A hudson shotguns age

hudsonshotgun

I've got a Shotgun with the word HUDSON on one side and Model W.S. on the other. Behind the trigger guard it reads A507318.. The only other piece of information is a number etched into the inside of the forend grip that reads 68. Now I have looked and looked and found nothing about this gun and barely anything about Hudson. Is there anyone out there that knows anything about them? If so could you help me figure out when this gun was made?

rufe-snow

It's listed in my reference as a Trade Name used by Crescent Fire Arms Co. On shotguns manufactured for the Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co. Which was a large wholesale hardware dealer, located in Chicago. As both these companies went out of business during the depression, chances are your shotgun is at least 75 years old.

Bert H.

I agree that it is a Crescent made shotgun, but not that they "went out of out of business during the depression".

Crescent Arms got its start in 1888 when they bought out the Bacon Arms Co. Production of double barrel shotguns began circa 1891. The H.D. Folsum Co. took over financial control in 1893, and Crescent merged with N.R. Davis in 1929, and finally was bought by Savage Arms in 1931. Your old Hudson marked shotun was made before the merger with N.R. Davis, making it at least 80-years old.

hudsonshotgun

Thanks a lot guys. This will help me out a bunch.