Vintage trap guns

[Idlefellow]

I love shooting trap, mainly because I get to shoot my vintage trap guns. I'm not particularly good at it; anything 20 or over out of 25 is a successful round for me; a 23 or 24 makes me ecstatic. I've never shot a 25 of 25 but I keep trying.; maybe someday . But seeing these old boomers in the gun rack or on the line next to all those fancy new-fangled guns and still doing the job they were built for is a real hoot for me; I wish my shooting would do them justice but it is what is it. These are single barrel guns, all completely original and made specifically for the sport, 12 gauge of course, with ejectors and 32" barrels.

The top one is an Ithaca 5E, c. 1929. These Ithacas were kinda the Cadillac of trap guns back in the day. I always wanted one and this one is in beautiful condition. The middle one is Orphan Annie, my Parker Brothers SC grade made in 1924. I bought her with her barrel cropped to 27-3/4" (why I can't imagine) but just couldn't pass her up. I shot her that way for a good many years and she always did her job, but eventually I stumbled onto an uncut 32" barrel. I still have the shortened barrel but I use the longer one now so she doesn't feel self-conscious standing next to all those other long barreled guns. The bottom gun is an Ansley H. Fox J grade made in 1932. I've always loved Fox shotguns (my favorite bird guns are Fox side by sides) and I once said I'd trade my other two for a nice Fox. But when this one showed up the owner wasn't interested in a trade, and I couldn't have turned loose of the other two anyway. I had to do a pretty hard sell on the Comptroller of the Currency to add it to the stable. Anyway, thought I'd show them off on a summer day too hot for anything else...

 

[Aussiemike]

I love shooting trap, mainly because I get to shoot my vintage trap guns. I'm not particularly good at it; anything 20 or over out of 25 is a successful round for me; a 23 or 24 makes me ecstatic. I've never shot a 25 of 25 but I keep trying.; maybe someday . But seeing these old boomers in the gun rack or on the line next to all those fancy new-fangled guns and still doing the job they were built for is a real hoot for me; I wish my shooting would do them justice but it is what is it. These are single barrel guns, all completely original and made specifically for the sport, 12 gauge of course, with ejectors and 32" barrels.

The top one is an Ithaca 5E, c. 1929. These Ithacas were kinda the Cadillac of trap guns back in the day. I always wanted one and this one is in beautiful condition. The middle one is Orphan Annie, my Parker Brothers SC grade made in 1924. I bought her with her barrel cropped to 27-3/4" (why I can't imagine) but just couldn't pass her up. I shot her that way for a good many years and she always did her job, but eventually I stumbled onto an uncut 32" barrel. I still have the shortened barrel but I use the longer one now so she doesn't feel self-conscious standing next to all those other long barreled guns. The bottom gun is an Ansley H. Fox J grade made in 1932. I've always loved Fox shotguns (my favorite bird guns are Fox side by sides) and I once said I'd trade my other two for a nice Fox. But when this one showed up the owner wasn't interested in a trade, and I couldn't have turned loose of the other two anyway. I had to do a pretty hard sell on the Comptroller of the Currency to add it to the stable. Anyway, thought I'd show them off on a summer day too hot for anything else...

Beautiful guns and great shooting mate I am jealous. Orphan Annie was it named after Annie Oakley? I saw a great doco last week about her.
Idlefellow do you call .410g shotguns fox guns over there? I know a lot of people that use them for foxes over here, but usually call them snake guns.

 

[Idlefellow]

Beautiful guns and great shooting mate I am jealous. Orphan Annie was it named after Annie Oakley? I saw a great doco last week about her.
Idlefellow do you call .410g shotguns fox guns over there? I know a lot of people that use them for foxes over here, but usually call them snake guns.

Have never heard that term used Mike. The Fox guns I'm referring to are the side-by-side double shotguns made by the Ansley H. Fox Company of Philadelphia, PA and later by Savage Arms. Below is my favorite, my 16ga A Grade AH Fox made in 1923. As for Annie's name, she's named after Little Orphan Annie, in the cartoon strip by Harold Gray. I named her that because she was sort of an orphan; nobody wanted her with her cropped barrel and she languished in a local gun emporium before I "rescued" her.

 

[Aussiemike]

Have never heard that term used Mike. The Fox guns I'm referring to are the side-by-side double shotguns made by the Ansley H. Fox Company of Philadelphia, PA and later by Savage Arms. Below is my favorite, my 16ga A Grade AH Fox made in 1923. As for Annie's name, she's named after Little Orphan Annie, in the cartoon strip by Harold Gray. I named her that because she was sort of an orphan; nobody wanted her with her cropped barrel and she languished in a local gun emporium before I "rescued" her.

I love it, great name I know the strip but only oakley came to mind prob because I enjoyed to doco so recently. Great picture too. 20ga and 16ga are pretty unknown over here just, .410 or 12ga is all I have ever used or known. I have used dads series 100 Bentley 1968 double barrel 30" since I was a kid and its still going strong not as old as your beaut ones. The pic below isn't mine I just got it off google saves me pulling it out. H. Fox Company ahhhh I get it not the animal

 

[Ranger107]

Beautiful guns Idle. Would love to have one like any of them. Only gun I ever actually bought for trap shooting was an upgraded Weatherby Orion. A beautiful gun with gold inlay on the receiver and beautiful Walnut stock and fore end. Shot well but was a very heavy gun. Only shot 25 of 25 twice in my life, both times with my ex father in laws model 12 Winchester. Don't know how old it was but it was a beautiful gun and he shot like a pro from growing up wing shooting pheasant. Lol.

 

[Bill (w/eoPd)]

I had to do a pretty hard sell on the Comptroller of the Currency to add it to the stable.

What did you tell her?

 

[Idlefellow]

What did you tell her?

I think it was something like, "This will be part of my estate when I'm gone," but it might have been, "Remember that necklace you loved last week?"

 

[Maierar]

Ljutic SxS space gun.

 

[Aussiemike]

View attachment 20144
Ljutic SxS space gun.

More info Maiear? beaut gun!

 

[Maierar]

I am a bit of a Ljutic collector. I have a Space Gun, a 4-barrel skeet set, a couple of he’s O/Us, and a couple of the company’s trap singles. The really interesting ones are the space guns and early trap singles made by Al himself.

 

[Maierar]

Here’s my Trap Singles Space Gun:

 

[Aussiemike]

Here’s my Trap Singles Space Gun:
View attachment 20175

Wow and Wow a wild looking gun there nice.When I get a chance i will look at the history of them thanks for sharing.

 

[Idlefellow]

A guy at my club shoots one of those; he probably thinks MINE are the funny-looking ones !