Are you asking if Crescent made the gun?. I don't have a reference for that name but that is not surprising as there were so many names (almost 700 at last count) used and not all were recorded.

Good Evening. I answered but I don't think my response went out. Are you asking if your gun was made by Crescent? I don't have that name in my listings for Crescent but that's no surprise. I have listings for almost 700 names used on Crescent made guns and I'm sure that's not all of them. It has been said that Crescent would make or mark as few as twelve guns with some selected name as long as the buyer paid for the die needed to stamp the name on the gun. I can't quite make out the name on the gun in the photograph. Is it I.C. Smith?

Ned: It's a Crescent Model 44 upon which somebody stamped a crude 'L.C. Smith'. A similar example was proudly displayed at the recent Fall Southern for $3,800.

This ain't a Smith either; Crescent Sheffield Arms Co. for an unknown dealer

Thank you Drew. Now I don't have to rearrange my "Trade Brand Name" list that I've been working on all week.

"The Sportsman" for W. Bingham Co. and Lockwood-Luetkemeyer-Henry Co., both of Cleveland

U.S. Arms Co. in the 1902 Supplee Hdw. catalog

TTT and A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to You , Drew (even if a bit late). I just finished correcting my listing of " Trade Brand Names" that Crescent Fire Arms used. I had credited them with one that they didn't use.
The corrected list stands at 647 names and I'm sure that will change overtime as more names show up.

1901

Over thirty five years ago when I started collecting single barrel single shot "Trade Brand Name" shotguns, I started listing the names and who made them as well as who sold them as far as I could find out. I though I might come up with a list of maybe 400 names. Today that list stands at about 1,200 names that were used between 1880 and 1940. Of those 1,200 names, 649 were used by Crescent Fire Arms. It has been said that Crescent would make as few as twelve guns with some selected name as long as the buyer paid for the die need to stamp the name on the gun.. They made guns for almost everyone, if not all of the large wholesale sporting goods dealers.

Wow!! Where does this ad come from? Frank F. Conley stated in his book The American Single Barrel Trap Gun, "It is unlikely these guns were ever sold through mail order, as extensive searching through the Sears, Roebuck & Co. catalogs have failed to find any mention of this gun, nor is it listed in Meriden Fire Arms Company catalogs. It is possible that the guns were presented to top trap shooters as Vorisek speculates and never proved popular enough to go into production on a scale large enough to justify advertising costs."

Conley reports serial number 341 and the gun he pictures is serial number 3659.

Sears 1901 catalog

Folsom Arms Co., New York

Spencer Gun Co. for Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co.

1930 New Empire No. 9 & Victor Special

I am a fool for American made shotguns made at the turn of the 19 Century. So I own a nice GH Parker, a cool Knickerbocher, Crescent gun, an I Grade Lefever, a Fox Sterlingworth and an O grade Elsie. I also own a few of the old pumps, a 97, old Model 12, model 37 and even a Savage 420 and Marlin 95S.

Some collectors gather fine engraved guns, but I cannot afford them, but we all know that our hardscrabble American made guns are as good as any of the nose in the air, British issues. When I step out to my spot at the trap range I mount a 1917 made Parker SC SBT and I have the best gun out there!

I am a fool for American made shotguns made at the turn of the 19 Century. So I own a nice GH Parker, a cool Knickerbocher, Crescent gun, an I Grade Lefever, a Fox Sterlingworth and an O grade Elsie. I also own a few of the old pumps, a 97, old Model 12, model 37 and even a Savage 420 and Marlin 95S.

Some collectors gather fine engraved guns, but I cannot afford them, but we all know that our hardscrabble American made guns are as good as any of the nose in the air, British issues. When I step out to my spot at the trap range I mount a 1917 made Parker SC SBT and I have the best gun out there!

I have a single shot hammered crescent fire arm wither serial number 3523 I am trying to find an age for(by the way thank you for letting me join I am new to gunsmithing and trying to soak up as much knowledge as I can) I also don't know how to upload pictures

I have to apologize because im a little of topic but it seems y'all know your stuff about crescent I would like a closer date of which my shot gun is a 5 digit serial number. Its a single shot 12 gauge serial number is 54536 on top of barrel it says New Victor genuine armory steel. Sorry again this is a single shot not a double barrel thanks for all your help or direct me in which way to look thanks. Im new to the forum here

Welcome Tim and deerman, and sorry for the delay in responding.

Estimating DOM for the “Victor” variants (both raised and flat frame models) is problematic. Joseph Vorisek based his numbers on the belief that more than 900,000 were produced between 1897 and 1932. The serial numbers for the Davenport Model Empire State Goose Guns may also be part of the series. The output from the Crescent factory (both Victor and tradename) would then be about 26,000 guns yearly over 35 years. Vorisek used 21,000.
This of course does not take into account the variations in production after the “Panic of 1907”, the flood of cheap Belgian imports after repeal of the McKinley Tariff in 1912, during the First World War, or after the Stock Market Crash of 1929.

As a rough estimate, one could divide a single barrel serial number by 26,000 (or 21,000) and add that number to 1897. For example, serial number 70,000 divided by 26,000 = 2.7 + 1897 = the later part of 1899.

There will be other opinions, and we are all likely wrong

Knickerbocker No. 6 Engraved in 1916 Catalog No. 13 courtesy of David Noreen. The engraving appears to be similar to the Folsom Arms Co. gun above