Odd New Baker Please Help!!!!!

[Sally Sixguns]

I inherited an antique gun dating in the 1800's. I have been researching the origin of it, another like it, or the company(found many different versions of information)! Have had a bit of sucess but it seems to be an oddball. It has a few stamps. One on the right side: Syracuse Forging & Gun Co.; Syracuse, NY. This seems odd since all others I have found in my search seem to be stamped Batavia, NY. Another on the left side: New Baker. Under the break action-left: Pat'd Oct 4 1887; June 1st 1880. And a 4-digit number under the right side. Please Help!!!!

[22WRF]

This may help ya


Unusual "New Baker" double barrel shotgun. 32" barrels, possibly 12 gauge. Marked on right side of frame "SYRACUSE FORGING & GUN Co/BATAVIA,N.Y." and on other side "NEW BAKER". Metal parts have medium patina overall with nice damascus finish on barrels. Buttstock has nice grain, showing average wear from use, and a small crack on either side of triggerguard, and a small age crack in heel of butt by buttplate screw. Cracks are free of play. Hard rubber buttplate free of cracks and chips. Mechanically good, sold as a collector item only, not warranted safe to shoot.

http://www.gundersonmilitaria.com/de...yracuseforging

[Xracer]

Hi Sally.........welcome to TFF.

From the Blue Book:

"Baker, W.H. & Co.

Previous manufacturer located in Syracuse, NY circa 1878-1883

Oraginally started by William H. and Ellis L. Baker circa 1878. During this time Leroy H. and Lyman C. Smith fianced the new company, W.H. Baker & Co. Circa 1880, L.C. Smith bought the interest from the two Baker partners and continued production with the markings reading "L.C. Smith & Co., Maker of the Baker Gun" on the rib and "Baker Pat. on the locks. Smith decided to drop the Baker name in 1883, but contiued to manufacture this shotgun and a shotgun/rifle combination in Syracuse, NY until 1888. Baker Gun & Forging Co. began making both the New Baker shotguns and the Ithaca gun. The copany was sold to the Hunter Brothers circa 1888, and the Hunter Arms Company made L.C. Smith shotguns for approximately 60 years at which point the Marlin Firearms Company bought the business in the early 1940s."

Sooooo......if you can follow all of that (and I'm not sure I can), I'd guess that your gun was made around 1888 when the Hunter brothers bought the company.

[45Smashemflat]

Let me pilfer in a "Doublegun Journal" I believe that they did an article on Baker guns a while back.

[Marlin]

Glad to see ya at TFF, Sally.

[Sally Sixguns]

Thanks Marlin! Sorry to not post back to you all but I have had a busy month! I read what you all posted but it still puzzles me why it would be stamped syracuse, NY and with syracuse forging and gun company. All the information is typically the same. first they were stamped syracuse, batavia, then they made guns stamped by baker and syracuse both with batavia then broke off from baker and sold to smith, then stamping the guns with smith co.. The part I dont understand is when did they stamp the new baker guns with syracuse, NY. There is nothing in any of the information Ive read that states they stamped it from this city but mine is.....no where on it does it say batavia!!!! I guess I should have been a bit more clear. I understand the history that I have read but this has been getting to me ....do I own a fake or do I own a rare gun?????? let me know what any of you find that talks about syracuse forging and gun company, syracuse, NY!!!!

[wonderwhippet]

Your shotgun is neither a fake nor is it rare. It was never a highly valued gun, so there was no reason for anyone to produce counterfeit copies.

[southernshooter]

Welcome Sally