That Was One of Th

CORRESPONDEN C E EDITOR ’S LETTER “ f you hunt with your boy “Fast & Fancy Shooters,” a video he book titled, Showman Shooter: The today, you won’t have to hunt produced of legendary shooting Life And Times Of Herb Parsons, for him tomorrow.” That was greats Ed McGivern, Bill Jordan and from an NRA Life member in Ohio. Photo by NRA Staff one of the trademark, but Herb Parsons, plus lesser-known The book came with a note: “I I heartfelt, lines delivered at Remington exhibition shooters am proud of the book and hope the hundreds of shows put on by such as Wilber Cox, Bill Adkins, you will find it of interest.” It was the legendary Winchester exhi- Bill Johnson, Jack Chisnell and Cliff signed by Herbert Lynn Parsons bition shooter Herb Parsons of Baldwin. I had seen ads and articles M.D., FACS. The book was done Somerville, Tenn. Intended to help about Parsons, but his remarkable by Lynn and his brother, Jerry M. with the “juvenile delinquency” performance and the footage of Bill Parsons, Ph. D., as a tribute to the p. 54—wrote the introduction to the problem during the era in which Jordan, whom I met a few times, and life and legacy of their father Herb, book, which is a chronicle of photos Parsons performed, it’s still sound Ed McGivern, whose Smith & Wes- who died in 1959. and documents, letters and news- advice today a half-century or son and Colt Single Action Armys Included with the book was a paper clippings that give a first- more later. I’d handled during my time at the DVD copy of the 1954 film “Show- hand account of the remarkable Many years ago my late friend National Firearms Museum, capti- man Shooter,” produced in color. American and legendary shooter Col. Rex Applegate introduced vated me. Sadly, the tape wore out In it, Herb Parsons works his Herb Parsons. The book, the DVD me to the remarkable shooting because we watched it so often. magic as the “Wizard with a Win- “The Showman Shooter” and Rex ability and showmanship of Herb One year ago this month, I chester,” putting on his exhibition Applegate’s “Fast and Fancy Shoot- Parsons. He gave me a copy of received a review copy of a new for the camera … and for poster- ers” are all available through ity. In the film, a young, enthusias- www.showmanshooter.com. Correction: A sidebar on p. 51 of the May Issue, “Own An American Tradition,” tic boy steps up from the crowd I’ve already replaced my copy of incorrectly listed the telephone number for The Contemporary Longrifle Ass’n. to join the show, knocking target the latter. The correct number is: (540) 886-6189. after target out of the sky. That boy On April 18, Dr. Parsons visited was Herbert Lynn Parsons. NRA Headquarters and donated Shortly after receiving the book two handguns, which belonged Showman Shooter, I called Dr. Par- to the “Showman Shooter,” to the sons, and we arranged to interview National Firearms Museum. If him at Camp Perry, Ohio—a yearly you’re in Fairfax, you can see some stop on his father’s itinerary, but a of Herb Parsons’ guns, as well as place Dr. Parsons had never vis- the guns, holsters and timer used ited. Based on the book, the DVD by Ed McGivern. The handguns “Showman Shooter” and the inter- were a generous gift from the Par- views, we created two episodes for sons family. They were a gift that “American Rifleman Television.” will help us remember one of the In searching NRA’s archives for great—if not the greatest—exhibi- “American Rifleman Television,” tion shooters of all time. we found color footage from Camp Perry in the 1940s, including a Sincerely, brief clip of Parsons entertaining thousands during the National Matches. We also discovered an original copy of Bill Jordan’s revolver exhibition done while the legendary handgunner served on NRA’s Board of Directors, and we hope to do a show or two on Jordan next year. The 480-page Showman Shooter is a fascinating read. Scott T. Weber—Parsons family friend and author of the article starting on Legendary exhibition shooter Herb Parsons not only entertained the troops, he also taught them skills that carried over to the battlefield. Photos courtesy of Dr. Herbert Lynn Parsons Reprinted with permission of the National Rifle Association of American, ©2009 JUNE 2009 AMERI ca N RIFLEM A N FEATURE HERB PARSONS Showman Shooter The Legendary Herb Parsons JUNE 2009 WWW .AMERICANRI F LEMAN .ORG Photos courtesy of Dr. Herbert Lynn Parsons Reprinted with permission of the National Rifle Association of American, ©2009 Herb Parsons was one of the great—if not the greatest—exhibition shooters of all time. But he was much more than just a gifted shooter. Parsons was an entertainer without equal and the best salesman Winchester ever had. And he was a proud patriot. BY SCOTT T. WEBER hortly after noon, a bright red station Tommy Gun were laid before them. The name wagon with loudspeakers shaped like “Winchester” was embroidered in bright let- huge shotgun shells cruised the streets ters on the table skirt, which was laid across blaring that there would be a demon- a table stacked high with all manner of clay S stration of firearms—good Winchester targets, balls, produce, water cans and several firearms—outside the little town. Everyone was wood cases of ammunition. welcome … and it was free. Later, the strange The first sound heard was not gunfire, but red station wagon pulled to the center of the roar of laughter. Thousands of people town, and a man emerged. He appeared to be slapped their knees, elbowed their neigh- Southern in his speech and mannerisms, and he bors and reared their heads back in laughter. casually set up a mortar stand, dropped a round The man was funny. But with the laughter into the tube and calmly stood back while it came a message. He told the crowd, “An exploded with a terrific boom. armed America is a strong America,” and, Later, two boys emerged from the car and “To be a good American you need to shoot “dumpster dove,” asking for old cans and well, observe the game laws and take your containers, then filling them with water. A family shooting and hunting ... Guns are the lady went into the grocery and purchased American way,” he told them between jokes. cabbages, oranges, plums, watermelons and Gun safety and hunter responsibility were grapefruit, and emptied the store of eggs. paramount. Between rapid-fire shots, the Then the vehicle pulled out of town with the man unleashed blasts from duck calls that speakers promoting Winchester. In a frenzied sounded better than the real thing. rush, the townspeople dove into cars and The Southern gentleman who so delighted pick-ups and followed in the dust of the “Win- the crowd was Winchester Firearms represen- chester Red” station wagon. tative and salesman Herb Parsons of Somer- The year was 1954, and the townspeople ville, Tenn. And he was touring the heartland were about to witness one of the greatest shoot- of America to demonstrate the “best” firearms, ing exhibitions of all time—a combination of which were, of course, Winchesters, along with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show, Annie Oakley, Doc the best ammunition, Winchester-Western. Carver, P.T. Barnum and a Vaudeville comedy From 1930 to 1959, Parsons earned the nick- routine. A table of a dozen or more guns, rang- names “The Showman Shooter” and “Wizard ing from a common Model 12 to a nickel-plated With A Winchester.” JUNE 2009 AMERICAN RI F LEMAN Reprinted with permission of the National Rifle Association of American, ©2009 HERB PARSONS In 55 frenzied minutes, Parsons typically shot, non-stop, more than 15 Winchester firearms 52 dif- ferent ways at more than 800 targets, scoring 99 percent on them. The ones he missed, he said, were “hens.” Typically he started off shooting oranges and cabbages that sprayed juice and fiber over himself and the audience, all the while keeping a running commentary that delighted his admirers. Movie footage of his feats taken during this period shows the audience—civilians and soldiers—with their eyes wide open, huge smiles on their faces and hands to their mouths. Just when the spectators and washers that whirled through the sky and fell were at rapt attention, he changed up the shoots by to his feet. When some members of the crowd cat- setting his gun down on the ground, throwing three called him, he simply put a stamp over the washer eggs between his legs, grabbing the gun and scram- hole, drilled it dead center, then handed it to the bling all three while they were airborne. nearest bigmouth. With a Model 61 pump, he ejected the cartridge With the audience “juiced up,” he selected a cases hard up into the air, then shot them. In the grapefruit loaded with explosives and shot it (don’t tradition of Annie Oakley, he used a mirror to shoot try this at home). He exploded watermelons with a behind his back. He heaved multiple targets into the Model 71 in .348 Win., and stoked the last one with air, emptied a gun, threw it to an assistant, grabbed dynamite (don’t try this at home, either). One of his another loaded one and splattered the trailing favorite presentations, performed at dusk, was to fire targets before they fell to the ground. He shot coins a parachute up in a mortar round and hit it numer- ous times, while it floated down, with a Winchester M1 Garand or M1 carbine loaded with tracers.

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