Tufts Lyons Arms Co.

[orygunmike]

I have my grandfather's shotgun. It is a double barrel 10-gauge. The markings on the gun say: "Tufts Lyons Arms Co" No. 18"

I was told years ago that the gun was made in the early 20th century (e.g. 1905)


I have found nothing on the Tufts Lyons Arms Co. Is anyone familiar with this company, or know anything about their firearms?

thank you

 

[Dave McCracken]

Checked my books and this is a new one to me.

You may want to post down in the firearms research forum.

 

[JohnBT]

"John Quincy Tufts, founder of the Tufts-Lyons Arms Co., and for fifteen years a prominent citizen of Los Angeles, is dead. He was a descendant of William Tufts, the founder of Tufts College." - 9/6/1902

So far that's it.

John

 

[JohnBT]

Found them mentioned as a distributor of baseball equipment. And this...

"Parker Brothers VHE Grade 28-gauge double serial number 156301. Includes a letter from the Parker Gun Collectors Association. According to the letter this fine collectible was ordered on December 1, 1910 and shipped to Tufts Lyon Arms Company in Los Angeles, CA for C.W. Gates."

Appears to me that it was a sporting goods store. That leads me to guess that a shotgun with their name on it was a hardware gun made by Crescent. They would put anybody's company name on guns.

Also found their name mentioned in a bicycle booklet:

"AMERICAN CYCLE TRACK CO. Velodrome. Score Card.
Los Angeles, C.S. Sprecher, Publisher, 1899. 1899, No Jacket No Binding Very Good 10 1/8" x 7". 12 pages (including original printed covers). Illustrated. Rare thus! Includes advertisements for: 1). William H. Hoegee. 2). Los Angeles Business College. 3). Young & Allen Union / Colombian Bicycles. 4). Southern California Arms Co. 5). Hawley, King & Co. 6). Tufts-Lyon Arms Co. 7). Yosemite Company. 8). Queen Shoe Store. 9). Appeal Cycle Manufacturing Co. 10). Burlie Bros. 11). Appeal Bicycles 12). Cleveland Bicycles. "

John

 

[JohnBT]

Looks like they maybe went out of business when the market crashed.

"936. Western. Guns. Western Arms Gun Poster, c.1930. Color advertisement on linen with a section of backing material at the top for mounting on a horizontal pole. ;Western Lubaloy (Lubricating Alloy) Cartridges World'ss Champion Ammunition. Depicts a hunter at right with rifle aimed at a fearsome charging bear with dangerous and overly sharp claws and teeth in full evidence. Advertisement itself measures 57 1/2 x 28 1/2, with backing material the whole is 57 1/2 x 47. Has been folded for storage. Dirt and staining affect artwork but colors are still true and bright. Backing material at top is wrinkled and chipped along folds. Overall VF. Printed by Compton & Sons, St. Louis & N.Y. Was once displayed at the Tufts-Lyons Sporting Goods store on 6th and Grand Ave. in Los Angeles before the stock market crash of 1929 at which point it fell into the hands of a private collector. Est. $300-600"