Shotguns

Diamond Arms Company: Trade name used by the Shapleigh Hardware Company of St. Louis, Missouri on shotguns they retailed. Probably manufactured by J. Stevens Arms, but possibly a Belgian import. Look for an oval around "ELG*". If it has it, it is Belgian, but most of these imports stopped coming over when WWI started.

Yes you can, they're often used with rifled bores to hunt deer. Most gun shops should be able to help you pick out an appropriate mount and scope.

Neumann Freres was in business in Liege, Belgium from 1863 until 1957. Thousands of their double-barrel shotguns were imported to the US (marked with English "Bros." instead of French "Freres") prior to WWI. Value to a shooter = $0, to a collector = $200 (but only if in as-new condition), to a decorator for a mantlepiece = $125-$150.

My cross-reference list says this is actually a Harrington & Richardson Model 120. Sears Roebuck sold firearms with the J.C. Higgins brand name from the 1940's into the 1960's or later.

H&R only produced the Model 120 during 1941 and 1942.

The Sears J. C. Higgins 583.14 was manufactured by The High Standard manufacturing Corp. in the later 1940's or early 1950's

Not sure if this is your gun, but Leader Gun Company was a trade name used on shotguns retailed by the Charles Williams Stores, Inc. of New York. Most likely manufacturer would be Crescent Arms, Norwich, CT. "Nitro" would imply proofed for smokeless powder.

Reilly made or marked shotguns from the late percussion era (say 1860) through about 1915. I've seen many hammer guns, fewer hammerless, but both side lock and box lock. Their name also appears on handguns and rifles. Quality seems to be higher than average, with most guns showing good engraving and better than average wood. Most barrels are damascus, but I've seen Whitworth, and many have been "tubed" in the modern era. Generally nice pieces, and you'll most likely be quite happy with your find!

Not the Spencer that made the Civil War era carbines. The Spencer name was used on shotguns by several firms. H. Spencer & Company guns were manufactured by Henri Pieper, Leige, Belgium, for Henry Spencer & Co., Chicago Illinois, in the early 1880's. Spencer Gun Co was marked on guns manufactured by Crescent Firearms and distributed by H&D Folsom to various hardware and mercantile retailers c. 1900-1940. Baker Gun Company, Batavia, New York, and Hopkins & Allen, Norwich, CT also marked shotguns with the Spencer name c. 1900.

Not a lot of information. It was a trade name retailed (I believe) by H&D Folsom of New York City. The guns were made by Crescent, Crescent-Davis, and/or Stevens c. 1890-1940.

about $100 if with hammers and $200 if a hammerless model

You should be able to find your gun listed in The Blue Book of Gun Values, The Standard Catalog of Firearms, or Gun Trader's Guide. Your local library should have a copy, or you can just browse through one at Barnes & Noble. I imagine the value of your shotgun would depend entirely on an independent appraisal to determine NRA grade. Look near the serial number stamping on the barrel-side surface of the forearm - is there an "F" stamped nearby? If so, I believe you have an Ithaca Flues-model double like mine, manufactured around 1910 and originally selling for about $37 (1910 dollars). I've never had mine appraised but would not sell it anyway, just because it's a hoot to shoot and stays tight with their automatic play-in-the-action-takeup thingamabob. It wouldn't be worth quite as much as the Ithaca New Model doubles that followed the Flues but should be in the ballpark, and there are a lot more New Models out there for reference. As long as you have the serial number, I should mention that information on individual guns was available from Ithaca, but that was back in 1971. Good luck, and if you keep it, good hunting! Here's something I just found that might help you - this gun may be similar to yours: http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=21_24_66&products_id=622

No one can answer that without examining the gun. Armory steel would have been almost certainly intended for smokeless powder, but what has happened to the gun in the last 80-100 years could make it unsafe now. Also, depending on just how old it is, the chambers may be only 2 1/2". Have a competent gunsmith check it out.

Quite often the shotgun will tell you how the barrels are made. If it says "twist" or "laminated" or "damascus", then it is one of the types generally called damascus. If it says "armory", "forged", or "fluid" then it is a more modern construction. Damascus barrels will show a pattern, although it can be covered with bluing or the pattern can be simulated. You can check by removing the forearm and polishing a small spot on the bottom of the barrel. This will remove either the bluing that hides the pattern or the simulated damascus pattern. As far as safety, the best damascus constructed barrels are stronger than a low-quality fluid steel barrel, and probably equal to most when new. But time will weaken the welds, so it is wise to retire an old damascus gun unless you know it has had proper care for its entire lifetime. Since your gun is marked for smokeless powder, it is PROBABLY fluid steel and PROBABLY has 2 3/4" chambers, but if you intend to shoot it, have it checked by a competent gunsmith and follow his recommendations.

Damascus barrels were made to be used with black powder and so are thicker at the breach (to handle the fast explosion of powder) and thinner at the muzzle, as black powder. Due to the fact that modern smokeless powder buns at a slower pace, thus building up more pressure towards the muzzle which could cause the metal to split or rupture, it is not recommended that modern ammo be used in a Damascus barrel.

OK, by finding the Sportsman in an old reference I discover that it is the Model 11C. When I find that model in a newer book, it is indeed built under license from FN using the Browning Auto 5 patent. Suggested value in NRA Very Good condition is $250 and $300 in Excellent.

I don't find much about Tobin Arms Co. except that it was in Norwich CT around 1860, and that the G.B. Crandall Company Limited of Woodstock, Ontario, Canada retailed a shotgun of unknown manufacture with the trade name Tobin Simplex. Unless your gun has something special (fancy wood, hand engravings, precious metal overlays), it is going to be just another old trade-name utility shotgun worth $125-$150. The leather case may be worth more.

Good evening;

I have a collection of Tobin shotguns and would be interested in discussing your shotgun with the possibility of purchasing it should it still be available. Would appreciate your reply even if you no longer have the firearm. Regards. Louis

i have a tobin also that is engraved to the max and it is said by a couple of dealers locally it is worth about 3500 for the engraving but the regular price for tobins is said to be 200- 1000. yes it is for sale....Bob

A gunsmith should be able to find or fabricate the parts for you. Check your yellow pages.

I' not sure if you can get new parts or not. I have a LH hammer for a T. Barker. Let me know if you still need one.

You can't get a NEW barrel unless you have it custom made for a couple thousand dollars. Finding a used replacement would not be easy since this brand name was made for Sears Roebuck by several manufacturers c 1910.

I hope someone answers this. I too have an old Hopkins & Allen 12 GA double barrel that I would like to know the value of. Someone told me that typically, the Hopkins & Allen brand was mostly a mail order product long ago. I've been told that as it was a mail order product, most likely there were a fair amount of these produced & the value probably was not substantial. I'm not a gun expert, but I have been to a fair amount of gun shows & thumbed through allot of gun books. I've never seen another Hopkins & Allen shotgun just like mine. I've seen a few that were similar, but not the same. One interesting thing on my shotgun is that every mating part has the serial # stamped on it. (a 4 digit #) I really like my old Hopkins & Allen, it has the external hammers to fire it. One of the hammers does not lock correctly, you have to pull the trigger forward for that hammer to get it to lock. I think a spring completes that task inside the gun normally, but mine has a broken one. The other hammer works correctly though. I used to use the gun a lot partridge hunting years ago & did some trap shooting with it too. I believe mine belonged to my great grandfather & when I'm done with it, I will hand it down to my boy. I won't part with it.

According to my copy ofStandard Catalog of Firearms, it should be worth $250 if in NRA Very Good condition.

It should only cost a few dollars if it only needs the firing pin replaced. Your shotgun is only worth $50-$75 as a shooter (but have the gunsmith verify that it is safe) and about the same as a decorator (wouldn't need the firing pin anyway). So, economically, it's probably not worth the expense.

You have a well-made, but unexciting, firearm. Not really suitable for sporting purposes due to its age (possibly laminated barrels and probably short chambers) and not something sought by "serious" collectors (that means the ones who have money to burn). It really has value only as a mantle decoration. $75 if it is a single shot, up to $250 if it is a double with big side hammers.

Hanover Arms was a trade name distributed by H&D Folsom. Actual manufacturer was probably either Crescent Arms or one of several Belgian firms. Date would be the very late 1800s to around 1930. Value will depend on it's condition but in "average" functioning condition around $150.

No one can tell you if a gun is safe to use over the internet. If the firing pin is the only thing needing repair, any competent gunsmith should be able to fix it for less than $50 I'd guess. He should also be able to tell you if the gun appears to be safe and what ammunition is suitable. Since you said firing "pin" and not "pins" I will guess that you have a single shot, so the top value would be about $75. If this particular gun has a sentimental value, you may wish to have it repaired, but if you just want a useable single barrel shotgun, your 'smith might take yours in trade as a parts gun for a newer utility gun at about the same difference as repairing yours.

That should be a Savage/Springfield Model 18. If you can't find parts from a local gunsmith, try http://www.e-gunparts.com

i have a sears roebuck bolt action .410 shotgun model 110.1120 3''. i need the shell ejector piece. to get a clip for a shotgun try marlinguns.com.