrade in the 90's by Denver gunsmith Gene Hopper, who told me he, "just wanted to see if he could do it," who sold it restocked and in the white to Bill Molnar of "The Gun Room" on Broadway in Denver, who then commissioned the engraving by Olin, the checkering by I forget who, the final rust bluing and case hardening by Turnbull, and the stock finish by I never knew who. It was finished in about 1998. Molnar kept it for over 10 years before consigning it to Reynolds. Just like the one in Dean's pictures, Gene hand-filed out the frame panels and the bolsters around the breechballs, and the American Black Walnut stock had some of the darkest prettiest feather you could hope for, and wood to metal fit that was almost impossibly perfect. The more I look at it, the more the green pad and cabinet finish in the background look like Reynold's store to me, so this may be Gene's gun when Reynolds posted it on GunsAmerica. I just don't remember the gold inlay on the trigger guard. As anyone who knows double guns in the Denver area knows, Gene is one of the greatest unsung gunsmiths in the country. Semi-retired now in his 70's, he only does select work for himself and friends, and prefers wood to metal any more. I count it a blessing to know him.