Can anyone identify the pictured shotgun? I was challenged to identify it by the owner.
All I have to work from is these pictures and am not able inspect them gun physically.
It apparently was rusty at one point and was cleaned with any markings on the exterior being illegible by the owner. I also suggested removing the barrels to look for any internal markings or proofs.



From the photos I observe twist barrels and note the finish being quite plain. I believe it was a budget priced utility model, possibly 1880’s or thereabouts. The side levers cock internal hammers. Perhaps it was a cheap attempt to make a hammerless shotgun and avoid the complexity or patents for internal cocking mechanisms.

The action is also essentially a boxlock in construction but with locks on sideplates attached to the action.

Ive been image searching budget American shotgun brands to find something that looks similar but have been unsuccessful so far. This I am turning to the experts here.

I don’t suspect it’s worth much. I would like to find the likely maker and model to satisfy the owners curiosity.

Thanks for any info.

I believe it to be an American Arms, Boston Mass. and Andrew E. Whitmore may have been involved?

Cheers,

Raimey
rse

https://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ub ... 235&page=1

>>Semi Hammerless<<????

Cheers,

Raimey
rse

Raimey,
Thanks so much. I believe you have nailed it. I looked up American Arms in a reference book and then googled the semi hammerless. You’d come back with your second post in the mean time.
I knew this was the place to ask!

Much appreciated.

Duplicate post

From the looks of this 1893 ad it appears the American Arms Co. was thinking of moving to Milwaukee, Wis.



Didn't happen. Through most of the later 1890s they were working on moving to Bluffton, Alabama, but in 1901 when George H. Fox died the machinery was still in Boston and most of it sold off to Marlin. Butt plate on one of their Whitmore hammerless doubles --



There was a good article on George H. Fox's American Arms Co. in The American Rifleman, April 1970. There was an article on some of the George H. Fox side-swing hammer doubles by William Furnish and James A. Nelson in the Winter 1994, The Double Gun Journal. I have a reproduction American Arms Co. catalog, offered years ago by Dr. William Paul Smith's PRP Americana, from I believe the late 1870s. It calls the gun the Model of 1877. It shows the gun made in 12- and 10-gauge in 11 grades from $50 to $300. Their 12-gauges were said to be chambered for 2 5/8 inch shells, and their 10-gauges for 2 3/4 inch shells. They also offered heavy 12-gauges built on the 10-gauge frame, chambered for 3-inch shells.

Aha. More information. Thank you.
From what I've read, American Arms was reincarnated twice. It was during their third go round that this gun was produced. They moved to Alabama around 1893, so presumably they were considering Milwaukee before Alabama. They apparently knew they wouldn't be in Boston after May 15th per the ad. Maybe they knew debt collectors would be after them and were throwing a false trail...

Or more likely it was a fluid time and plans were changing.

In a quick Bing search I find a lot of bad information about them out there -- being in Chicopee Falls, Mass.; actually moving to Milwaukee, etc.

They should have made the jump to 'Bama like Kimber is attempting to do....


Cheers,

Raimey
rse

An observation? Is it chambered 16 gauge?

John

I have never seen a patent that specifically applies to the side-cocker, semi-hammerless double. The patent that applies to the side-cocker, semi-hammerless single barrel is Patent No. 255,274 granted Mar. 21, 1882, granted to George Henry Fox and assigned to American Arms Co. The double is essentially two of these singles stuck together. Letterhead that pictures the single --



Early examples of the American Arms Co.'s Whitmore Hammerless like my serial number 63 carry the patent dates of A.E. Whitmore's Patent No. 282,941, granted Aug. 7, 1883 and Patent No. 386,174, granted July 17, 1888. Later guns like serial number 421 also carry the date of his Patent No. 433,262, granted July 29, 1890. An 1890 ad --



A "Trade Note" in the January 30, 1897, issue of Sporting Life states that American Arms Co. now located at East Boston will locate to Deering, Maine, provided a cash capital of $32,000 is subscribed.