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Spencer Rapid Shotgun
Tom Lee A
Member Posts: 264 ✭✭✭
Could someone provide me some information on this gun? I'm not looking at selling it, but would like to know more about it. Here's the info that I have:
Spencer Rapid Shotgun; 12 gauge pump; patented in 1882; made by F. Bannerman; New York; model 1890; I think the barrel is made of Damascus steel;
Thanks.
Spencer Rapid Shotgun; 12 gauge pump; patented in 1882; made by F. Bannerman; New York; model 1890; I think the barrel is made of Damascus steel;
Thanks.
Comments
Chopping down, drilling out, and other wise modifing firearms so they would sell was their norm.
It might be a modified Spencer rifle (rifling drilled out) or it could be just a name that Bannerman came up with inorder to increase sale.
Detailed photo's are required
Spencer Arms Company, the original maker of the first successful slide action shotgun was located in Windsor,Ct The company was sold to Francis Bannerman & Co of New York in 1889 and Bannerman continued to make the guns until 1902.
Assuming fair to good condition, these usually sell in the $200-$300 range.
This may well be due to the somewhat dubious reputation of Bannerman. Not that they did anything wrong but more correctly because they were known for their dealing in surplus military arms and doing conversions.
They were the king of cheap firearms for many years. Go to Google Earth and look up Bannerman's Island sometime. It's an interesting perspective on a time a century ago.
Thanks.
Fantastic photos! Hard to believe an empire built on surplus guns. Sad to see what remains, but a great history lesson.
Thanks.
I seem to recall reading that Bannerman's arsenal of weapons was rivaled only by the US Government.
In the 1950s Bannerman's had a corrugated iron warehouse out on So. shore of Long Island run by a grandson (I think) a man with physical challenges. He was selling flintlock parts & probably other stuff. He said the flint parts were in barrels of like parts, lockplates, hammers, frizzens, etc. One could spend a couple hours an with patience gather up enough parts to build up a few locks - which I did. Cost was from a few cents per part up to a dollar for a well marked lockplate. The lock parts were all English sea service pistol lock of early 1800s.
Been there - done that!
To round out what has been said about Bannerman's, here is a story from the Navy Arms Web site:
http://www.navyarms.com/files/bannerman.pdf
Bannerman was an interesting fellow, with some really cool toys![:D]