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Spencer Rapid Shotgun

Tom Lee A
Could someone provide me some information on this gun? I'm not looking at selling it, but would like to know more about it. Here's the info that I have:

Spencer Rapid Shotgun; 12 gauge pump; patented in 1882; made by F. Bannerman; New York; model 1890; I think the barrel is made of Damascus steel;

Thanks.
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Comments

9 comments

Date Votes
  • Tailgunner1954
    Bannerman was a New York military surplus dealer (Google "Bannerman" and "Bannerman's Island")
    Chopping down, drilling out, and other wise modifing firearms so they would sell was their norm.
    It might be a modified Spencer rifle (rifling drilled out) or it could be just a name that Bannerman came up with inorder to increase sale.

    Detailed photo's are required
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  • Spider7115
    Your pump shotgun had no relation whatsoever to the famous Civil War arms maker.

    Spencer Arms Company, the original maker of the first successful slide action shotgun was located in Windsor,Ct The company was sold to Francis Bannerman & Co of New York in 1889 and Bannerman continued to make the guns until 1902.

    Assuming fair to good condition, these usually sell in the $200-$300 range.

    DSC_0577-1.jpg
    DSC_0578-1.jpg
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  • nord
    And worth somewhat less than those made by Spencer.

    This may well be due to the somewhat dubious reputation of Bannerman. Not that they did anything wrong but more correctly because they were known for their dealing in surplus military arms and doing conversions.

    They were the king of cheap firearms for many years. Go to Google Earth and look up Bannerman's Island sometime. It's an interesting perspective on a time a century ago.
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  • Spider7115
    Sad remnants of a once magnificent arsenal:

    bannermans-island-1.jpg
    bannermans-island-2.jpg
    bannermans-island-3.jpg
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  • nord
    Fantastic photos! Hard to believe an empire built on surplus guns. Sad to see what remains, but a great history lesson.

    Thanks.
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  • Spider7115
    quote:Originally posted by nord
    Fantastic photos! Hard to believe an empire built on surplus guns. Sad to see what remains, but a great history lesson.

    Thanks.


    I seem to recall reading that Bannerman's arsenal of weapons was rivaled only by the US Government.
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  • rhmc24
    When I was a kid in Oklahoma in 1930s I bought a CW cavalry saber with scabbard from Bannerman's for about $2. Bannerman's had a store on lower Broadway in New York around 1950. I went there and looked at the remnants of what had been something of an empire - rusty iron and flags and pennants of past wars hanging in ruins. Shortly thereafter, visiting my Dad in OK, I wanted a sword blade and wrote to them telling them about what I had bought in the '30s. They send me a complete saber of the same kind free of charge - minus scabbard.

    In the 1950s Bannerman's had a corrugated iron warehouse out on So. shore of Long Island run by a grandson (I think) a man with physical challenges. He was selling flintlock parts & probably other stuff. He said the flint parts were in barrels of like parts, lockplates, hammers, frizzens, etc. One could spend a couple hours an with patience gather up enough parts to build up a few locks - which I did. Cost was from a few cents per part up to a dollar for a well marked lockplate. The lock parts were all English sea service pistol lock of early 1800s.

    Been there - done that!
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  • Tom Lee A
    Thanks guys, I knew that I could count on getting some good info.
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  • BigLoop22
    Gents,

    To round out what has been said about Bannerman's, here is a story from the Navy Arms Web site:

    http://www.navyarms.com/files/bannerman.pdf

    Bannerman was an interesting fellow, with some really cool toys![:D]
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