....Help with an old............

[hawgslayer]

:?: :?: :?:
I'm hoping that I can get some info gents concerning and old shotgun my dad left. It's and old double barrel shot gun with the exposed hammers. Can't find a year on it anywhere. Only thing is says is ESSEX and on the barrel it says steal barrels. It's a little rusty but it works. Both hammers work along with the double triggers and firing pins that move in when fired. Wood stock and a long barrel, full choke. If anyone has any info or could point me in the right direction I will tip my hat to you sir.

THANKS :!: :!:

 

[cayuga]

This is an answer I found when I Googled Essex Shotguns... it seems it was a meat and potatoes shotgun, and was common. Not that it was not quality.

i have an essex shotgun my father gave me.its not that i want to sell it but i was wondering about it.i mean it shoots fine i go hunting with it all the time but its just i was wondering about details about it.


Crescent Firearms Co. (H.D. Folsom) store brand for Belknap Hardware (Louisville, Ky).

Could have been made anywhere from 1895 to about 1930 or so. No records survive so there's no real method to find out exactly how old it is.

That same shotgun was sold under about a hundred different store brands (not an exaggeration), so parts for yours are easy to find if you need them.

Those were working men's guns on a par with modern Mossberg and Remington stuff. No real collector value due to the massive amounts of them out there. They're good guns.

You can go to gunbroker.com and search on "crescent" and compare yours to those....there aren't that many diff models...

Hope this is of some help...

 

[cayuga]

With the exposed hammers, it must be a very early model. I would enjoy seeing a picture of it.

I have an old double barrel made by Savage Arms Company, and the model is Westpoint. It too is a meat and potates shotgun. I shot from pigeons to turkey with it while it is not fancy, it alway shot well and handled anything I wanted to load. In fact before I went to black powder shotguns, it was my go to anything shot gun. Even though I have numerous other old shotguns to use of much better quality.

 

[hawgslayer]

Thanks for getting back with some info. I'm going to google when I'm done here :!: :!:

 

[hawgslayer]

:?: :?:

cayuga, what kind of shells can I shoot without any fear of damaging the gun or hurting myself?
thanks ray

 

[cayuga]

Not seeing the rifle, I would not know. Your best bet would be to take it to a gun smith, have the shotgun inspected, and the have them determine what would be safe.

The gun might be chambered for 3' shells even. Mine is. If it is, that would tend to indicate it is more modern in age, but I really would hate to tell you what would be safe to shoot.

While I suspect a 2 3/4 inch standard hunting load would be safe, I would not tell you to shoot that. When in doubt, have it checked by a professional. Better safe then sorry.

 

[hawgslayer]

Thanks cayuga :!: :!: I will have a gun smith check it out. I'mm going to check out the chamber tonight. I have some 2 3/4" shells and then I'll measure the depth of the chamber.
Thanks again,
Ray..................As soon as I can get some pics I'll post them and then you could get a better look.

 

[Chasam60]

Thanks cayuga :!: :!: I will have a gun smith check it out. I'mm going to check out the chamber tonight. I have some 2 3/4" shells and then I'll measure the depth of the chamber.
Thanks again,
Ray..................As soon as I can get some pics I'll post them and then you could get a better look.

Measure carefuly. I have a Win Model 12 that was built in 1914. It was chambered 2 5/8" I had to have it reworked by a gunsmith to 2 3/4"

Charlie

 

[hawgslayer]

Thanks for the heads up. On second thought, I think I'll just oil it up and give it to my oldest and just pass it on.