One minor point of correction, Drew. The Iver Johnson Super Trap was the one offered with a beavertail, and it was a double barrel. The Iver Johnson Special Trap was the single barrel trap gun, and I don't believe it was ever offered with what was referred to as a beavertail. I have two of these, and the forend is a fairly long, straight, full forend .......not a beavertail shape at all. The literature described it as a "large trap style forend". You will occasionally see one of them with a shorter, smaller forend with a schnabel shape. But, I'm not at all certain that they were originally on these guns. Many Special Traps have had the original full forend replaced with the smaller one that is seen on the old Champions.
The early Parker reference is very interesting. Thanks for your research and postings.
SRH
BTW, if you enlarge the ad you linked to showing the Super Trap you can extrapolate that the wording says "The Beaver Tail forend blankets both barrels and
protects the fingers (possibly hands?) from heat".
