Hamer article; which rifle used to kill Barrow/Parker?

[C. Cash]

Your scenario is very plausible Cam and I think your are right about the Remington on top of the car. The only other scenario that I can think of that still allows Hamer to use extended magazine rifle:

-He used a peace officers supply Mod. 8 and it's simply not in the picture (on top of the car). If the Rangers already owned a Peace Officers Supply extended mag Remington, this would have allowed him to quickly acquire it in 10 days prep time no? Then he probably would have had to turn it in at some point and this would explain why it was not longer in his possession after his career was over? This might explain why he replaced it with the later Mod. 81 for his personal use and Hamer's son being confused?

The thing that makes me still WANT to believe this scenario above is the number of large holes straight on where Bonnie was sitting. It does not appear to be buckshot as it would not have spread that quickly. There appears to be eight or more shots that only could have been fired directly infront of her, from a high powered rifle. No standard model Remington has that many shots right? Only other option is someone jumped in the road with the very heavy and awkward BAR and cut loose on her. It's hard to explain the number of holes in the windshield otherwise so that still makes me believe he had something high capacity to place those 8-10 shots(maybe more?), right into Bonnie.

[C. Cash]

One other thought....there are six officers, and five guns on top of the car. One gun is missing. With that extended mag, if it was in fact there and the mag were still in after the shooting, perhaps it would have been akward to fit up there with the other weapons?

[81police]

You've got some good ideas C.Cash!

Concerning bullet holes. There are indeed many holes in the car, I've heard something like 107. I'm not a ballistic expert so I wouldn't know for certain which bullet/pellet made what hole or if 33 caliber 00 buckshot up close can look like a 35cal high powered rifle? Alcorn and Hinton indicated that before the car got in close range the "automatic rifles" were fired and shotguns were then used (up close). Then the handguns.

From what I can tell the Texas Rangers never issued POE converted Model 8's, the individual officer had to pay out of his own pocket for that conversion. So if he did use a POE it would have either had to be borrowed (no account mentions this) or within 10 days he would have mailed the rifle to St. Joseph, MO, the rifle converted & test fired, then the rifle mailed back.

I don't know of any concrete or substantial evidence that places a POE Model 8 there that day. The serial number is very suspect, if it's to be a POE, and there are no known photographs of this rifle. Larry Buchannan's interview of Hamer Jr. was in 1968, so the story of that rifle was wrong from at least that point. The wording of Al Ritter's 1984 article reads almost identical to Hamer Jr.'s account of the Model 81.

I just have to concede that with the evidence we have there is no way of knowing for certain one way or the other!

I heard it once said "if I was Hamer the extended mag Model 8 is what I'd have". Heck if I was Hamer I'd have had all 6 men carrying BAR's!

Cam

[C. Cash]

Thanks for the additional info! There is an extended mag Remington in the Texas Ranger museum, photographed by our own Rangerider7. I don't know if it's a Mod. 8 or 81....do not remember. At one point, they had it in Frank Hamer's display I believe. Will try and find more info on it. I'm no expert but I have fired tons of shotgun loads into large items at close range(I don't claim to be smart either ), and that's definitely not a shotgun pattern/pellets. If you look at where they are, the angle is only correct for someone standing in front of Bonnie and directly infront of the car. The wounds to her mouth, face and chest match somewhat to those bullet holes. Just a few more rambling thoughts.

[81police]

The rifle in the Texas Ranger Museum in Waco is a Model 81 "Special Police".

[C. Cash]

Thanks for the info on the rifle Cam. I thought it was an 81 but wasn't sure.

[81police]

I just got an email from the Texas Ranger Museum in Waco. The Model 81 "Special Police" in their collection is indeed serial # 10045. So that means the account that Hamer acquired # 10045 through Petmeckey's Sporting Goods store in Austin, Texas then had it sent to Peace Officer's for modification before the ambush is incorrect. This rifle wasn't mfg until 1940-1942. I updated my page with a photograph courtesy of the Texas Ranger Museum.

http://thegreatmodel8.remingtonsociety.com/?page_id=434

[C. Cash]

That's good info, and quite timely! So, the way I understand it, if it was in the 10K serial range for the Mod. 8 it would have been the early 1900's gun. But the 10K serial range for the 81 Special Police puts it in the 1940-2 era? That's great they got back to you on your question, and still a very famous rifle for having belonged to Hamer. Hope to get there this year as I am planning a trip through there.

[Barcelona Rick]

Interested reading....I looked in my copy of "The Texas Rangers a Century of Frontier Defense" by Walter Prescott Webb written in 1935 and under the topic of "Frank Hamer: Modern Texas Ranger" read the following:

From notes taken during a two hour interview dated July 4th, 1934....(please note Captain Hamer's exact words were not directly quoted.....)...Bob Alcorn and Ted Hinton of the Dallas County Sheriffs Office, Sheriff Henderson Jordon and Deputy Oakley of the Bienville Parrish Sheriff's Office, B.M. Gault, former Ranger and Captain Hamer (who at the time held a special commission as a state highway patrolman) awaited the couple spaced at ten foot intervals parallel to the road. They were postioned as follows...Hamer, Gault, Jordon, Alcorn, Oakley and Hinton......Hamer, Gault and Jordon were to tend to the front seat of the auto. Oakley and Alcorn were to tend to the back seat if occupied and Hinton was the reserve man....if the auto got past the first five then Hinton was to bust the engine with the Browning Machine Gun (BAR).....remaining weapons were as follows......Jordon and I (Hamer) had automatic shot guns, three were armed with Winchesters.....all carried revolvers or semi auto pistols.......Captain Hamer also remarked that the event was not a pleasant experience.....

Thought y'all might enjoy a differing account of the weapons utilized......only the men involved know the full story...

rick