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what ever happened to La Becasse Ltd (?) guns? I believe they were located in Vermont?? I was looking back through some of the pictures Dave made at some of the Vintagers shoots in the past and saw several pics of Jack Dudley and his wife (?) Dani of La Becasse (or is it Le Becasse??) All or many of those folks seem to have dropped out of sight. And what happened to the gentleman named Poudrier (I think I spelled it correctly) Are they and the Vntagers still around?

The Vintagers are no longer. Except in local chapters. There is one here in NC.

and in Denver.

If my memory is correct I am pretty sure Jack he called it a day he went to work at one of the big auction houses

That was a while back so he may have retired

John
Quality Arms

I think Ray Poudrier (sp?) may have passed. I met him at the first Vintage Cup shoot. He seemed to be the major domo.
This was at Abbyville East in RI. 25-30 years ago.

Is it centered near Sanford where the annual shoots are held?

Is this the group that holds the shoot at Whittington center in New Mexico every year? I usually get an invitation to attend, and always plan to, and have never made it there yet!! Between back problems and shoulder replacements and weddings and funerals with family back in North Carolina I just have not been able to get up there to Raton yet. Maybe this year!!!

That's correct

The Virginia chapter (Old Dominion Vintage Gunners) has near monthly shoots at different locations in-state. Earlier this month we had a two day shoot in North Carolina. We started at Rose Hill Sporting Clays in Nashville, NC and then the next day at Hunters Pointe in Washington, NC. Several NC vintage shooters joined us. It was a good time in spite of the 104 temperature. The national chapter has been dissolved and there has been talk of reviving it but there is no one of the caliber of Ray Poudrier to take charge and put in the time and effort.

Sadly clientele are dropping like 🤔. I remember when local dealer talked to young buck at gun show regarding fine Parker he brought to sell. This was about decade ago and fella was told that he could not offer him good price because clients who would buy it from him were not around anymore. He used to sell high quality military guns before he closed Warrenton business and went to work for North Eastern auction house.

Gun buyers and collectors have always gotten older and died. They keep getting replaced by younger guys.

That dealer was trying to lowball the young Parker guy
The young Parker guy was there to exchange his gun for cash. You should have approached him with a fair offer as soon as he walked away from that dealer. Time spent at Gun Shows is for finding deals you'd likely not find just walking into a gun shop. They are not a place for paying an admission fee to just kick tires.

For the record, Ray Poudrier is alive and well.

Well that is good to hear!! I Googled him and others and never could actually get anything definite on him. I saw mention of Bob Rowley in relation to the Vintagers. I also ran across Jack Dudley and his wife living now apparently in Kittery Maine. No social media trails and no further mention of anything Vintager (original) found anywhere. The one thing I found that I did not know (if it is correct) said that Jack Dudley was a co-founder of the original Order of Edwardian Gunners. I was always under the impression that Ray was The Man, but I also never knew anything about them except from the pictures that Dave always posted after the big shoots. I saw Doug Turnbull and Dave Trevallion menitoned in several places. It is kinda sad to see that original group fade away. Oh well!! Hopefully there are some younger ones that will take the reins. And, of course, there are the scattered groups around that are still active. I would like to shoot at least once in one of these gatherings before I go away myself.

We have a chapter in houston that myself and Bob Duncan started in 2003

We were set up as a vintage’s set up but now just a good grown of guys shooting only the sbs shotguns

Small club about 25-30 members

With one exception all old

John Boyd

The NE chapter of Vintagers still holds a shoot every August in Vermont in Burke. It is a 2-3 day event and well worth attending. The chapter has an email list and I’m sure you can Google and have your name added.

Keith, spot on, as usual...