need help-New Haven SxS

Well, every once in awhile I turn up something that I just can't seem to find much info on, and this critter is one such something. It is a 12 gauge side by side with enclosed hammers and a conventional thumb safety, rather plain but decent fit and finish (I'll post photo's later). Seems to be reasonably well made, but internals suggest economy gun. What little I can turn up indicates that guns marked "New Haven Firearms Co." were made by Mossberg, but it's not very difinitive. The shotgun has no model, S/N is 4 digits, 2-3/4" chambers, it had 30" barrels (I cut them to 18.5" ). I'd just like to know a bit more about it (like when it was made and by whom, value, etc.), if anyone is at all familiar or has more books than I do that might help.

Thanks guys

Thanks, Dave. It is a box lock, no proof marks of any kind. The only markings on the receiver other than S/N are "Pat. Applied for". The right barrel is stamped with "London Fluid Steel".

I looked up the Hunter guns, and it is similar, though none of the images I could find place the screws in the same place or have the flat safety tang. If it is a Hunter, with no engraving or stock checkering, I suspect it'd be some variant of the plain Jane "Fulton" model, which my book shows at ~$300 in good condition. The Barrels, stock and forearm are in VG to Exc. condition, but the receiver has been refinished. Found out yesterday that the hammer cocking mechanism that is fitted to the barrels is cast, as it broke. Was able to TIG it bag together, though. The thing breaks down kinda funny, as you have to move the unlatched barrels back to clear the pivot, then pull forward to clear the cocking mechanism and remove them. I suspect that's what weakened the piece that broke; someone trying to take it down like a normal SxS.

Whatever it is, I'm not worried about the value. I paid $200 for it, I bought it to make a coach gun, and I like it this way. This gun was an investment in entertainment .

Remember, chamber length is determined by a fired shell, so an unfired 2-3/4 will fit in a 2-1/2"

Click to expand...

Yeah, well aware of that one. The forcing cones are very subtle on this gun, but since a 3" shell dropped in effortlessly (Very tight in my 2.5" chambered Pieper), I decided I was good to go with 2-3/4" non-magnum loads. I took it out yesterday, running mostly light trap loads with a handfull of high brass #6 game loads and had no difficulty with extraction or mangling of hulls.

This is it. I've decided after more research that it is a Hunter Fulton