Unmarked Hammer 12 Ga. Shotgun

[Rocky Nivison]

I have my great - great granddads rabbit ear 12 gauge shotgun without a manufacture stamp only a serial number of 2361 and an A with fish looking emblem underneath. I need to find a missing hammer for it. You know who made this one? Please contact me at rockynivison@hotmail.com or call 512-484-6464. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

[Bruce Day]

This is not a Parker shotgun.

You may have better luck at some other gun interest site that you may find through Google.

[Rocky Nivison]

Originally Posted by Bruce Day

This is not a Parker shotgun.

You may have better luck at some other gun interest site that you may find through Google.

Thanks,
It’s not like anything I can find but it’s in perfect shooting condition and I would like to restore its hammer if I can find one.
Anyone interested in hammer guns may know what it is.. I’ve seen everything Google has to offer and nothing comes close. I’ve had 5 replies from Cabalas gun libraries and they don’t know what it is and I have sent photos to Numrich Gun Parts Corp. yesterday.

[Bruce Day]

To be frank about it, the gun looks to be a low cost hardware store gun of which thousands were imported from Belgium and sold to major hardware distributors. They sold for maybe $15 to $20 when quality guns sold for $50 and up. They shot loose after a while and the barrels were of questionable quality and did not withstand higher pressure loads. They were seldom marked with a manufacturer's or distributor's name, as were better quality guns. Your desire to fix up your forebear's gun is admirable but unwise in my unsolicited opinion.

[Rocky Nivison]

Originally Posted by Bruce Day

To be frank about it, the gun looks to be a low cost hardware store gun of which thousands were imported from Belgium and sold to major hardware distributors. They sold for maybe $15 to $20 when quality guns sold for $50 and up. They shot loose after a while and the barrels were of questionable quality and did not withstand higher pressure loads. They were seldom marked with a manufacturer's or distributor's name, as were better quality guns. Your desire to fix up your forebear's gun is admirable but unwise in my unsolicited opinion.

This one is as tight as the day it was new and very good barrels. I have 2 grand nieces in their early 20s and would like to pass it on to the first son if they ever get married. It would be his great-great-great-great-great granddads __________ rabbit ear 12 gauge shotgun. I would like to fill in the blank if possible. I can have a gun smith make a hammer if I can’t find one as the manufacture and date of manufacture is actually more important. Grand-Grand-Grand-Grand-Grand is priceless.

[Big Friend Ten (BFT)]

Hi Rocky,

Your granddad's external hammer shotgun may be a new but it is still has no manufacturer's marks to our knowledge. Bruce is probably correct at a 99 and 44/100% chance!

Without markings no one could tell you who made it. Sorry.

If you want to have it repaired and give to the please do so.

If you like, go to the Double Gun Shop forum and ask the members.
http://doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php

Let us know if anyone solves this mystery.

[Rocky Nivison]

Originally Posted by Mark Ouellette

Hi Rocky,

Your granddad's external hammer shotgun may be a new but it is still has no manufacturer's marks to our knowledge. Bruce is probably correct at a 99 and 44/100% chance!

Without markings no one could tell you who made it. Sorry.

If you want to have it repaired and give to the please do so.

If you like, go to the Double Gun Shop forum and ask the members.
http://doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php

Let us know if anyone solves this mystery.

Thanks Mark,
And I meant to thank Bruce for being frank, sorry Bruce and thanks for being frank it helped me to know where it probably came from and where to look next. If nothing else I can say it is probably a Belgium shotgun. This shotgun was well used during the depression and when the trigger was pulled it was to put meat on the table. It was loaned to many people and the hammer was lost by a friend of my granddads while hunting rabbits. It’s incredible that it is in like new shooting condition. I think it may be a good quality cheap Belgium shotgun. I will most defiantly let everyone know whether it is solved or not.

[TARNATION !!!]

Rocky: When you say "unmarked" does that include under the barrels at the breech end? Any stampings in that area may be helpful to your cause. There are some master gunsmiths who could return this close to its original state. Of course that would cost but then, as you say, great-great-great-great-great might be worth a few grand for sentimental reasons.
Cheers,
Jack

[Rocky Nivison]

Originally Posted by Jack Cronkhite

Rocky: When you say "unmarked" does that include under the barrels at the breech end? Any stampings in that area may be helpful to your cause. There are some master gunsmiths who could return this close to its original state. Of course that would cost but then, as you say, great-great-great-great-great might be worth a few grand for sentimental reasons.
Cheers,
Jack

Thanks Jack
No markings at all anywhere accept an A with a fish underneath the A and the number 2361 stamped on every piece of the gun including the wood. There is another 2361 under the barrel at the breech end. I may have it restored but will probably leave it like it is, looking very old and used..

[charlie cleveland]

rocky i would have me a hammer made for the gun and if a used hammer of same type turns up i would then put it on....enjoy your great grandfathers gun..a treasure it indeed is.... charlie