New CHE on the Way

[ArtS]

Originally Posted by Mills Morrison

You are correct and that is the one

There are twice as many of mine than yours. I have a 25" GH Damascus that there were 3 made. They are almost a dime a dozen.

[ArtS]

Originally Posted by Bill Murphy

Dave, are these the pads that are nailed onto the buttstock? If so, I would remove the whole thing and start from scratch with a Hawkins or Silver pad.

I saw a note that the base was tacked and glued, then the top layer glued on. They would be easy to get off, but they have to be a pretty rare item from that period. I will leave it a while until I decide what to ultimately do with the gun.

[David Noble]

Originally Posted by Arthur Shaffer

I purchased a CHE on GB for too much this weekend, but it was an interesting gun.

Art, why do you feel you paid too much for that gun? Seems like a very fair deal to me.

[ArtS]

Originally Posted by Brian Dudley

The gun is likely not missing the hammers. Many parkers are described that way by people who dont know better. Because they cannot see the firing pins when the gun is cocked.


I can likely help with a D grade trigger plate. I know I have a few here.

Well, Brian is the winner of the Mystic's award. I received the gun today and there is absolutely nothing wrong mechanically with it. Whoever was assigned to assess the gun and do the writeup apparently never even snapped the triggers. It looks like it has been a long time since it was cleaned. There is a lot of crud in the screw slots and the engraving and checkering is dirty.

On the upside the gun is in better condition overall than I thought. The engraving particularly is much better than I thought. It has a little CC left aroung the triggers and inside. The engraving is very fine and in hand looks still sharp and unworn, though most of the finish is gone. The recoil pad is a cork center so I am sure it is an original from the same period as the gun. Unfortunately it is not really recoverable. The cork is compressed on the ends and flaking a little. The cork and plates are delaminating. I have a couple of new Silvers repros that will fit and will replace it with one of them.

The stock dimensions along with the full comb feels incredibly good, with an almost perfect hourglass sight picture that I prefer. The barrels, I believe, have been honed at some point in the past and measure 0.735 in both barrels with 0.041 constriction in the right barrel and 0.035 in the left. The chambers measure 2-5/8". MWT is .037-.040 behind the chokes and around 0.12 in front of the forcing cones. They need a good cleaning and the right tube has a few freckle pits (probable left from the honing) about 6 or 8" back from the muzzle but only barely visible. I may or may not polish them after cleaning.

Since there are a few compressions in the stock, I plan on taking it down, sonic cleaning, lubing and reassembling. While apart I will steam out the compressions as much as possible and install the pad. All in all I am really pleased with the gun, even though it will be primarily a pass shooting and turkey hunting choice. I will post some pictures when I get it together.

After getting the gun in hand, I am thankful that the class clown did the writeup. It probably deterred a lot of possible bidders.

[Drew Hause]

Odd that Walter Clark ordered the gun in February, then had it shipped to Cleveland Cartridge Co. Cleveland was a major promoter of trap shooting.
The 1904 GAH was in June in Indianapolis and Cleveland supplied the traps. I didn't find Clark in the list of competitors
https://digital.la84.org/digital/col.../37904/rec/115
nor was he listed in 1905
https://digital.la84.org/digital/col.../37132/rec/124

Found this re his father:
Hugh G. Clark was in business in Omaha from 1876 till his death in December, 1892. Beginning in 1876, he was in the general merchandise business until 1884, when he sold out, retaining the agency for various powder and dynamite companies only, which of late years has developed into a large business itself. In connection with a branch, conducted by his son, in Denver, Mr. Clark's business extended as far west as Nevada, and north to Montana.