doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Tobin Arms Info

Gentlemen, Not sure what we have here. Gun was found covered in
some kind of dried on solvent that unfortunately messed up the original stock finish, so redone. Rest of gun very clean,tight, 30" full and full,non-ejector, bores clean, action some faded colors and gone to gray. Not had that much use. Would appreciate info on grade and approx. price check.
Thanks

Very nice gun. Tobin has been discussed here and not so long ago. Might try a search. Otherwise, I'm sure others will chime in soon.
Phil

Terry, A Tobin catalogue of 1911 in my collection descibes the gun illustrated as;
Model 70,Trap grade.Line engraved with game scene relief.
[I have seen this gun engraved with other game scene motives other than the dogs head.]
Weight is given as 7-8 pounds for a 12G.with 30 or 32 inch barrels
Barrels are stated to be Krupp fluid steel.
Price was $45 for none ejector and $65 with ejectors and single trigger.
The Tobin business was established in Norwich, Connecticut in 1905.It relocated to Woodstock Ontario in 1909. It remained in business until 1922.At this date the facilities were aquired by the Eureka Foundry and Manufacturing Company of Woodstock. The machinery in the plant was removed and sold in the late 1920,s.
G.B. Crandall an employee of Tobin continued to produce a limited numbers of guns utilising the Tobin parts inventory,but identified with his own name.
The Tobin Factory is still to be found on Techumseh Street in Woodstock. The external appearance is almost as seen in the 1911 catalogue.Current use is commecial and retail sales.
From time to time this model of gun is seen in Ontario gun shows, asking price is $500-600.

More infro here courtesy of Researcher
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/22641451

If the Tobin I had was in the shape of your's, I would never have sold it. Here's another fellow with some knowledge of Tobins:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/sharptail/Tobin.html

That gun doesn't look like the No. 70 Trap Grade in any of the Tobin Arms Manufacturing Co. catalogues I have. Here is the cut from Catalog No. 110 --



Here are a couple of guns I would call No. 70 Trap Grades --


17351


17351


15174

Then again, probably half the Tobins I've looked at over the years don't match the catalogue pictures. I saw one of those dog head Tobins at the winter Las Vegas show a few years back. Also, the Canadian period Tobin catalogs only offer the No. 70 (or any of their hammerless guns) with a straight or pistol grip. The half-pistol grip is only cataloged on the hammer gun.

My Tobin articles were published in Volume Five, Issue 1, and Volume Eight, Issue 1, of The Double Gun Journal; Volume 39, Number 12, May 1994 of The Gun Report; and Volume 34, Number 3 of (the Canadian Journal of) Arms Collecting.

Due to the "back and forth" movement of the dual function cocking rod/mainspring for each lock, a lot of internal steel is removed from this Tobin action. This significantly weakens the action relative to other brands. As a result, these Tobins which have seen frequent use are often found to be off-face. There is also not much wood in the stock head to absorb firing recoil.
If the firearms is safe to fire, I would recommend using only low pressure and low recoiling ammunition.
The Canadian made Tobins I have, and have observed, are all marked Tobin. I have seen a picture of what I believe to be a Tobin but only marked with Crandall's name. I suspect those Tobins only marked with Crandall's name are somewhere between 2XVery Scarce and Chicken-Lip Sausage....and would have a serial number >19,3XX.

Thank you all for your input so far. Serial No. is 181xx and it has a flat file cut rib with a center bead. Chamber 2 3/4"
Terry

I owned a Crandall-built Tobin gun, the 13th one that he built. It was marked "Tobin" only, nowhere was the name Crandall in evidence. A good friend of mine here in Oshawa, Everett "Bing" Crosby, who is now 87 years young, worked for Crandall as a young boy.

Researcher,
The Woodstock Tobin Catalogue of 1911, page 8, Pictures a hammerless Tobin gun with half/semi pistol grip stock. Replacement stocks offered on page 28 of this catalogue are said to be suitable for both pistol and half pistol grip stocks.
Tobin expert Mr Roy Thompson of Woodstock, confirms that Tobin Trap models are found engraved with a dogs head or with ducks in flight.In my experience The Tobin trap gun is more often seen with a full pistol grip.
For the record Mr Crandall carried on his business in Woodstock until his death circa 1950-1. Mr Crandalls son continued the business until the mid 1950,s