doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Annie Oakley's Guns

Annie was a performer, a vaudevillian. My pick for great woman shot of the old days is Plinky Topperwein. Of course the Topperweins (or Toepperweins) were performers as well, but Plinky did much better in competition. We have a great picture of her on the wall at the Spokane Gun Club, from 1911, when she posted a 99. Plinky was the first woman to shoot a hundred straight at clay targets, later did a 200 straight, and finally a straight run of 367. By the time of her death in 1945 she had 193 hundred straights to her credit in competition.

Tom Schiffer had an article on "Annie Oakley's Parker Number 30203" published in DGJ Vol 14 Issue 1 Spring 2003.

It's 16ga G grade which the order book "shows it to be a pistol-grip gun with a stock drop of 2 5/8 inches, a length of pull of 14 inches and a barrel length of 30 inches."

The article said later that No. 30203 had pull 13 15/16 inches, 2 3/4 drop at heel, 1 5/8 drop at comb, barrels 28 13/16 inches.

When I was collecting Marlins, back in the 60's, I owned an engraved .22 Lever action which was engraved something or other "Annie Oakley" I believe it was genuine...I sold a bunch of Marlin rifles, pistols, shotguns, handcuffs, legirons etc. to a guy named West, who lived in the Hollywood hills..A story in itself.........I think he wrote a book.

Salopian, I posted the stock dimensions of the guns I am aware of on the PGCA forum for you. In my opinion, the BHE was not made for Annie. Annie ordered very straight guns, uncommonly straight for the time. The 16 gauge Parker hammer gun seems more like a standard gun, not special ordered with her straight competition dimensions. The 16 is from very early in her career and probably procured as a hunting gun. I have seen and handled that gun and it appears to be a common store bought Grade 2. Schiffer states facts about the order that would seem to imply, contrary to my statement, that the gun was special ordered and later restocked, probably with dimensions specified. However, the guns original and present dimensions are very different from her later guns, and much closer to standard factory dimensions.

All well and good, troops- but what about her butt preferences? Pads, steel rimmed or checkered? Any "bottom line" datum on that, for if your butt doesn't fit your shoulder pocket, you won't mount the gun properly-

Still making progress.
Annie & Frank Butler were regular guests here in Shropshire as guests of Mr W.R.C.Clarke a Shrewsbury solicitor.
The Butlers gifted Mr Clarke a smooth bored rifle in 1881 and made a gift of another one to Mr. Richard Weekes of Broseley Shropshire in 1904. It appears that they were still visiting Shropshire, bird shooting up until 1922.

I was talking with Guy Smith on the telephone yesterday evening and he mentioned that he once owned an Annie Oakley gun that was later sold off to someone in America. He lives in the Shropshire area. You may know him but if not you can contact him via the magazine Countryman's Weekly. It is a bit of a whippet and ferret magazine but he writes the cartridge collector column under the pseudonym of 'Homeloader'. I have dealings with him as I supply some of the cartridge information and photos for his articles. He may have a bit more information if you contact him. I know he is going to the Midland Game Fair; I am not this year because of a new pup taking my time up. May be worth dropping him a line via the magazine. Lagopus.....

Thought I would resurrect this old thread in light of several sales of guns connected to Annie in the last few years.
Julia sold a c. 1893 Wm. Cashmore in 2016
https://www.morphyauctions.com/jamesdjulia/item/3254-394/

2 Parkers were also sold: a 16g top lever hammer SN 30203 30" barrels, 14" LOP & 2 5/8" DAH received in 1883 and sold in 2012
https://historical.ha.com/itm/long-guns/.../a/6110-44018.s

And a 12g hammer SN 48767 received in 1886 and also sold in 2012
https://historical.ha.com/itm/shotgun/si.../a/6079-44019.s

With some difficulty some of her early images have (likely) been dated; any with the flower embroidered skirt are c. 1885 (before she received her 4 Lancasters in 1887)



The image holding the Smith is 1899



There is a thread on the LCSCA Forum where I have posted images of her shotguns; one of her sitting probably also dating to 1885 - 1887 shows what appears to be the Scott forend lever latch, and another studio hunting scene very likely with a Lancaster back action sidelock. There are 2 images of another sidelock that I can't ID.
Please add your thoughts regarding the makers
https://members.boardhost.com/lcsmith/msg/1602898008.html

Annie's Ithaca 4E SBT was ordered with 1 1/2" drop at the face and 2 1/4" drop at the heel, LOP 14 1/4" on 11/19/15 and shipped to her on 1/3/16. It had a straight grip, BTFE, and Silvers recoil pad. Diameter at the grip was 4 3/4" inches to accommodate her small hand. Weight was 7 3/4 pounds. Pitch 3" (called "stand out" on the order.) Barrel was 32" full choke. Courtesy of Walt Snyder.

The gun is at the BBHC but appears to have been restocked with a Monte Carlo and classy white line pad



At Pinehurst courtesy of Bro. Walt