A Baldwin & Co Ltd Single Shot 12ga

[Vincent1966]

Hello all,

I have a shotgun that my grandfather owned. I looked at it, and I have to say it's made by a manufacturer I had never heard of, and I'm having a hard time finding out anything about it. It is a single-shot, breech loaded 12 gauge and the only markings on it are.

A. Baldwin & Company Limited
New Orleans, LA

That's it. There is this patina coating on it so I can't find any other markings (like a serial number). This shotgun had something on the right side. There is a hole about the size of a nickel. Not sure of its function since you open it with a lever up top.

Does anyone know anything about these guns? dates? Anything at all will be appreciated. It's probably older than I am (47). Don't really care about value because I don't plan to sell it.

Thanks,


MC

 

[Jim Watson]

Known as a "trade name" shotgun, A. Baldwin was a distributor or dealer in New Orleans who had shotguns made up with their name by various contractors. A search says that if it has Belgian proof marks, it was made by Peiper, if not, it was likely made by Hopkins and Allen. Sometime before WW I, so it is WAY older than you.

I don't know what a large hole in the right side would do. Unless the hinge pin broke and the right end piece fell out.

 

[Ron James]

I would really like to see pictures of that little hole and lever that flips up. Really sounds interesting .

 

[rcmodel]

There is a hole about the size of a nickel. Not sure of its function since you open it with a lever up top.

Very likely a missing flip-up cover that acted as a thumb-screw to take the hinge screw out to remove the barrel from the receiver.

It would have been spring loaded down to cover the hole until you flipped it up to unscrew the pin to take the barrel off.

Davenport shotguns come to mind.

rc

 

[Jim Watson]

Undoubtedly the part.
I was confused because the H&A "farm gun" takedown is on the left.
Maybe Baldwin got guns from Crescent as well as H&A and Peiper.

 

[Vincent1966]

RCModel,thanks for the pic! That is exactly it! It is missing the flip up cover. Other than that, butt padding missing, and a little more patina, that is the shotgun I have!

@Jim Watson, pre WWI? Wow, what a real treasure! My grand dad was a Louisiana share cropper. As a little kid, my mom would drive there from Houston, TX and we would stay there for the summer. He had a small farm with some pigs, cows, chickens and other various types of fowls. It was some of the greatest times for me. Of course I did not appreciate it until I got much older and got my own family. One of my first exposures to guns was when he took his rifle, a Winchester, I think, and "pointed" it at a pig. It went bang, the pig spun around a couple of times, and then we drag it to the back and "processed" it. Over time, we used every part of that pig in some way--no waste. Those were good times. I miss my grandparents.

MC

 

[rcmodel]

It never had any 'butt padding'.

They all came with hard rubber butt plates back then.

rc

 

[Two Old Dogs]

The shotgun in the picture posted by rcmodel was manufactured using W.H. Davenport's patented take down key; the patent issued August 14, 1900. The shotgun was manufactured by either W.H. Davenport Arms Company before July 1901 or by Hopkins and Allen Arms Company who purchased W.H. Davenport Arms Company in July 1901 and continued to produce the Davenport line until 1909. Both W. H. Davenport Arms Company and Hopkins and Allen Arms Company manufactured single barrel guns under various trade names for various customers.

The Davenport patented take down key was located on the right side of the frame and the hinge pin was unscrewed and removed from the frame to allow removal of the barrel.

Harrington and Richardson Arms Company also patented a take down key. The patent was issued, IIRC May 14, 1901 and was used on H & R's Model 1900 (1901-1916) and Model 1905 (1906-1916) shotguns. H & R also manufactured trade brand guns for various customers using the patented take down key.

H & R.'s patented take down key was located on the left side of the frame and was a quick release system requiring only a 1/4 (90 degree) turn to remove the hinge pin from the frame and allow removal of the barrel.

 

[rcmodel]

Excellent information!!

Thanks for posting it!!

rc

 

[Vincent1966]

Hello All,

Finally figured out how to put up pictures. Here is the shotgun I was talking about. Let's see if these links work.

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

Looks to me very similar to the one RC posted.

 

[Ron James]

deleted posting.

 

[Two Old Dogs]

Ron James: Check my earlier reply. Hopkins and Allen Arms Company purchased W. H Davenport Arms Company in July, 1901 and continued to produce the Davenport line until 1909.

Hopkins and Allen Arms Company sold W.H. Davenport Arms Company to
Crescent Fire Arms Company, who produced only the 10 gauge Davenport Empire State Goose Gun until 1915 when Crescent sold Davenport tooling to Meriden Firearms Company.