Post by twomoons on Jul 3, 2013 9:54:31 GMT -5
I got an American Gun Co double gun the other day and the price was right, it was free. This one was found in a barn and the stock was broken and the gun was pretty rusted on the outside but I had another gun for parts so I started glueing and patching and put it back together and now have a good tight double from about the 1920 era. Now for the HISTORY, boy you knew that was coming didn't you?
First there is no American Gun Company the gun in question is one of about 40 different trade names for guns either made by Cresent Firearms a subsidary of H and D Folsom Company. Folsom was a importer and used the Cresent factory for assembly and manufacture of their American made guns, but... they used the term American made pretty loosly. Field and Stream in 1915 had this to say," A nonentity in the gun trade they were really only those cheap bits of ordinance that come through the custom houses and pay a 40 cent duty..."
The biggest problem with the ese guns is that SOME were made in America and were actually a good quality gun and it's hard to tell the difference by the outside. Most of the foregn made guns will have an ELG stamped somewhere on the water table but it will be small and off to the side. The true American guns will usually be unmarked and will have serial numbers on all parts. The gun I have is a steel barrel version ( damascus was $1.00 more) with serial numbers on each majr part including the stock and foreend.
In 1900 the guns sold for between $12.00 and $15.00 the most expensive being the Damascus version with V springs and a checkered stock and the cheapest with coil spring locks. All guns tube steel or Damascus were sold as suitable for smokeless powder althought I would not shoot smokless through a damascus barrel today. I have inspected the gun I have and it is steel tubed and still solid and the lock up is 100% it is dead tight. The stock is now repaired and some of the rusty parts replaced so it sould make a good shooter with the 2 5/8" shells it was chambered for. I will be shooting 2 1/2" Mag Tech brass black powder loads in the gun.
Below is a list of SOME of the Folsom trade names but this list is not complete as other guns were sold under the Crescent name and for an order of 100 guns they would poot any name you wanted on the gun.
Folsom, Crescent & Tradename Guns
18 G, 30 and 32 inches. Plain Heel, lamlnaiediand Damascus barrels. Machine made. Parti Interchangeable, and can be furnished at small cost (food sound guns ai Iowa price than any other wake of tame grade KNICKERBOCKER HAMMERLE8S \uut out. Bet low-p»UeJl gun on lU m*ik*l.
THE II. Ml D. FOLSOM ARMS CO.. 314 R.oadw.y, New York.
Knockabout Knox-All (also Iver Johnson), Laclede Gun Co. (both Crescent and Belgian hammerguns), Lakeside for Montgomery Ward & Co., Leader, C.F. Leader, and Leader Gun Co. for Chas. Williams Stores Inc. New York. Lee's Special and Lee's Munner Special for Lee Hdw. Co. Salina KS, Liege Arms Co. for Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett (Belgian made 10 & 12g doubles selling for $45 in 1884),
Long Range Marvel, Long Range Winner and Long Range Wonder for Sears.
Manhattan Arms Co. was a trade name used on hammer and hammerless side by sides imported by Schoverling, Daly & Gales. Kirtland Bros. Co., and Von Lengerke & Detmold. all of New York City. The guns were made in Belgium by Neumann Freres and Fabrique d'Armes Fs. Dumoulin & C/e, and in
Germany by J.P. Sauer. A Hunter Arms Co. Fulton named Manhattan Arms was also sold by S,D&G. Marshwood for Chas. Williams,
Massachusetts Arms Co. for Blish, Mize & Silliman Hdw. Atchison KS,
Mcintosh, Metal & Hardware Co., Mears,
Metropolitan Arms Co. for Siegel Cooper Co. N.Y.,
Milwaukee Gun Co., Minnesota Arms Co. for Farwell, Ozmun & Kirk Co., Mississippi Arms Co.. Mississippi Valley Arms Co. for Shapleigh, Mohawk for Blish, Mize & Silliman. Mohawk Gun Co. for Janney, Semple, Hill & Co., Minn., Monitor for Paxton & Gallagher Omaha Neb., Wm. Moore & Co., Mt. Vernon Arms Co.,
National Arms Co. (not the Marl in branded pump gun) possibly for William Read & Sons Boston,
First there is no American Gun Company the gun in question is one of about 40 different trade names for guns either made by Cresent Firearms a subsidary of H and D Folsom Company. Folsom was a importer and used the Cresent factory for assembly and manufacture of their American made guns, but... they used the term American made pretty loosly. Field and Stream in 1915 had this to say," A nonentity in the gun trade they were really only those cheap bits of ordinance that come through the custom houses and pay a 40 cent duty..."
The biggest problem with the ese guns is that SOME were made in America and were actually a good quality gun and it's hard to tell the difference by the outside. Most of the foregn made guns will have an ELG stamped somewhere on the water table but it will be small and off to the side. The true American guns will usually be unmarked and will have serial numbers on all parts. The gun I have is a steel barrel version ( damascus was $1.00 more) with serial numbers on each majr part including the stock and foreend.
In 1900 the guns sold for between $12.00 and $15.00 the most expensive being the Damascus version with V springs and a checkered stock and the cheapest with coil spring locks. All guns tube steel or Damascus were sold as suitable for smokeless powder althought I would not shoot smokless through a damascus barrel today. I have inspected the gun I have and it is steel tubed and still solid and the lock up is 100% it is dead tight. The stock is now repaired and some of the rusty parts replaced so it sould make a good shooter with the 2 5/8" shells it was chambered for. I will be shooting 2 1/2" Mag Tech brass black powder loads in the gun.
Below is a list of SOME of the Folsom trade names but this list is not complete as other guns were sold under the Crescent name and for an order of 100 guns they would poot any name you wanted on the gun.
Folsom, Crescent & Tradename Guns
18 G, 30 and 32 inches. Plain Heel, lamlnaiediand Damascus barrels. Machine made. Parti Interchangeable, and can be furnished at small cost (food sound guns ai Iowa price than any other wake of tame grade KNICKERBOCKER HAMMERLE8S \uut out. Bet low-p»UeJl gun on lU m*ik*l.
THE II. Ml D. FOLSOM ARMS CO.. 314 R.oadw.y, New York.
Knockabout Knox-All (also Iver Johnson), Laclede Gun Co. (both Crescent and Belgian hammerguns), Lakeside for Montgomery Ward & Co., Leader, C.F. Leader, and Leader Gun Co. for Chas. Williams Stores Inc. New York. Lee's Special and Lee's Munner Special for Lee Hdw. Co. Salina KS, Liege Arms Co. for Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett (Belgian made 10 & 12g doubles selling for $45 in 1884),
Long Range Marvel, Long Range Winner and Long Range Wonder for Sears.
Manhattan Arms Co. was a trade name used on hammer and hammerless side by sides imported by Schoverling, Daly & Gales. Kirtland Bros. Co., and Von Lengerke & Detmold. all of New York City. The guns were made in Belgium by Neumann Freres and Fabrique d'Armes Fs. Dumoulin & C/e, and in
Germany by J.P. Sauer. A Hunter Arms Co. Fulton named Manhattan Arms was also sold by S,D&G. Marshwood for Chas. Williams,
Massachusetts Arms Co. for Blish, Mize & Silliman Hdw. Atchison KS,
Mcintosh, Metal & Hardware Co., Mears,
Metropolitan Arms Co. for Siegel Cooper Co. N.Y.,
Milwaukee Gun Co., Minnesota Arms Co. for Farwell, Ozmun & Kirk Co., Mississippi Arms Co.. Mississippi Valley Arms Co. for Shapleigh, Mohawk for Blish, Mize & Silliman. Mohawk Gun Co. for Janney, Semple, Hill & Co., Minn., Monitor for Paxton & Gallagher Omaha Neb., Wm. Moore & Co., Mt. Vernon Arms Co.,
National Arms Co. (not the Marl in branded pump gun) possibly for William Read & Sons Boston,
