fore arms?

[John Taddeo]

Anyone have any info on forehand arms shotguns. Looks to be made in Mass. Late 1800's damascuss gun..I am not sure of the gauge but the pics show what seem to be a fine checkering and nice engraving. Any thoughts? I could not find a gun on the main sites to price compare. My fault forehand arms

[edgarspencer]

If their shotguns are as nice as the Forehand & Wadsworth revolvers, then they have to be first class quality.

[OH Osthaus]

they have been discussed on the double gun board

page 4 of this thread

http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/...rue#Post346138

there is an ad for them shown here

http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/...rue#Post320414

[John Taddeo]

Thanks guys very helpful, it seems they were made in a few different grades. I will get a look at this one as I have never seen one (or heard of one for that matter). They seem to get varying points of view on the good ole internet.. Hmmm....Wonder what's up with barrel removal?

[Bill Murphy]

A friend sold an outrageous graded Forehand 16 gauge with the most beautiful Damascus I have ever seen. The gun was near mint and the Damascus pattern was as it came from the factory.

[John Taddeo]

Bill: Any idea of the Damascus origins on the guns, and would they be formidable enough for modern low pressure loads. I will definitely measure wall and chamber thickness though I was wondering about the construction, if anyone has knowledge of. Most ads I see say "Made of good material" hmmm.

[Scott Smith]

I once had a very high condition grade 1 Forehand Arms double shotgun (ser no. 771). I sold it to a gentleman in Dover, NH that collected these guns. To show his appreciation, he mailed me a photocopy of a Forehand Arms Co. Pocket catalog. I can attach it if you want. The catalog lists 4 grades, 0,1,2,3. Prices for these grades were $35, $40, $60, and $75. Ejectors were $10 extra. Finer graded guns could be made to order. Grade 0 has "Finest Belgium Twist", 1 = "Two-Blade Damascus", 2 = "Three-Blade Damascus", and 3 = "Very Fine Damascus". Grades 1-3 had French walnut, with increasing qualities of checking and engraving. The Grade 1 that I had was very well executed. I would say on par with the Parker and Lefever guns of the period (1890s). The butt plate depicted a standing turkey. I have encounter a few grade 0 and grade 2 examples over the years. They are excellent. I did fire a few black powder rounds out of the gun I owned. It was choked cylinder / full. Again, the quality is excellent, but I suspect that the market is relatively small. I can tell you that I sold my gun for $475 back in 2004. The Forehand guns I have seen on dealer tables over the past couple of years have been priced in the $500 - $750 range.

[John Taddeo]

Thank you gentlemen, one thing you can count on with this forum is good reliable info.. (with a little touch of B.S. amongst friends)... Much appreciated.