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.
|