Favorite scene engraving

[Dr Bob]

This is a signed Spangler on Special Order Lefever SN# 10,000

[Researcher]

Baker used a variety of engraving patterns on their A and B Grades.

The actual text from a 1900 issue of The Baker Gunner -- "We do not guarantee that every "B"( or "A") grade gun will be engraved from just the same design, but endeavor to have about the same amount of engraving on each. On receiving an order from a customer we try to select first, one which will fill the specifications as to gauge, weight, length of barrels, drop and length of stock, and then conform to customer's ideas as to engraving , as nearly as possible from guns we may have in stock, but always consider engraving of secondary importance. You may receive a "B" (or "A") with a different design of border, or a duck or a dog in place of the two quail or a dog pointing game, we cannot tell as it is our aim to give a variety of designs."

[jeffery c]

Dr Bob, that is some nice engraving, I like the realistic scenes and the acorns on the standing breech. I take it that it doesn't fall into a normal grading chart?

[Dr Bob]

No, it is not graded. This was also before the first recorded Optimus. The serial number, 10,000, may have some significance as the very first Lefever hammerless was 5000.

[Drew Hause]

Turn-of-the-century price comparisons
https://docs.google.com/document/pub...agUSXhewGB03SE

[Daryl Hallquist]

Remarkable effort Dave and Drew. It is really appreciated.

[Jay Oliver]

This isn’t anywhere near the same level as others have shared, but I liked the engraving on this trigger guard so much it made me buy the gun. It is a German percussion sxs 15 gauge with 34” barrels. I just loved the fact that there was a picture of someone loading his gun(with a ramrod) and his dog by his side…right on the trigger guard!

I guess you could say it was the subject of the engraving that made me like it so much.

[Researcher]

Page 544 of John Houchins’ L.C. Smith “The Legend Lives” shows a price comparison between Smith and Parker guns. Prices for both, and in every grade, fell from 1908 to 1913. The $105 2E in 1898 went for $95 in 1908, and became the $75 AE Specialty grade in 1913.

That price drop reflects the change from publishing the high "List Prices" in their catalogs to publishing the actual "Net Selling Prices"


The A.H. Fox Gun Co. catalogs from 1905 to the 1908 "Campfire" catalog showed list prices --

A - Grade ...... $50
B - Grade ...... $75
C - Grade ......$100
D - Grade ..... $200
F - Grade ..... $500
Ejectors ........$15

By the 1911 A.H. Fox Gun Co. "Campfire" catalog they were publishing both the "List Price", the same as 1908, and the actual "Net Price." They also published an Export Edition of the catalog with only the "List Prices" but with a little salmon color insert giving the "Net Prices."

By the 1913 A.H. Fox Gun Co. "A Fox Gets The Game" catalog they only give the prices that were the "Net Prices" in the 1911 and 1912 catalogs.

A - Grade ...... $37.50
B - grade ...... $50
C - Grade ......$70
D - Grade ..... $140
F - Grade ..... $350
Ejectors ........$12

By 1915 Ejectors dropped to $7.50 and C-grade and above were only offered with ejectors. Prices started up during 1916, and by the February 1st, 1920, Price list the were --

A - Grade ...... $68.25
AE- Grade ..... $80.75
CE- Grade ......$115.00
XE- Grade ......$175.00
DE- Grade ..... $275.00
FE- Grade ..... $500.00

[jeffery c]

Originally Posted by Drew Hause

Turn-of-the-century price comparisons
https://docs.google.com/document/pub...agUSXhewGB03SE

That was informative to read and really gives a lot of context as to why way more $30 guns were sold than $75 guns. That's what I would have bought too if I only made 21 cents an hour!

[jeffery c]

Originally Posted by Jay Oliver

This isn’t anywhere near the same level as others have shared, but I liked the engraving on this trigger guard so much it made me buy the gun. It is a German percussion sxs 15 gauge with 34” barrels. I just loved the fact that there was a picture of someone loading his gun(with a ramrod) and his dog by his side…right on the trigger guard!

I guess you could say it was the subject of the engraving that made me like it so much.

That is really a nice scene, I get why you bought it.