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

There are several features available on a Parker that were ordered on pigeon guns. However, a Parker with all the "pigeon" features is a rare bird. Start with "no safety". Next is 30 to 34 inch barrels. Next, and a rare option, the flat rib. Next, and almost as rare, is the absence of an extension rib, only available on a non ejector gun. Although Parker didn't seem to offer a no extension option on an ejector gun, we know how to build such a gun today. Stock dimensions are not a "feature" of a pigeon gun because each shooter has his own favorite dimensions, not always high and long. Depends on the individual. Do any of our posters know of a Parker pigeon gun with all of these features on one gun? I have gotten close on a couple of Parker pigeon guns, but it seems like they all lack at least one feature.

Bill...

I'm waiting on the letter (not sure how long that takes) but not sure if a letter will provide much info either way. The reason for the OP is because, I pulled the stock and it's not drilled for the safety jacket. Leading me to believe the gun never had a safety even with a slot cut for one. The gun has 30" Bernard barrels, concave rib with dolls head. The stock is a ball grip.

Apparently, your gun has one of the common features of a pigeon gun, a "safety delete". Your letter may indicate an original owner who shot pigeons competitively, but his gun lacks several of the features that would make up a full house pigeon gun. Let us know if there is any additional information in your PGCA letter.

Received the letter. The gun letters but no Titanic barrels and I�m positive the butt stock is original. So I�m thinking this gun was ordered for live bird shooting. The high point for me is 2 3/4� chambers in 1897? Also at some point aftermarket ejector were added.

What a find! Fred Lord was a well-known Chicago trapshooter, and was a Professional Trade Representative for Winchester with the great Fred Gilbert. He managed tournaments of the Chicago Trapshooter's Association
https://books.google.com/books?id=EZMwAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA457&lpg
https://books.google.com/books?id=6JbaHddByIUC&pg=PA208&lpg

2 7/8", 3" and even 3 1/3" chambers were common with Pigeon guns - not for more shot (limited to 1 1/4 oz.) but more wadding. 1 1/4 oz. 3 1/2 Dr.Eq. was the standard 12g Pigeon load of that era.

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.

Toward the end of 1901, Fred Gilbert received his new Parker DH SN 103649; no dolls head, no ejectors, 32� barrels, ordered by Russell Klein, Gilbert�s brother-in-law
https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll17/id/41367

Parker #150583, a CHE with 32" Acme steel barrels, 2 7/8" chambers, no safety, �extra full comb�, and Silvers pad was completed for J.H. Anderson August 6, 1909 with a straight grip, DAC 1 7/16�, DAH 2 1/4� and LOP 15�.

Sporting Life reported guns and loads used by competitors at tournaments and the GAH 1895 until about 1902; I'll see if I can find Fred and his Parker. He did not compete at the 1901 GAH at Live Birds
https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll17/id/42076

Surprised to find nothing in Sporting Life archives until Lord competed at the 1905 GAH, and guns used were not documented
https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll17/id/37132/rec/534

He won the Illinois State Amateur Championship (Smith Cup) in May, 1905
https://digital.la84.org/digital/collection/p17103coll17/id/36947/rec/619

Fred Gilbert's 3-inch Winchester LEADER shells --

Here he is in 1905 at Watson's Shooting Park, Chicago. Looks to be using a M1897