doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Parker Bros pigeon gun

Research letters (from both the PGCA and LCSCA) will frequently document the original purchaser. Many Live Bird and Inanimate Target guns were however shipped to "Tuck" Tucker or Capt. DuBray (Parker Bros.), Harvey McMurchy (Hunter Arms), or Col. A.G. Courtney (Remington Arms) so we don't know who actually ordered the gun.
If someone has a name, it is easy to check for him in the Sporting Life archives.
https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll17/search

In Feb. 1898, C.W. Budd received on consignment a Parker $400 AAH Pigeon Gun SN 87449 with 30� Whitworth barrels F/F and 2 7/8� chambers. LOP was 14� and DAH 2 1/4� with a pistol grip stock and no safety. It weighed 7# 12 oz.

Scroll down here about 1/4 for a summary from November 23, 1901, The Sportsmen�s Review, in an article written by �Gaucho� (Captain A.W. duBray, Parker Brothers shooting professional & traveling salesman from 1884 to 1926) entitled, �A Few Remarks on Some Celebrated Guns.� DuBray lists some prominent shooters and the dimensions of the guns they used. Courtesy of John Davis
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1c7UkkNyMTZ9NAztILpzjSLKvgIneAw5i7eqkZ3d3Eno/preview

While many think of quite long barrels for "Pigeon Guns" Capt. Money in his book spent quite a bit of space on why 30-inch is right. When Remington made their Model 3200 Flyer Gun it had 28-inch barrels.

Homer Clark, Jr. won the World Flyer Championship in 1949 and 1951 with a rather short barrel Ithaca NID --





Donald Whittaker states in his article in The Double Gun Journal, Volume Four, Issue 2, that they were 25 1/4 inch?!? In the same article he states his mentor Billy Perdue suggests that 28-, 29- or 30-inch is best.

Homer Clark making his last winning kill in Madrid 1949 at 3 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqLxi9uZGew&feature=emb_logo

Those pigeons weren't going like most of the ones I've shot in recent years. Faster and more erratic today, IMO. I'm pretty sure I know the reasons, though.

SRH

I have had Homer's Ithaca pictured above in my hands.....
It really was a "piece of work" I found it ...... how do I say it? "Clunky" yes that came to mind then and I think it would still fit that description. Hell of a tale, and a tribute to a GREAT gun pointer, probably the fastest Boxbird shooter ever from this country. I have seen all of them over the last 47 years on both sides of the Atlantic.

At the time of his '49 victory it had gone through 3 barrel amputations ( started out at 30") and subsequent Jug Choking to arrive at the final 25" length.

Interesting gun, it was built on the Magnum frame of the NID's (500,000 serial numbers), had the cut through the bottom of the frame of as seen on the 10 bores, and some 12 magnums.
Yes, it was heavy.

I won't bore the board with any more drivel , but will close by quoting Homer as closely as I can recall when questioned about it. " God I hated that damn gun, but I needed a job"

It's not boring, nor drivel to me, Paul. Great story, thanks. What loads were they using in '49?

SRH

Of course I was not there but I know the Americans shooting there then including Clark and Allen had confidence in the Legia Star loaded in Belgium. However they told me that since all travel was by ship they often had the American shells of their choice shipped ahead. Homer was always a proponent of the 3 1/4 Dr eq. load (1220-1250 fps) as opposed to the HV often touted by others....I considered Homer to know more about shotgun shells/ballistics than any other American shooter with the possible exception of the great Mike Jordan, formerly of Winchester/Western and later Remington. Mike was from a generation later.

Stan- what makes you say that the "Airborne Poopsters" of todays competition are faster flyers than those shooters of Homer Clark's era encountered? My only experience curve with pigeons is the barn variety- and mixed in are the occasional racing club birds with the leg bands.RWTF

Great information mel5141. Thank you. I've recorded a few other NID trap configured guns built on the Magnum Frame. One has a magnum serial number and the other two have regular NID serial numbers?!?

From 1929 to 1949 Western Cartridge Co. offered a 1 1/4 ounce #7 or #7 1/2 Lubaloy Super-X "Live Pigeon Load" put up in their 12-gauge 3-inch RECORD hull.

Francis, of course I'm referring to the birds trapped and used for flyers today. I have no proof but have been told by handlers that the birds being held for a shoot are given very high energy food and drink prior to the shoot. And, there is the matter of the jolt of current they get when the trap is sprung.

Looking at tbe birds on that whole vixeo, and comparing them to the ones we shoot, it's my opinion that today's birds are faster out of the trap and more erratic. But then, I'm only comparing them to that one video.

SRH