Unknown Shotgun!!! - The Firearms Forum

Dakota18 · 06-07-2012, 04:38 PM

My dad has this shotgun and we have no idea what it is, The only thing we can find is on the left side it says "U.S. Arms Co" and on the right side it says Pat "June 20, 1883" and on the top between the two barrels it says "U.S. ARMS CO FINE TWIST" Thats it!!! all help would be appreciated! Thanks!

bobski · 06-07-2012, 04:45 PM

welcome to the boards.
looks like a damascus bbl'ed 'black powder only' rabbit ear sbs.
odds are, this will get replanted in the whats it worth forum, so look for it there if it disappears.

RJay · 06-07-2012, 06:41 PM

Don't know, but I found two references that state that the US Arms Co. shotgun was made by Crescent Arms Co. ( US Arms Co. was a " Trade Name " think of Sears and their J.C. Higgins firearms, none made by Sears but sold under their name ) and one reference that states that if it doesn't have Belgium Proof marks, then it was made by Crescent Arms Co. The U.S. Arms Co. trade name was used by at least two different hardware chains and both were furnished firearms from a large sporting goods wholesaler H.&D. Folsom, which happened to own Crescent Arms Co. Others may have more complete information or more accurate information, Trade names shotguns can be a bucket of worms to untangle sometimes. I read ( IIRC) that there were over 400 trade names in use in the first part of the 20Th century and that list is far from complete. From the style of the locks I would say your shotgun was made sometime between the late 1880's and 1912{ just a guess } Disclaimer, the above information may or may not reflect the opinion of the author, and the author makes no claims of its factual accuracy, Heck, I'm even going to deny I typed it

06-07-2012, 04:38 PM	#1
Dakota18 Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 1	Unknown Shotgun!!! My dad has this shotgun and we have no idea what it is, The only thing we can find is on the left side it says "U.S. Arms Co" and on the right side it says Pat "June 20, 1883" and on the top between the two barrels it says "U.S. ARMS CO FINE TWIST" Thats it!!! all help would be appreciated! Thanks! Attached Images -->

06-07-2012, 04:45 PM	#2
bobski Former Guest Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: va., conn., & mo. Posts: 948	Re: Unknown Shotgun!!! welcome to the boards. looks like a damascus bbl'ed 'black powder only' rabbit ear sbs. odds are, this will get replanted in the whats it worth forum, so look for it there if it disappears. Last edited by bobski; 06-07-2012 at 04:46 PM..

06-07-2012, 06:41 PM	#3
RJay Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Arizona Posts: 3,486	Re: Unknown Shotgun!!! Don't know, but I found two references that state that the US Arms Co. shotgun was made by Crescent Arms Co. ( US Arms Co. was a " Trade Name " think of Sears and their J.C. Higgins firearms, none made by Sears but sold under their name ) and one reference that states that if it doesn't have Belgium Proof marks, then it was made by Crescent Arms Co. The U.S. Arms Co. trade name was used by at least two different hardware chains and both were furnished firearms from a large sporting goods wholesaler H.&D. Folsom, which happened to own Crescent Arms Co. Others may have more complete information or more accurate information, Trade names shotguns can be a bucket of worms to untangle sometimes. I read ( IIRC) that there were over 400 trade names in use in the first part of the 20Th century and that list is far from complete. From the style of the locks I would say your shotgun was made sometime between the late 1880's and 1912{ just a guess } Disclaimer, the above information may or may not reflect the opinion of the author, and the author makes no claims of its factual accuracy, Heck, I'm even going to deny I typed it __________________ RonJames Last edited by RJay; 06-07-2012 at 06:43 PM..