Originally Posted by opoefc

Vern Eklund wrote the article in the Journal about the Littlefield-Parsons Gutta Pacha boxes and found the molds & dies, etc. Gutta percha was used to make many different types of "cases" or containers for many items besides revolvers. I've had , or seen, them with decks of cards, Cribbage boards, comb & brush sets, needles & thread spools, etc. I've also seen those converted from non-gun uses to gun uses, so if you are offered a S&W in a gutta percha case that does not have the Model One image on the lid, or the Stand of Flags image, beware. Some years ago, I had about 8 reproductions made up of the Gutta percha case belonging to Gen. George Armstrong Custer and sold these cases at S&WCA meetings as reproductions. They are exact replicas of Custer's case, as that case was used for the mold. I have seen them pop up occasionally as "original" S&W cases since then, however I had several small changes made, known to a few, in order to distinguish these cases from original S&W cases. Ed.