Parker BrosSxS

[John Woodliff]

I am in possession of a Parker Bros. 12ga SxS., hammer gun, damascus barrels, with W F & Co stamped on the underside of the right barrel. the locking lug for the fore arm appears to have been re-soldered,a nd he screw for the left hammer appears to have been replaced. The bores are moderately pitted. No cracks or splits in the wood. Looking for a cost estimate for insurance purposes. Thanks, John

[Jack Cronkhite]

Are you able to post some pictures? With the serial number you can search this site for year of manufacture. That search will also comment on any remaining factory records. If there are records, you can request a research letter, which may shed some light on the provenance of your gun. As for the W F & Co stamping, the probability is that it is faked.

Here is a piece of info directly from Wells Fargo website click here (http://www.wellsfargohistory.com/resources/faqs.htm)

... about Wells Fargo firearms...

It is our experience that firearms with Wells Fargo identification are NOT authentic.

Wells Fargo did not distribute firearms over large areas or over long periods of time. Firearm purchases were local, and armed personnel usually brought their own equipment. Also, Wells Fargo offices did not keep many outdated records, so there are no comprehensive lists of Wells Fargo firearms.

Most important to this issue, "fakes" have been produced for decades, trading on the romance of the Old West. Firearms with “Wells Fargo”marks have become a problem among collectors of antique firearms because people add “Wells Fargo” to actual antique weapons. Of course, this is not to say that every firearm with a mark is not authentic, but it is very difficult to know whether any item was or was not used by Wells Fargo, regardless of the markings.

The best information to start with is the book Company Property by James Bartz. (Westbound Stage, 1993.)

[George Lander]

Jack: You may be right, but I have a Colt .38 caliber New Army revolver circa 1902 with "WF&CO" stamped on the bottom of the frame at the grip. This has be authenticated by the Colt Historian as one of a block of serial numbers that were shipped to Wells Fargo in that year.

I know that most of what are out there with wells Fargo markings are spurious. I have had a couple, but at the same time we know that the company owned pistolsm, rifles and shotguns and they did mark their property.

Best Regards, George

[Jack Cronkhite]

You are right George, just that if one could pile all the WF&Co marked items in one spot, they would far exceed the inventory the company ever had. But, there are some true pieces out there for sure.
Cheers,
Jack