Picture 5 of 43 The Mother of All .38 Targets

[ABNRGR]

The first photo pictured today depicts a .38 M&P Model of 1902 First Change sent to C. E. Noalher of Endicott, MS. His engraved
large intertwined initials are featured in the photo. I believe that the engraver was William Gough of Connecticut who was employed by Parker Bros., and also worked for A. H. Fox, Colt et. al. and accepted work on commission from other gun makers. I own his personally engraved shotgun, with his initials in the same style, that he used as a member of the Parker Bros. trap team, pictured in "The Parker Story." The engraver was not mentioned in Roy Jinks' factory letter. Comments and opinions are welcome. Thanks.

 

[mrcvs]

The first photo pictured today depicts a .38 M&P Model of 1902 First Change sent to C. E. Noalher of Endicott, MS. His engraved
large intertwined initials are featured in the photo. I believe that the engraver was William Gough of Connecticut who was employed by Parker Bros., and also worked for A. H. Fox, Colt et. al. and accepted work on commission from other gun makers. I own his personally engraved shotgun, with his initials in the same style, that he used as a member of the Parker Bros. trap team, pictured in "The Parker Story." The engraver was not mentioned in Roy Jinks' factory letter. Comments and opinions are welcome. Thanks.

William Gough also engraved for Savage. Here's an example of his engraving style on a Model 1899.

'Savage 1899 engraved' | PREMIER COLLECTABLE FIREARMS SALE DAY 1

 

[mrcvs]

Also, please attach photographs to your post.

 

[ABNRGR]

38 Target

The picture I referenced above is up now, labeled Picture 19 of 43 from the Album, "The Mother of All 38 Targets!" by handejector.

 

[Model19man]

I think the OP was referencing this thread:


http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-hand-ejectors-1896-1961/378404-mother-all-38-targets-pic-heavy.html?highlight=Mother+38+Targets

 

[wheelgun610]

And here's the link to the photo album with the big pics...

http://smith-wessonforum.com/members/handejector-albums-mother-all-38-targets.html

 

[2152hq]

If the revolver was engraver/shipped in 1905,,I believe that would be a little early for Wm H Gough to engrave it,,at least in any sort of 'Master Engraver' level.

WH Gough was an apprentice engraver at Parker at the time. His teacher was his Father , Harold Gough.
Harold is William H. Gough's middle name as well.

Harold was a 'copper plate' engraver in England,,printing plate engraver who transitioned to steel engraving as that trade slowed.He came to the USA and settled in Ct and went to work at Parker.
Harold did high grade Parker engraving. Manymofhis works are signed in tiny letters around the trigger guard attachmnet hole.
I've got pics ofa couple if I canfind them. Guns that I worked on as restorations some yrs ago.

Wm Gough is often credited with the work,
Wm left Parker sometime around 1912 and went over to AH Fox in Philladelphia.
There is also John Gough, Harold's other son. Also an engraver who worked for Winchester starting around 1906 in their 'Design and Layout Dept'. That was shut down in '17 becasue of WW1 and never reopened after the War.
A few examples of his engraving work on Winchesters are around including engraving pulls and a coupple of pics with his name noted as the engraver. Much different style of cutting from William H.

As far as the style of letters/monogram,,the layout was likely (in my opinion0 just picked out of a book much like it still is today when specialized lettering sought for engraving or even stationary, invitations, announcements, etc.
Pages and pages of examples are given, engravers had/have volumes of them if they were in that side of the business. The customer rarely knew what they wanted or what the engraver could do.
Pics made it easy to decide. Still does.
Or the customer may have seen the style somewhere and liked it and wanted it used with his initials in a monogram.

The scroll pattern and the monogram are not difficult to cut. They are simple layouts. BUT if not cut carefully and with precision, they become second class very quickly.
That is true of any engraving work and what sets the best apart from the rest.
A simple straight line border can become an absolute distracting mess on a piece of work if the engraver allows it.

 

[handejector]

The gun was engraved in the S&W Factory almost certainly by Oscar Young.