doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Der Bingle's Purdey

Bingo-- found confirmation in the website: "The Vintage Magazine" Bing did own a Purdey, and at his request, it was engraved with song lyrics.. Further details yet unknown, but at least it confirms my guess that he did own a "London Best"--RWTF

A couple of decades ago I was at the Pinehurst Golf Resort hotel in Pinehurst, NC for the week-end. Originally the resort was formed a hundred years or so for shooting mostly as the area and country side was mostly scrub pine land swarming with quail. I recall that on the walls of the hotel in a hallway leading to the restaurant a number of photos of past events at Pinehurst; and these included some photos of Hollywooders of the 1930's with their double guns in hand. Bing was among them.

A couple of decades ago I was at the Pinehurst Golf Resort hotel in Pinehurst, NC for the week-end. Originally the resort was formed a hundred years or so for shooting mostly as the area and country side was mostly scrub pine land swarming with quail. I recall that on the walls of the hotel in a hallway leading to the restaurant a number of photos of past events at Pinehurst; and these included some photos of Hollywooders of the 1930's with their double guns in hand. Bing was among them.

When I was a boy in the 1960's, my neighbours were an elderly couple who, I found out later when it meant something to me, had managed Jimmy Robinson's Sport Afield Lodge at Delta Marsh. And on the walls of their home was a collection of photographs of them with a veritable who's who of Hollywood in the 1930's, 1940's and 1950's. All taken at the Lodge or in the marsh.

I remember recognizing Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable but there were dozens of others, all with guns in hand. Would love to go back and see these photos again.

Back in the 70's there was a show that was on TV every Saturday afternoon called "American Sportsman". I remember they would have celeberties on the show hunting or fishing. I remember one episode of Bing Crosby hunting quail.

STILL wonderful

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bomO58sLhc

I recall another American Sportsman with Bing and his buddy Phil Harris shooting pheasants in Iowa. And one of Andy Devine ("Jingles" on the old "Wild Bill Hickok" TV show) shooting woodcock.

The pheasant show was shot in Nebraska. My fave was Bing and Phil shooting sand grouse in Africa with 28 gauges.

The one with Andy Devine shooting woodcock was in Louisiana I believe and he was shooting a .410 if memory serves me.
His son Tad is a member of the L.C. Smith Collectors Association.

Andy was shooting his .410-bore Parker. There were some pictures of him with it in the museum in Kingman, AZ.