New to me Familyish Parker Tojan

[King Cobb]

I stumbled upon Parker 169517. It was a nondescript old Trojan with the barrel extension made in 1914. 12 gauge gun with 28 inch barrels. Price was cheap so I thought I would take a look.

Stock has basically had the finish all but worn away completely. Toe is chipped. Butt pad is a non parker replacement. 2 triggers, frame has a little bit of case coloring remaining, barrels have some blue but some worn away, pitting on the right side of the action. Something about the gun looked oddly familiar. I didn't recall any direct family members having a Trojan that I was aware of but I decided I would take a look. My grandfather and uncle were and are very detailed about keeping a log of guns they own or owned by serial number. I had a copy of my grandfather's and found nothing that matched so I hollered at my 82 year old uncle. He had never owned the gun nor had my grandfather, but he knew why I thought it was familiar.

My eldest cousin had used it to kill his first buck in the very early 70s and there is a framed picture of it with my cousin's smiling face framed in their living room with the weight, rack, and age of the deer along with the serial number for the gun written on a caption on the front of the frame.

Then I remembered the photo and probably why I clicked on the gun in the first place. The pitting on the frame of the gun is prominently visible in the picture of my cousin's face and when I was young I apparently thought it was cool engraving.

Anyway, the actual owner of the gun was my grandfather's hunting buddy and my uncle and mother's god father Sigurd Eckdahl. He was an old sweddish gentleman who was born in Stockholm and who passed away in the mid 70s. He served in WW1 and worked for the University of Texas as a trainer for the football team and in Physical Education department into the late 50s. I never knew him, but he was always spoken highly of by that side of the family.

Anyway, got the gun today, and am beginning to work on taking it apart. If I can get the dang sear rod to come out we will be on our way with refinishing that stock.

Oh, and on the photos, the 1st one is of him receiving a medal of some kind in WW1. Family story is that the gentleman presenting the medal to him is some French officer, but I am not certain on that.

The next 2 pics show him as trainer with the 1920 UT Longhorn football team.

The last pic references Black Gap. This was where he and my grandfather went Deer hunting in the 50s in Big Bend National Park. All I remember my grandfather ever talking about Black Gap was how bitterly cold it was when they hunted there and camped in tents. He said it was worth it though as the mule deer hunting was great.

[King Cobb]

Gun is now disassembled and what finish remained has been removed, however, its stock head was oilier than I realized so into the sealed tub of Acetone it goes.

[charlie cleveland]

i really like the storey of this trogan and what it had to do with your family...a gun like this is priceless...glad it found it s way home....charlie

[todd allen]

Nice catch, Bill. I am a big believer in gathering as much providence, and info on these old guns as possible. Do some research, ask some questions, and write it down.

[Tom Flanigan]

Wonderful story Bill. If you are not experienced freshing up the checking, I will do it for you gratis. I love family gun stories. If the barrels need to be done, I can do that for you too gratis.