Baker Batavia Damascus

[Milton C Starr]

Originally Posted by Brian Dudley

That 10g is an absolute mess for the asking price of nearly $2,000.

A very poor replacement buttstock, the whole forend is not original, and it is from a Parker to boot.

Haha I never even noticed the forend looks very similar to my NH.
Probably a reason its been sitting for past couple years on GI.

Anytime I see a double sitting on GB or GI for years without selling I figure thats a good indicator they are asking too much. Then again I have seen cases where the guns then go to auction and sell for more than what they were listed for buy it now which is a head scratcher.

[Researcher]

There are so many things questionable about that gun. As poor as those pictures are they don't provide any answers. The seller says Damascus, but the pictures, as poor as they are, look like Twist to me.

[Mike Poindexter]

Got the gun; looks as nice as the pics show; no wear on the buttplate and all screws appear untouched. Drops were 1 3/4 and 3 as I suspected they might be. Stick on cheek pad will fix that. Shocker was the weight--the gun weighs 7 lbs 11.5 oz on my digital scale--3 oz heavier than my 2 frame 12ga GH! Bores were .658 each side, with 30 pts. choke on each. No pheasants for this gun--maybe I'll load up some Nice Shot 4's for ducks and sit in a blind with it, after I see how it patterns. My VHE 16 ga w/ 28 in bbls weighs 6-10. Anybody know what an "ADH" stamp on each barrel in front of the flats is? Maybe the Belgian barrel maker?

[Researcher]

I'll bet Dr. Drew knows what the "ADH" means.

That is heavier than the catalog lists for the 16-gauge. I have a 16-gauge, 30-inch barrel, Baker Black Beauty Special Ejector that tips the scales at 6 pounds 12.3 ounces.

I have two 2-frame 12-gauge Parkers, one weighs a fraction of an ounce over nine pounds and the other weighs 8 pounds 3.2 ounces. My Grandfather's 3-frame 12-gauge weighs 8 pounds 8 ounces. Nobody did more with weight and balance than the Brothers P.

[Mike Poindexter]

Dave, here are some pics of the barrel stampings. I also pulled the buttplate wondering if I would see a lead plug. Saw a wooden plug instead. Maybe lead under it? I'm not going to try and find out. It is what it is--a heavy 16 bore. What do they say? Carries like a 12, shoots like a 20?

[Mike Poindexter]

Forgot pics.

[Daryl Hallquist]

In this thread there were some talk and questions about a 10 gauge Batavia Leader for sale. It has a serial number in the 43,000 range, not a range in common with either most Baker Gun and Forging Company Leaders or the Folsom made ones. But, in the period of approx. 1915-1919 when Baker Gun and Forging Company was making fewer guns and more auto parts, there were a variety of double shotguns and single traps in all grades and models that are found intermittently in the serial ranges of 37,000 -51,000. Many of these guns could be "odd" models, made up of available parts. I think the advertised 10 gauge is just that. Damascus barrels were not listed on Leaders of that period. Note that there are no firing pin retaining screws, like the guns made in the late teens. I have recorded other Leader 10 gauges , just a few, near the 43,000 range, so it is rare, but not unique.

[Daryl Hallquist]

That fine Batavia Damascus in the discussion did weigh more than I had guessed, so I weighed a few of my 16 gauge Bakers . Here are the results.

Paragon from same period as the Batavia Damascus---7# 9 oz

Folsom made Batavia Leader--- 6# 13.5 oz

Batavia Hammerless Boxlock [Hollenbeck shaped frame]-- 6# 4.9 oz

[charlie cleveland]

I like them big or small heavy guns...charlie