John P Lovell Single barrel 12 GA - The Firearms Forum

jdempsey · 08-01-2009, 03:32 PM

I have a Lovell Single Barrel 12 GA that is in decent shape with 60 -70% of the bluing left.

Thanks,

Jason

RJay · 08-01-2009, 08:12 PM

John Lovell operated a wholesale business in Boston from 1890 until 1899. The J P Lovell Arms Co. did not make firearms per say, but sold both domestic and imported. I know the single barrels came in at least a couple of different flavors, English and Belgium. The English shotgun will be marked England, The Belgium shotgun will be unmarked except for proof marks on the water table ( under the fore arm ), the letters ELG in a circle or oval with perhaps a crown on top. Does yours have any other markings other than J P Lovell?, if so can you post them??

b.goforth · 08-02-2009, 12:35 PM

j.p. lovell co. started out in precivil war days as a manufacturer making mostly single barrel percussion shotguns. by the end of the civil was they discovered the money was selling what other people made so they became a full line sporting goods wholesaler/retailer selling other people firearms and some marked with brand names they owned, like champion. by the 1890's they had several stores in and around the new england area with the main store in boston being several stories tall and about a half city black wide. in 1873 johnson & bye gunsmith became the sole manufacturer of handguns that j.p. lovell co. advertized as "their own make" and by 1883 iver johnson 's arms co, became the sole manuacturer of the champion single barrel shotgun line that lovell also called their own. by 1900 j.p. lovell co. was a very large concern. but like most the original founders were gone and the heirs were not interested. in 1900 the J.P. Lovell co. main store was sold to the iver johnson family who renamed it iver johnson sporting goods of boston. the iver johnson family operated this store until the 1950's. most of the other J.P. Lovell co. locations were closed in 1900 after the sell of the main store except for one location in portland maine, which remained opened until at least the wwI era. most likely because some family member wanted it and this was the location of the original j.p. lovell arms co.

back in the 1880's and 90's most of the single barrel shotguns lovell sold were only marked with a brand name, few had the j.p. lovell name unless it was the name of the boston store like j.p. lovell co. sporting goods boston.
the portland store did sell some single barrels marked 'lovell arms portland maine" for a long time. some of these may have been manufactured locally by an unknown makers or even in the portland store shop.

all this was said to tell you the only way to properly identify you lovell marked shotguns is to see some good clear sharp pictures of it and its markings. even the era of manufacture can not be determined with out pictures.

early single barrel shotguns do not hold much interest for most collectors but there are a few of us who do have an interest. having pictures of these early single barrels does help the research effort.
bill

RJay · 08-02-2009, 12:49 PM

Thanks Bill, allways learning, I should have known that from your book.

joe lovell · 06-30-2012, 11:57 PM

I am a descendent of john lovell,and I would be interested in purchasing the gun...I think that they also made bicycles too

Anchor Clanker · 07-01-2012, 12:34 AM

The company was (re)incorporated on February 18, 1893 as the LOVELL ARMS & CYCLE COMPANY so they may have sold bicycles.

08-01-2009, 03:32 PM	#1
jdempsey Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 2	John P Lovell Single barrel 12 GA I have a Lovell Single Barrel 12 GA that is in decent shape with 60 -70% of the bluing left. Thanks, Jason -->

08-01-2009, 08:12 PM	#2
RJay Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Arizona Posts: 3,487	Re: John P Lovell Single barrel 12 GA John Lovell operated a wholesale business in Boston from 1890 until 1899. The J P Lovell Arms Co. did not make firearms per say, but sold both domestic and imported. I know the single barrels came in at least a couple of different flavors, English and Belgium. The English shotgun will be marked England, The Belgium shotgun will be unmarked except for proof marks on the water table ( under the fore arm ), the letters ELG in a circle or oval with perhaps a crown on top. Does yours have any other markings other than J P Lovell?, if so can you post them?? __________________ RonJames

08-02-2009, 12:35 PM	#3
b.goforth Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: houston, tx Posts: 3,174	Re: John P Lovell Single barrel 12 GA j.p. lovell co. started out in precivil war days as a manufacturer making mostly single barrel percussion shotguns. by the end of the civil was they discovered the money was selling what other people made so they became a full line sporting goods wholesaler/retailer selling other people firearms and some marked with brand names they owned, like champion. by the 1890's they had several stores in and around the new england area with the main store in boston being several stories tall and about a half city black wide. in 1873 johnson & bye gunsmith became the sole manufacturer of handguns that j.p. lovell co. advertized as "their own make" and by 1883 iver johnson 's arms co, became the sole manuacturer of the champion single barrel shotgun line that lovell also called their own. by 1900 j.p. lovell co. was a very large concern. but like most the original founders were gone and the heirs were not interested. in 1900 the J.P. Lovell co. main store was sold to the iver johnson family who renamed it iver johnson sporting goods of boston. the iver johnson family operated this store until the 1950's. most of the other J.P. Lovell co. locations were closed in 1900 after the sell of the main store except for one location in portland maine, which remained opened until at least the wwI era. most likely because some family member wanted it and this was the location of the original j.p. lovell arms co. back in the 1880's and 90's most of the single barrel shotguns lovell sold were only marked with a brand name, few had the j.p. lovell name unless it was the name of the boston store like j.p. lovell co. sporting goods boston. the portland store did sell some single barrels marked 'lovell arms portland maine" for a long time. some of these may have been manufactured locally by an unknown makers or even in the portland store shop. all this was said to tell you the only way to properly identify you lovell marked shotguns is to see some good clear sharp pictures of it and its markings. even the era of manufacture can not be determined with out pictures. early single barrel shotguns do not hold much interest for most collectors but there are a few of us who do have an interest. having pictures of these early single barrels does help the research effort. bill __________________ Author: Iver Johnson's Arms & Cycle Works 1871-1993 H&R Arms Company 1871-1986 (due spring 2010) available from www.gunshowbooks.com website; iverjohnsoncollector.x10hosting.com

08-02-2009, 12:49 PM	#4
RJay Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Arizona Posts: 3,487	Re: John P Lovell Single barrel 12 GA Thanks Bill, allways learning, I should have known that from your book. __________________ RonJames Last edited by RJay; 08-02-2009 at 05:04 PM..

06-30-2012, 11:57 PM	#5
joe lovell Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 1	Re: John P Lovell Single barrel 12 GA I am a descendent of john lovell,and I would be interested in purchasing the gun...I think that they also made bicycles too

07-01-2012, 12:34 AM	#6
Anchor Clanker V.I.P. Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Vacaville,California Posts: 196	Re: John P Lovell Single barrel 12 GA The company was (re)incorporated on February 18, 1893 as the LOVELL ARMS & CYCLE COMPANY so they may have sold bicycles.