The Ultimate Duck Gun...... - Page 5

C Roger Giles · 07-08-2009, 11:19 PM

Resoldering a forend lug is a rather simple job as I had to do it on my GH 12 a coupla years ago.

Roger

MarketHunter · 07-09-2009, 04:19 AM

Rich,

I traded for it, finally made the deal I'd proposed two years ago at the Southern.

Jess,

It does swing like a dream, I've been picking it up and shouldering it every time I walk anywhere near it since I brought it home. *laughs*

Destry

John Truitt · 07-09-2009, 06:38 PM

Destry,
Whats the unstruck barrel weight?
The 34" ers are great guns. I havent meet one yet I didnt like or fall in love with.
Now you need to find yourself a nice 36 "er.
How about some pics when you get the time.

MarketHunter · 07-12-2009, 04:58 PM

John,

The unstruck weight mark is 5-2.

I shot a round of trap and then a round of skeet with it this morning. Seems to fit me like a dream but my trap score was abysmal.

The skeet score wasn't bad, an 18 I think, and with a 9 pound full and full gun I'll take it every time.

Some of the boys at the club like old guns and are always interested in what I'm shooting. When they asked what I was going to shoot first with the new gun, I said it didn't matter, I could shoot either one just as poorly.

I'm always on the lookout for something with longer barrels but this one will sure do till the 36 inch model comes along.

Destry

Old and Reliable · 07-12-2009, 06:26 PM

Sounds a bit like our mutual gunning hero- T. Nash Buckingham- in his "Are we shooting 8 gauge guns- he recalls a 1928 "Baptism to the Wm. H. Foster clays sport" at the Campfire Club in NY with Colonel Harold P. Sheldon and Captain Paul Curtis- to shoot 98 out of 100 with a "cannon" like Bo Whoop- 32" Full and Full Burt Becker/Fox/Sweeney 12 bore-

Never have been a clays man, prefer live birds, especially pigeons. Years ago when I acquired a "Non-Parker Trap Gun" so to speak, we would use such tightly choked shotguns for a game we called "Full Choke Skeet"- everything was "Jake" until the middle peg, as Nash even said "Such an incoming shot in the quail field would be foolish- you would pulp the bird and make it unfit for the table" or words to that effect. I might have averaged 20-21 at that "altered" skeet game in my way younger days. not now for sure.

Bill Murphy · 07-13-2009, 02:36 PM

I don't recall that Colonel (Whelen) was mentioned as an attendee at the Campfire Club skeet outing, doubt that he ever set foot on a skeet field. However, the little Bob Owen 20 gauge that Captain Curtis was shooting that day apparently came up at auction last year without any mention in the auction catalog about its provenance. Someone got a rare and sweet little gun but the new owner may still not be aware of its interesting history. Colonel Whelen did own at least one shotgun that I am aware of. It was a try gun that was used by the stockmakers in his Washington, D.C. gun store, Parker-Whelen. Two of those stockmakers were in rarified territory in the woodworking world. They were the famous Griffin and Howe stockers James Howe and John Hutton. The old try gun has had a rough yet productive life, but is still in good shooting condition and gets out a couple of times a year.

Don Kaas · 07-13-2009, 03:22 PM

I was Col. Harold Sheldon who had the Owens 20g gun and shot skeet with Paul Curtis and TNB. On their way back to D.C. they shot pigeons at my Club as guests of Eltinge Warner, publisher of Field & Stream.

Bill Murphy · 07-13-2009, 03:28 PM

Both Curtis and Sheldon had Owen 20 gauges. It was Curtis' gun that was sold last year. Welcome back, Don, sorry I missed you this weekend.

Old and Reliable · 07-13-2009, 03:34 PM

You, Sir, are correct. I went from memory on the Col.s question as to whom was with with Capt. Curtis and TNB back in 1928, at least I got the rank correct-had plenty of opportunity to salute both the "Light" and the "Full Bird" gentleman of that 0-5 and 0-6 stature in my years in the USMC.

Sort of recalls the words of wisdom from Casey "Stinky" Stengel, former manager of the Yankees, later the Mets: "You can always look it up in the book". I had loaned my copy of the GBE "The Best of Nash Buckingham" (there was never anything but the BEST from that fine Southern Gent'man) to a friend, who just returned it. Nash had class, and first-rate manners afield, respect for ladies and was a story teller from who laid the rail.

I have heard stories about Elt Warner at Field and Stream, believe he preceeded Ray P. Holland, another one of my legendary gunning heroes. Have also read stories about the "tree huggers" and "Green Peacers" trying to close down the storied Philadelphia Gun Club, and I hope you can prevail against their ill-founded attempts to close your Club.

One of my married sisters lives near Valley Forge, we were there recently after a 3 day visit at Gettysburg, then on to Ocean City, MD. to visit another sister.

\Valley Forge looks a bit different now than it did in 1954 with the Boy Scout Trip, great country, so close to Philadelphia, yet so remote. Toured the Eisenhower Farm; Ike had a skeet field there, and except for one shotgun in a glass case (an Italian mfg. autoloader perhaps) all his Winchester 42 .410's and his doubles, except for his Winchester M21 20 bore which apparently resides in The Olde Dominion, also his Granger fly rods, are on display at his Museum in Abeline Kansas, according to the Curator present to whom I posed this series of sporting equipment related question.

C Roger Giles · 07-13-2009, 04:08 PM

I have a copy of a letter that I copied from the original that was sent to RG Owen from Mr. Curtis remarking of Owen's fine workmanship. RG's son has the original.

Also have a copy of a letter that Kermit Roosafelt (sp) sent to RG Owen commenting on his fine workmanship he did on his rifle.

Roger

BTW I tried to give Destry an extra copy I have of both letters but he ignores me on this generousity.