Skip to main content
Help Center Community Shop

Hartford double-barrel

earl
I have recently received a Hartford double-barrel serial number 1042** which appears to be in excellent condition except for the stock and firing pins. I am interested in the date of manufacture, and parts, in that it was a gift from my grandfather.
0

Comments

3 comments

Date Votes
  • Xracer
    Your "Hartford" shotgun was most likely made by Crescent Firearms Co., in Norwich, CT for the H&D Folsom Arms Co. (wholesalers) and was sold by both Simmons Hardware and the Shapleigh Hardware Company in St. Louis, MO.

    These "Hardware Store Shotguns" were usually inexpensive, utility grade shotguns, and have minimal collector value. In good condition, they range in value from $50 to $200.

    There's no known list linking serial #s to manufacturing dates of the many, many brands of hardware store guns, but Crescent was in business from 1892 to 1930, so your shotgun falls somewhere in that date range.

    As for spare parts....probably none available. However, a competent gunsmith ought to be able to repair the stock and make you some new firing pins. Also, have him check out the gun to see if it's safe to shoot, and if so, what type of shotshells to use in it. Many of these early shotguns were made for blackpowder and are unsafe to use with modern smokeless powder loads.

    However, all that having been said.....your grandfather's gift is a wonderful family memento. Even if it can't be shot, you can hang it over the fireplace as a part of your family's hunting heritage.
    0
  • nord
    Earl -

    "Hartford" is a trade name, not a manufacturer. You failed to tell us whether a hammer gun or hammerless. Further, you gave very little overall information about the gun as a whole.

    Since I have no reference to the name (perhaps others do), I'll merely ask if the tubes are browned or blued. Brown would indicate damascus-type construction. Blue would be steel. Then I'd ask if there are proof marks on the underside of the tubes.

    My hunch is that you have either a Crescent or a Stevens product with steel tubes, but that's by no means a confirmed fact. In either case a damaged stock is best repaired, not replaced. No matter what there's a degree of fitting involved and the piece isn't worth a lot of trouble or money.

    Firing pins aren't all that much of a problem. If not readily available, then almost any smith can make them.

    If I'm wrong and you find proofs on the tubes, then all bets are off. The gun would then almost certainly be Belgian (ELG) and of questionable strength and reliability. Damascus-type tubes are not designed for nitro loads and are considered unsafe.

    In case this is such a gun, then I'd do nothing save for a nice coat of oil and a permanent spot in a place of distinction as a family heirloom.

    One more comment... The gun cannot be in excellent condition with a damaged stock. Broken firing pins indicate either poor quality or a massive amount of dry fires. I always consider such pieces with a degree of suspicion.

    Nord
    0
  • nord
    Got a nice e-mail from Earl... The gun is a Belgian. "Laminated Steel", choke bored, browned, and a hammergun.

    Now I understand the broken firing pins, but moreover I think we must understand the need to be very careful with our answers. I say this because Earl could have easily been given the opinion that he had a moden gun and that all was well. After all, I really thought the gun was a fairly modern Crescent.

    Trade guns and trade names are a nightmare to figure out. Books don't cover them to a significant extent, and those that do have a high percentage of error. Remember... The years from 1900 to 1915 saw some of the greatest changes in firearms development since the change from muzzle stuffers in the 1860's.

    I've come to the conclusion that if "XYZ Arms" was known to have sold trade-branded Crescents in 1925, then it's a fair bet they sold Belgians with their trade name a quarter century earlier. It's a good bet, too, that some references cover "XYZ Arms" pretty well and others don't. It's also a fair bet that this same reference will fall flat when we reference something like "ABC Arms". Too many names, too many small trade brands, and too few records remaining.

    I guess what I'm trying to say is that unless a complete description of the piece is given I wouldn't ever say for certain the origin of a particular gun, nor dare to establish a timeframe of manufacture. Just too many variables to make a proper call.

    Nord
    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Recent Activity