Kodensha "Nikko" Trap Gun

[Kevin McCormack]

Seen at a small local gun show today, a near-mint "Nikko" 30" trap gun, originally manufactured by Kodensha, later Olin-Kodensha (ring a bell?). Nice original factory engraving, fixed chokes @ IM & F, high comb (not MC) stock with original recoil pad and wide but not "Broadway" dimensioned rib. Tempting at less than $450 for a backup doubles or bunker trap gun. These were well built guns, sold at one time by Best & Co. big box stores for around $500. Best buy at the show, the second being its near-kin smallbore, a 20-ga. version with 28" barrels in likewise near-mint condition for $725 from a different dealer.

[Bill Davis]

Those 2 guns were excellent deals at those prices. They are 101 clones and quality shotguns.

[Bill Murphy]

Kevin, I can't wait to see these guns next time we meet. What show?

[Kevin McCormack]

Kevin, I can't wait to see these guns next time we meet. What show?

Sorry Bill, you won't see them with me; My next bunker gun will be the one I traded away after the close of my serious bunker days (c. 1990=2000), the legendary 30" Belgian Browning Superposed Pigeon Grade Trap, all factory original LTSK with the 7MM rib. When I track down who owns it I will buy it back (provided it is unaltered).

I would have bought the little 20 ga. on the spot but had already given my SIL the identical gun: I inherited it when my younger brother died suddenly two years ago. Quite the hunter, my SIL has a serious duck and goose gun (Benelli Super Black Eagle II 3 1/2" auto) but has also got into grouse hunting in MD and PA on a friend's property which proved pretty good but had no suitable upland gun so I gave it to him. It is in better condition than the one I saw at the show, the sometimes strange and always mysterious VA Gun Collectors Ass'n Show in Manassas over the weekend.

Also saw there a super early A.H. Fox Sterlingworth "Pin Gun", another "Victim of the Fury"; carriage bolt pinned through the stock head, bogus home-made hard butt plate, but decent 30" barrels with shiny bores and good extractor forend. Very early gun in the 61XXX sn range. Read the barrel address about 20 times hoping it would transform into the "Wayne Junc." roll stamp, but it kept coming up "Phila. PA." Alas, the Force was not with me!

Good use of a rainy, cold Saturday afternoon!

[Dave Noreen]

To get the Wayne Junc. address --

115376

it would have to be a The Sterlingworth Co. gun with a serial number below 50249 which is the first Philadelphia, U.S.A. I've recorded.

115377