The Birmingham Post, Tuesday, Dece \\roman's Post IN ACTION ::·: Miss Edna Parker watches Mr. Dennis Thompson, an armourer for Alfred J. Parker I Guns I Ltd, work on a 7.62 target rifle which t1as special targetsights designed by the company, Big shot enterprise It would be .euy to think :Mi~s Edna Parker was only in her !orties If she did ,ot proudly admit to 50 year•' active Involvement In the gun trade. "lia• Par~er'11 ;:o•ma and ehocrtinr acc~r.~orir.s arc c~porttd all O\'<:r the world And heor 1\ilmt Ia u rtbpccted Internationally ns It 1:1 .In the Blrtn• lnrham JOHn lr.adc h.nslly. Guu". n r.oultJ lie 11aid, llrr: in her bloutl. It Wils in 11\~: lf80.s that htr g1-.1ndf;nhrr a\\'llrhcd from the t~~~~n~d~D ~~~ 'r~~~~rj:r:,~:~~n~:~h~~ WII ~ ll l'lt'flhC"'· In 1'1:! Mtss Parktr'll f.tlhcr br.:'lke awoty from the r.atabll~hcd family cornp11ny Jl"'d Ct~undrd hi•.,.. ·n. Alfrt'd J. Parker Ltd., 111l~, m I .tlnJ:ht~m. lJoth firn1~ art a\111 llourl~hin' tud;:.y rnlf i1rt lht only major conlJU'til-ors In their hi;:hly :II)X'Cinlisrd tradr. "Whru !!Of':1tOnc brrilh away (r')nl the f;an11Jy ltte WOlf n1;.' faltu~r did it I~ not alw.ay!'t ~"i•sy, btil J :mppo:se it n1ouhl:i P.IU mto .t hrhtlnr nidurt ·- )OU \hmlo, l\·e ~tot to do brll~"r lhNn the~· do, .. Mill! 1'1•rkra· 1111ilcd. While 1UII 4 child ahe wns 11.1\rn to Billa)', the "'Shoollnr )Ieee~"' lq 6urre:y, where her (ather u.,cd to ~et "' ht. ln&rq\Me "'!JC'Ile his falhefo. J'or \he Jut lltaU cP.ntury •be hu been a regular fixture ll'lerc a\ \he annual Notl01l41 1\tflo ,\11oolatlon ohow. Her t.ltlttr"E· only Jlllld, Min Parker be.caft\e involved in tlb bu•lqur ,i aoon t& she Jell Holly MJ11 Edna Parker has had half a century in the gun trade without ever firing 1 shot. VICTORIA McKEE visited this grand lady of the Birmingham gun trade at her world' flimou• "small arms engineering" firm. Lod(e: Hl;:h School In :itnelhv.·tck In u:a. She ran the ortlc:e 1fde of lhl1111 .until her lather'a dulh In 1ia:i .11 the age of 12, .,.hen ahe took ewer the runnin,;- or 1hc rnllrc cotnp1ny. Hc:r IaUter, who remained acun·ly Jn\'oh•ed in thr (1rn' until hl~~o dralh, \\'lUI 1\ brilllnnt tnglnetr and m,lll}' of hl:t ciC\'iCf'S -· l.'ORL'ti\'td befOI"P. I hi! nrst Wurhl W;~r .... ue alill the muat tiOtlhisllc:alctl an tiM! todM)'o 4\llhouzh thr1<e Rrc a few ''lady ;un!\miths .. all 11he pull II, In the: tr.ult. Min Pt~rkrl' khflWI o( RIJ otht•r wun1an In her po:;lllrm. "l"m nnl trylnj:' lo blow my nwn trumprl," •he a.ud, "buL I don'l thank thai nn\' Wllll1itn c.·mlld run a 1)11:\inrl!s like thi1 without the: 1!lt'lon,; kuo\lo·· l~d(t ;and invol\'c:mcnt I h;l\'C Juul. My father und I m;tdc auch a gnnrl tecun thnt It nddc:d up lo aur,·r::.~. ;llld· it's one o( thuac things \hiLl probabl)' wun't hiippc:n again.'' Ml:s~~ Parker understands r\·c:ry alpect or bel' complex. trade with ot knowledC'C bred ol a IIMimc's experience. If lhere are ~ few small (&PI tn thai knowled<• It Ia brcau"' "YO\l only ha.'t'e one lifetime, 1nd it l.•n't enou,h!" , .. 1f 1 occarionally come acrou J. rltlr. I haven't aeon before -aftd thlc can happen,. e\·en a tier -'0 )'liara ~ I hi.\'C lo know wl1rre In look up tho nrre:uary lnformaUon about lt,'• aha aaid '="" re:!tUrin{ toward1 .theJvca flllcd wilh gun nutnuaiJ. Hr.r 11taU numbmt about. l2 nt any ono lime and -lu lht v.•orkll lllcut -J;h~0j~r~~u~~~~e!~ 0:n~~~~~rln~ knowlr.dge whh•JI most women don't IHI\'t',"' liald )fill., ]•;ukrl', .. Ynu uk ,, girl who applies fur A Job ll ahr C'itll rtad a. tulcromc:tcr .and you aet \uta I Jru·omwchc:rudnn." Thr. ~x Jli:Jeriminalicul Act doe3 J'IMC problems when Miu Po1rkrr ;•d,·c:rli:sc:a a. \'tlC.'iUil'Y• '1'liP. nlhrr day I wantrd nn .rmourc:r omd J ~pcciUc:d an rx·REM:f; fllu)'lll Jo:lt"tlrical J\lcchnniL';tJ Jo!ngincc:ri Armourrr btcHtUUt 1 knnw hr 'A'ill' hnve the Jmowlc:d(;t' I w~nl, •J'hc•·c nrrn't nny womrn H~:lt·U!·Irlllllt'll armnurcrs ~nd nppl)'lnr would jual w;utc a WOn!~n'll time.'' Althou&'h she employs & REMB· trAined umourcr (or the rlfla and ffi~s ~::~~t ~:~~~:~:1 J!:~ :,~h~~~~: keeping deto.tl~ of tbouaand• ot :una and gun·paru In her hrad, Sha •upervioea all the work pcnonally andnevorlolcuaholldoy. Mlaa Parkrr'• firm Ia lcnown Rll "1mal1 arm• enctnee-:a." a. ltrm her f11lhtr devlaed (n CO\'~r the varied work It does. Jt l.:s a. 1n1all buJineu bfc•use Mlu Pnker does net WAnt It to 'r.l bi: eni'IUih to take: on the lndurtrfal rrlatlon11 problrn11 that, ahe fecl1, & J~r:c 1tdl brings. She litkl'l " rrlm \'l~w uf the J'nounlilinl nr paperwork rorcctt upon her by (OVI:!rnnu·nt burc:nucratJ, lhc way "the ahooU11r trade 11 bc:in£' lllrRnJ;'}rd by thO nru.rml ft!11rlc• tiona" I111UhouJh she ndmillrd thit 11hn could ac:e the polir.e vlewpoinU 1n1d the 11nctlon.s which prc\·c:nt her from Melllnr arms to Sciuth AfrlCiit Cormc:rl)' one ot her but 1'11Jiomr.n. "'Now Srmlh At rica. hAl Jc:~rnrrf to. mako U.a own and we hl\'o lolt out." aha aahL The Middle F.ut Is 11. bl: dirnt, along With )hi<~Yiia, Canad~t, New Zealand and Aualralin, ''Naturally :;Ales arc affrcled b:v thr pohhl'lll •il•mlinn -"omriii!H'II I 11111.)' wm1dcr why 1\·e bern kr"fll wailinl:' lor anl'Xport liccnl'r. And Will fmd that it Is bcc.tU!'iC u( sumc J1U\· i!il'nl cvrnt," flht 1auJ. ltrtJremcnt Is SOmt'lhinJ:' th.ll ~~~~5 P1rkcr, Jiko hrr filthf'r brtnrr. her, would I:C\'tr t'Onildcr -·And wilh her youthful \:lgour and cvldenl love of her work this Is quite undcr11tandabh, The auprcmc lrany 11 that J.t:iu Parktr hu ncvtr learned to u1o ,;a.ny :~.\h~h':h'ua":c•:j~!~fv:au:;~~ duclng tor half a century. 1 '1'\'e ~uJt never h&d tbe Ume,"' she lrnlled - wltheul & lraco ol ~·r:r•t. WWW.RIFLEMAN.ORG.UKNext >