The old days

[Dean Romig]

I have a copy of a "Hunting & Fishing" or "National Sportsman" from the 1930's, when WHF was editor and publisher, advertising a DHE .410 for $100.
There is a possibility Foster was selling his own gun here. It was either Jonathan or Bill (his grandsons) who told me that Grandad sold his graded Parker .410 in order to help cover college tuition costs. I'll look around for the ad and post a picture here.






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[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

I have a copy of a "Hunting & Fishing" or "National Sportsman" from the 1930's, when WHF was editor and publisher, advertising a DHE .410 for $100.
There is a possibility Foster was selling his own gun here. It was either Jonathan or Bill (his grandsons) who told me that Grandad sold his graded Parker .410 in order to help cover college tuition costs. I'll look around for the ad and post a picture here.

Okay, pursuant to this esrlier post of mine, here’s the ad mentioned above.


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[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

Okay, pursuant to this esrlier post of mine, here’s the ad mentioned above.


.

Now there's a .410 I would buy!

[Phil Yearout]

I haven't been at this nearly as long as most of y'all; my first ever double gun came from a flea market - a 16ga Stevens 5100 which I still have. I can think of two shotguns and several rifles that I bought at gun shows, and two shotguns from gun shops. The rest all came from folks on the web sites, either by referral or from inquiries I placed, and usually from folks I knew or at least had seen on these sites a lot. I've never bought a gun off a classified or a web site, and I'm not sure I ever want to.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Ah, Gunlist The Good Old Days... Before the Evils of The Internet

Life was simpler, a touch slower, And most of all more personal

My best guns came from my true friend and Mentor, one Wiley Bower

A fine West Virginia ex pat

....Living in a small town in Northeast Ohio

He had a lifelong interest in Parkers and deep connections, likely going back

to the mid 1950’s

A true southern gentleman

A Dedicated grouse hunter, with an exceptional English Setter by his side

He lived the part.

It was a simpler time

I am better for knowing Wiley

Rest In Peace my friend

[6pt-Sika]

I met an older gentleman about twenty years ago he used to frequent the shops in my area . He was big into period single shot rifles . His two fav cartridges were the 22 Hornet and R2 Lovell . Anyway he showed me five or six guns he’d bought out of the classified adds in the Washington Post . All were Ballard , Stevens or Sharps based guns and all came with pretty much hand made shooting kits (mold powder measure priming tool etc) . Granted this was stuff he bought in the 50’s and 60’s . Guy was a big time groundhog hunter , he and the Clark brother that ignited himself while welding on top a keg of black powder on the back porch of Clark Brothers Gunshop in Warrenton VA hunted groundhogs together from a specially rigged flat fender jeep .

[Bill Murphy]

Scott Hanes, I don't know about the Rich Wingle sale. Tell us about it. I knew Rich well, saw him at shows buying guns even after he was ill.

[John Allen]

Rich Wingle was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He owned several hundred fine double guns. He started liquidating them to all of his gun trading friends at really cheap prices. He showed up at the Louisville show and sold over 30 Parkers while confined to a wheelchair. I had sold him a few guns in previous years. He wheeled up to my table and sold me a 12 gauge DHE for $600. He got rid of most all of his guns before he passed.

[Bill Jolliff]

Rich Wingle made it to the NE Classic at Ernie's, maybe about 4 or 5 or 6 years ago?

He was in a wheelchair then and greeted his old friends.

A nice surprise seeing him but somewhat depressing seeing him wheelchair bound.

[Bill Murphy]

I last saw Rich at Allentown. He was in the final stages, but he wrote a check for a high dollar gun, can't remember what it was. He just couldn't quit.