doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Meriden 12 gauge

I just got this gun and am finding it hard to find much information on it. It seems like a pretty nice gun. Nothing fancy, but what can you get for $200 nowadays. Is there any way to find the year it was made and what grades they were made in? This seems to be a field or low end grade. The serial # is 71720, it has 30" steel barrels(I am assuming that is what the S 30 on the watertable means)a nice metal release forearm. There is also an 18 stamped on the rt side of the watertable that I do not know what it means. I did just read a responce to a different thread that told me these were made for and by Sears Roebuck. Someone else mentioned that DGJ had an article on these guns awhile back. I only started my subsciption about 4 months ago. If anyone knows what issue, hope I can buy that back issue if availible. Will this be chambered 2 1/2"? It does have a hairline crack behind the left sideplate that I will need repaired. I live in the Cleve area. Anyone know someone near that may help me with this? Thought it might make a nice PA grouse gun. Thanks for any help, Tom

Interesting thread from another Forum
http://www.thefiringline.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-45292.html

This from G&A
The Meriden Firearms Company was formed when Sears Roebuck purchased the Andrew Fryberg & Sons firearms manufacturing plant in 1903 and moved the plant and machinery to Meriden, Connecticut, circa 1904. The company started manufacturing firearms circa early 1905. Around 1906 Sears acquired a Savage-held patent for the Model 15 slide-action .22 rifle that was not introduced until 1913. During 1918 Sears announced that the Meriden Firearms Company would discontinue the manufacture of sporting firearms.

In the early 1900's, Winchester stopped selling firearms to Sears and Roebuck's discount mail order house because they considered Sears discounting of prices to be demoralizing all firearms prices and causing general discontent in the trade. Most firearm manufacturing companies at the time agreed with Winchester, but only Winchester took any type of action. In November of 1904, Winchester announced that it would no longer sell to the Sears and Roebuck Company and they cancelled all unfilled orders. The Meriden Fire Arms Company was started by Sears and Roebuck's because of the Winchester's refusal to sell firearms to them.

And from the Sears Archives
http://www.searsarchives.com/products/questions/firearms/meriden_shotgun.htm

For your stock repair check out:
Craig Libhart Susquehanna Stockworks
Bainbridge, PA (717) 367-3414
http://susquehannastockworks.com/about.htm

Sweep, I had the same reaction when I read what Joe Wood said about the Aubrey and Meriden shotguns over on the "Capturing the past" thread. "low priced but decent quality"...

Maybe I need to get out my older serial number 15xxx. It was a hand-me-down from an old Swede great uncle and has significant sentimental value.

Bryan

Sven-

Here is my Meriden 12 gauge hammer; it looks like a close relation to yours. I have had it for less than two months and counting the 100 rounds I fired yesterday, I have shot over 500 rounds through it so far without a problem (and yes, mine is damascus so I am using Midway's Federal low pressure loads). It is a very nice shotgun. I started a thread on this a few weeks ago.

Doug

PS Mine is SN 24xxx with a T30 over the SN on the left side of the water table and the number 81 stamped on the right side. The meaning of these stamps (other than the SN) are likely long lost.

I have a "The A. J. Aubrey" model....stamped D32, and yes, it has 32" Damascus barrels. Also marked with 28xxx serial and 184.

Best,
Mark

Sweep, I have a Meriden sidelock hammerless, serial no. 728xx, very close to your gun. Twist barrels and mirror bores. It's my favorite late season rabbit gun, I like to take it out on the snow (reminds me of the days I'd be out of school for Christmas vacation and roamed the fields with another old double gun). I use low pressure smokeless handloads and so far I've fired well over 1200 shells at game, skeet and trap. The gun is still tight as a vault, despite much opinion about them being cheap hardware store guns.

I have a Sears advertisement in a 1912 issue of Hunter-Trader- Trapper mag that shows the gun was available with either steel, twist and damascus barrels. As I recall they were increasingly expensive in that order. Good luck with yours, it's "a blast from the past". Silvers

Silvers, Thanks for your pictures, my gun looks just like yours only steel barrels. I'm glad to hear some nice positive comments. I'd post a pic but can't seem to figure it out.

The late Russ Ruppel was the guy who really knew these Meriden/A.J. Aubrey guns. He wrote long ago how they were marked with the barrel type and length. Quickest guns to tell if the barrels were ever cut because the watertable was marked with what the barrels should be or were when they left the factory -- K30 Krupp 30-inches, C32 Chain Damascus 32-inches, T30 Twist 30-inches, D28 Damascus 28-inches, S30 steel 30-inches, etc.

A.J. Aubrey -- Albert James Aubrey (Feb 23, 1862 to Dec. 3, 1947) was born in Meriden, CT., and by the 1880 "U.S. Census was, at age 17, listed as working in the gun factory, likely Parker Bros. (My math says he should have been 18, but the census says 17?!?) On Nov 25, 1891, Albert married Miss Blanche Boomer of Wilkes-Barre, PA. in Fulton, New York. Maybe he was working at Hunter Arms at that time. The 1893 Wilkes-Barre City directory listed Albert as plant superintendent for the Wilkes-Barre Gun Co. When Wilkes-Barre Gun Co. folded the 1895 WB City directory lists Albert as removed to Elmira, NY.

Albert became manager of production for Sears, Roebuck & Co. in 1904. He convinced Sears it would be more profitable to make their own guns then contract out. In 1905 they bought a factory in Meriden, and with Albert J. Aubrey as vice president formed the Meriden Firearms Co.

Thanks- T 30 Twist 30. I don't know why I wasn't able to make the connection! The letter T is also stamped near the fore end lug on the barrel.

Doug