This particular gun has been featured in SSM and the DGJ, and is in two books (cover of one).
This Parker Bros. AAH Pigeon Gun has been used in various pigeon rings by myself and Destry, himself, has pulled the trigger a few times. It was state-of-the-art when made in 1896, being the 24th or 25th Whitworth fluid compressed steel barreled shotgun made in the USA. Although S/N 83550 was the quintessential pigeon gun circa 1890s-WWI, times change and few SxS's are seen nowadays at live bird events because of the money involved. The absence of a safety was not definitive: The preceding S/N 83549 has a pistol grip and a safety, and of the 20-or-so of these guns I've seen and handled, most have a safety.
The first few year's production of the AAH Pigeon Gun were marketed at live bird events by the S/N 83550 gun's owner, S. A. "Tuck" Tucker, and also Capt. A. W. duBray, who had an AA Pigeon Gun (one of 5 hammer guns made in this grade, thus no "H"). Soon, however, AAH became a vanity grade, and next lost its identity as a dedicated live bird gun once they were offered in bore sizes other than 12 gauge. About 260 of AAH-grade guns were made from 1895 until WWII. The 28-gauge Parker Gun made by Conn. Shotgun for Remington @ $49,000 (or more) is AAHE grade (H = hammerless; E = ejectors).
As to the pad, some prior owner who used the gun for its original purpose did what he though was right at the time. Many of the knights of the trigger back when pigeon shooting was the national sport were large for the time, over six-foot, 200 lbs plus. Pictures I have of "Tuck" show him to be of medium build and probably 5-foot-eight or less (DuBray was 5-foot-five). The way the pad is attached to the stock on a plastic spacer probably shows the original SSBP pull to be the standard 14 1/8 to 14 1/4-inch. I had often thought of having a leather cover installed over the hard rubber pad (strictly cosmetic), which is a $250 job; as it is, the pull and drop suit me @ 5-foot-10 and 185#.
As to removing and replacing the original stock as one of the usual suspects suggests (rather than having a leather covering installed on the pad), all he needs to do is send Ivory Beads a good check for the appropriate amount--doing such an ill-advised procedure accrues to he who owns the gun. All the rest is just bluster. EDM
