doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Baker Batavia leader 16 gauge

In the "even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while" department, I stumbled across a really nice double gun in an estate sale today. The gun is a Baker Batavia leader 16 gauge. While I am not asking for appraisal value, I would like some of your learned opinions on this gun. As in , were the 16 gauges fairly scarace? This one has fluid steel barrels, is that unusual?

Of all my gun books, I cannot find much at all on these guns. I have always kind of put them In the kind of "gun limbo" area quality wise between Crescents and LC Smith guns which is occupied by Bakers and Meridens. I could be wrong, as this seems to be a well made gun.

Any input you all have on these guns would be appreciated.

The Baker Gun Co. in Batavia, NY, made their Batavia models in the Batavia Special -- fluid steel barrels; Batavia Leader -- twist barrels; and Batavia Damascus -- Damascus barrels up thru about 1916. The Batavia line didn't have the draw block or the intercepting safety that blocked the hammers of the graded Baker guns. After the sale of their gun business to H&D Folsom, Folsom revived the Batavia Leader name for a fluid steel barrel gun. The H&D Folsom produced guns normally have an F before or after their serial number. In Batavia the smallest gauge was 16-gauge, but after the Folsom buy out they added the 20-gauge and a few of their ads in the late 1920s mention .410-bores. I'd rate the graded Baker hammerless guns the equal of any of the "classic" American makes, and their Batavia line is well above the Crescents and Meridens.

I've posted a Baker bibliography several times on these various sites, but I'm currently thousands of miles from my research materials.

The serial of this gun is 10194F. I take it that makes this a Folsom gun. Thank you for the interesting and useful information. Given the folks I bought this gun from, I would say it was a Quail and Rabbit gun. This gun had literally been in a closet in an elderly person's home for years and years. It aint a Parker, but it is the best garage/ estate sale find I have ever made. They also had three full boxes of Peters High Velocity 12 gauge 2 3/4" shells 7 1/2 shot (the one with a Mallard on the box). They were asking 35 per box. Is this a deal? I already bought one box but I feel the other two may still be around tomorrow...

Wallis, I like to hunt with vintage Peters shells, kind of a hang up from my youth. I see them quite often at one of the big gun shows I go to at ~35-40. per box. That's for a full box and one that's in nice shape. If you can negotiate a better price, all the better. Nothing like getting out on a frosty morning and putting two Peters in the chambers. I always think of the "Peters Packs The Power" ads from yesteryear. I've never had a problem with dead primers or hang fires although I've read that others have. You might try shooting 2 or 3 before going back for the other two boxes. Congrats on that Baker! Silvers

I have a Folsom Baker, circa 1919 in 16 gauge that is one of my "go to" guns. Feels right, comes up right and shoots like a dream. has about 60-75 % case colors left and I love it!