It began at Jesus and at pentacost and also when Jesus stopped Saul on the demascus road.
Company was incorporated 1901 in Wheeling and and went out of business after some name changes and moves in 1910.
Priceless, If it was your great granddads. I have one circa 1910 it is an oak leaf brand. I think it is a W M Enders made by union arms. It is not demascus steel so it is safe to shoot. I reblued mine in 2006 during a round with the flu, took about 2 weeks to complete. I left the original stocks. It appraised for around $150.00.
if your barrel has a distinctive twisted,mottled appearance,much like tiny leopard spots in a spiral pattern around the circumference of the barrel,then yes you do. If the barrel appears to be of a uniform color and texture throughout,you do not,unless someone has refinished it with paint or other thick coating. If you do have damascus barrels,do NOT shoot modern ammo in it!! Stick with blackpowder loads. If you have regular steel barrels,i'd use light (1 oz. or less) loads,due to the age of the weapon.
BRIDGE GUN CO was a tradename used by the hardware/catalog store Shapleigh Hardware in St Louis. The guns were actually made by Crescent Firearms and distributed by the HD Folsom Co to the trade. The '96 reference is probably a patent date, since these guns were not manufacture dated and no serial number records exist. Value for a single-barrel will be below $100, double-barrels up to $200 as decorator pieces. Do not attempt to fire unless thoroughly checked by a reputable gunsmith.