Hopkins & Allen Arms shotgun

[Liam]

Some kind soul over at Culver's Shooting Page suggested I post my query here:

A friend inherited a Hopkins & Allen Arms single shot 12ga. shotgun. There is no manufacture date on gun. My web search indicates manufacture between 1896 and 1915. Would this shotgun have fired black powder shells or the more modern smokeless fodder?...or is my information too little to make an assessment?

I think, if we can get the missing stock replaced and the parts are in working order, he plans to shoot it.

thanks

[b.goforth]

it is my opinion that all Hopkins & Allen firearms (handgun, rifles and shotguns manufactured by the original H&A company that went out of business in 1917 should be treated as black powder only. the only mention of smokeless powder i have ever found in any H&A catalog is in reference to the special order 22 rimfire single shot target pistol they made after 1910 and the top break safety police model also introduced in 1910. using their own words in the 1910 catalog. "the government has fired the safety police model with 927 rounds of smokeless ammo". what they don't say is it must have failed on the 928th round or the number of rounds fired would have been higher.

numrich arms ended up owning the H&A name and in the 1960's and 1970. they marketed a line of replica black powder long arms never manufactured by the original company and some single shot cartridge rifles. but these are very modern arms.
bill