Hub Arms Company - ?

[allen newell]

While at the range yesterday, a gentleman brought over a 12 ga hammer double for us to identify. This hammer gun had been in his family for as long as he could remember but no one in the family was aware of any history on the gun. On the side plates it read: 'Hub Arms Company'. On the underside of the barrels there looked to be Belgium 'Liege' stamp. all serial numbers matched. Damascus barrels.

My guess would be this gun was an import from a Belgium maker under contract to the Hub Arms Co. And I'm guessing Hub Arms Co. was a New England firm (Boston) that distributed their imported guns through a number of hardware stores in the region. Could Hub Arms have been a precursor to Iver Johnson? Anyone know anything about Hub Arms? I have no pics of this double but it was fully functional and the guy proceeded to shoot a round of skeet with it using some very light RST loads.

[allen newell]

Has anyone heard of the Hub Arms Company? Any info would be appreciated.

[charlie cleveland]

this is a new name for me..maybe somebody out here has heard of hub guns.. charlie

[Bill Zachow]

More probably, the "Hub" gun was a product of the H. D. Folsom Co. Per Hinman's "The Golden Age of Shotgunning", Folsom..."was importing English, French, and Belgian guns, all in low and medium price range, and taking contracts to furnish either their own or imported guns under any brand name the purchaser desired." Hinman goes on to list 6 pages of gun "brands" that have been associated with Folsom, but the "Hub" brand is not listed. I made my more probably Folsom conclusion based on the sheer volume and diversity of Folsom guns.

[Drew Hause]

It was listed in the 1890 John P. Lovell Arms Co., Boston Catalogue
http://www.cornellpubs.com/old-guns/item_desc.php?item_id=447

The Folsom (and others) tradename list has gotten a bit longer
http://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1OxZo5Tkvx2G8eYf747QR9B5RJdN6Siu5JGIhfguSXX Q

[Bill Zachow]

Thanks, Drew. Near info and, I think, I stand corrected.

[allen newell]

Thanks Guys

[Dean Romig]

An interesting side note; The John P. Lovell Arms Co. of Boston was also a large purchaser of Parker Bros. shotguns. Recently, while researching a Parker with Chuck Bishop he informed me of an entry in an Order Book that in 1883 the John P. Lovell Co. returned a large quantity of Parker shotguns to Meriden (some sixty or eighty guns) with the instructions to "refurbish burned guns". Apparently there had been a fire in the store or warehouse. :eek:

[edgarspencer]

Iver Johnson was originally Johnson and Bye (1871).