Invincibles

[Alfred Greeson]

Charlie, One other thing I finally found from your part of the country was a high grade Greener that was given to an old gentleman's grandfather who had worked on a plantation. He worked on a garbage truck in Memphis and it took me 3 years to finally find him. It was for real a high grade Greener in pretty good shape except that the old man had cut about 15 inches off the barrels, said he couldn't hit a rabbit with it to save himself, so, he fixed it!

[Dean Romig]

I wish, in so many ways, that we could go back.

[Alfred Greeson]

I know what you mean, but those times taught us to work hard and appreciate today. We will live and die with those good times memories and work to create the good days for our families today. I miss the pop of my Grandads little .410 bolt action. Always one pop and you knew another swamp rabbit was in the bag and away the beagles would go again. They made it through the depression and taught us well. The hardest lick I can remember as a child was from that same Grandfather. I was about 8 and carrying a quart jar of green beans and dropped it. I felt that backhand and it almost knocked me off my feet. No one said a word until we were on the way home and my Father said, "Son, do you know why he hit you?" and I said no. Daddy said, because you wasted food. Well, it was a tough love but I darn sure didn't drop food again. Good times!

[Kevin McCormack]

Originally Posted by Allan H. Swanson

I do not recall exactly, but Sheldon Gitman of Pottsville, PA had something to do with the Invincibles. I also recall that he may have owned at least two of them . My friend Rich Frutchy photographed them ,I do not recall the reason

Shelly Gitman owned both Invincibles for quite a few years prior to the Lyman gun coming onto the market after being repaired/restored in 2000. in late October of 1995, Shelly asked me to accompany him to Del Grego's to take 31 guns from his collection, including the two Invincibles, to have the guns photographed for The Parker Story. Del Grego closed his shop for three days while we took those photos.

Rich Frutchy was a former White House photographer (I believe under President Ford) and acted as the official photographer for the Del Grego sessions. Once our sessions were completed, other exemplary Parkers were photographed by various individuals in different locations. All of these efforts came together in final form with the publication of The Parker Story.

My good friend Shelly Gitman died in May of 2013.

[Alfred Greeson]

Once all the information is gathered, it would be great to see the story of all three Invincibles in the Parker Pages. I have read that one of them was offered on a trade in California years ago but the person wasn't interested. Just like the Czar Parker, the rumors and stories are numerous. I also read that one of them was owned by a wealthy gentleman in the Northeast who put it on a closet shelf in a bedroom. He passed away and later his wife sold the mansion and the new owner found the gun, in the case, still lying on the upper shelf. Got to be some great stories from these three guns. I still wonder about the guy who advertised in Double Gun Journal wanting to buy a 20 gauge Invincible for some time??? Was he just fishing or smoking some bad stuff or did he know something we didn't. Good chance he is reading this, Ha! Could there be a fourth one out there?

[ForrestArmstrong]

I hope the complete & true stories of all 3 from their beginnings to Petersen Gallery can be gathered, written up, published in Parker Pages or DGJ. Fascinating.

[Kevin McCormack]

Reread the earlier posts in this thread and you'll find pretty much all that's factually worth knowing about the Invincibles.

The conundrum of the Czar's Parker is a perfect example of creative/revisionist history which resulted in a popular mystery (e.g., "where is it and who has it?) that became self-perpetuating until records and documentation burst the bubble, so to speak.

The "wealthy gentleman from the Northeast" who shelved #230329 was A.C. Middleton, President of the Victor Talking Machine Co. The storage on the "slanted shelf" and subsequent disposition of the gun is well documented in TPS,

The individual advertising to buy a 20-gauge Invincible reminds me of a similar character who called me up in the middle of the night (literally) to tell me that he had found an Amish farmer who owned a (the) 4th Invincible and didn't know what to do with it.

"If you wait by the window long enough, they all come by."
- Lyn Nofziger, Press Secretary to President Ronald Reagan

[Bruce Day]

I am no expert but I am aware that there are some knowledgeable collectors who contend that there are some Grade 8 guns that are every bit as finely done as the known Invincibles. Just keep an open mind.

But the 20ga Invincibles are probably better.

[Dean Romig]

No question about that!

[ForrestArmstrong]

I'm certainly no expert either and I don't have access to the references above, the reasons I asked. Some of the A & AA grades shown in Parker Story look about as good as the Invincibles too. I have a Spanish double that comes pretty damn close too.