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Winchester 1897 Owned by Fred Barker????

docshock
Just wanted to see if anyone could shed any light on this...

Found a Winchester Model 1897 in a little shop in Southern Minnesota while on vacation. It has F Barker carved into the stock.. The shop owner told(assured?) me it belonged to Fred Barker, but didnt really have much if any evidence to back it up.

Anything I could do to research this further? Its not going to ruin my year if its not legitimately his, but I am interested in knowing.

S/N shows it to be made in 1907

Obviously ignore the model 11 in one of the photos....

1897FBarker.jpg

1897FBarker2.jpg
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Comments

9 comments

Date Votes
  • Bert H.
    Who is/was Fred Barker?
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  • fordsix
    Ma barkers boy[}:)]
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  • docshock
    He was a member of the barker gang a group of bank robbers from the twenties and thirties. Think ma barker and shotgun George Ziegler. Google has a ton of info but that's the basics. Any help is much appreciated.
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  • Bert H.
    What is the serial number? With it, I can very closely determine the date of manufacture.

    If the serial number is <378,000, it can be lettered through the Cody Firearms Musuem.

    Without any solid evidence (provenance) linking it to Fred Barker, it is purely heresay, and the carved stock reduces the value. If you can positvely link it to him, the reverse is true. You might try researching his arrest record to see if the gun was ever taken into custody with him.
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  • He Dog
    You will need bullet proof provenance on it. I personally have seen more Wells Fargo branded shotguns than Wells Fargo ever owned.
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  • docshock
    ROGER - I know i need proof for it to be VALUED for what it may be.

    I know it could be Frodos shotgun.

    Got ya.

    Looking for information that can lead me to facts. I can come up with my own "what ifs".
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  • Fatstrat
    Call the "History Detectives" on PBS. Let them do the research. They love this kind of stuff. By the way, the Barkers are buried pretty near here. In a little out of the way cemetary on OK HWY 10 between Welch and Miami Okla.
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  • docshock
    Thanks Fatstrat - story submitted.
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  • fordsix
    let us know if accepted!
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