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Columbia 16 gauge

Trwyrice
I have a old 16 gauge with Columbia on the left hand side. On the right hand side is a fl up circular cap wthat exposes a hole. What is this for. I think this gun was made by the wh davenport arms co. It has 491 stamped on the trigger guard. Thanks for any help.
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7 comments

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  • hrf
    Is this a breechloader or a muzzle loader? The flip up cover to a hole sounds like a cap box on a percussion shotgun.

    What marks are under the barrel(s) when they are removed?
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  • Trwyrice
    It is not a muzzle loader it shoots 16 gauge shells.
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  • Trwyrice
    The only marks on see on the bottom of the barrel are a"F" and in another spot the number 20491.
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  • Ned Fall
    The gun is a "Trade Brand Name" shotgun. That is a shotgun made by a major maker (and before 1940) for and was sold by a wholesaler or retailer who chose the name to go on the gun. Guns with the name of just COLUMBIA were made by either the W. H. Davenport Arms Company or the Harrington & Richardson Arms Company and were sold by the H.C. Squires Company of New York,N.Y. The flip up tab is part of a screw in/out hinge pin. Lift up the tab and unscrew it to remove the barrel from the frame.The number 491 is the serial number of the gun and sorry but I have no serial number-year made tables for Davenport guns. Need to know any more?
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  • Trwyrice
    Thanks for the great info. The firing pin seems to be a free moving pin held in place by the shell in the barrel until it is struck by the hammer. Does this sound right.
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  • Trwyrice
    The number 20491 on the bottom of the barrel. 491 is the serial number could the20 mean it was made in 1920?
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  • Ned Fall
    No. that is not correct. If the firing pin was held in place by a shell in the chamber, it would fall out and be lost if there was no shell in the chamber. The firing pin is retained by a screw going through the frame of the gun into the firing pin hole. No maker of these old shotguns that I know of coded the year of manufacture in the serial number. Davenport Arms Company was in business under several variations of the name from 1878 to 1909. If you can post a photograph of the gun (including the right side) we can give you a closer estimate.
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