doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Burgess slide action shotgun

A friend of mine showed me a Burgess slide action shotgun that belonged to his uncle. Apparently the uncle used it for many years rabbit hunting. I may be able to buy it. The Blue Book(23Ed) has nothing on it. I am familiar with it's history. What are these guns worth? This one has a stock in good antique condition. The damascus pattern shows thrue a patina and there is an even patina(rust) on the action. Suprisingly the inside of the action is bright metal and not rusted at all. I did not see the bore. This one is not a take down model. There is a bit of quality engraving on both sides of the action with a duck or bird flying in the middle. I thought it would be a good candidate for a refurbish or left as is if it is more valuable in that condition. I'm sure it's seen it's share of smokeless loads thrue the years. I know that these are not real common and this one appears to be a higher grade with the nice engraving. What do you guys know?

Burgess shotguns were only manufactured between 1892 and 1899. Total production may have been as low as a few thousand guns. Winchester bought out the patent rights but apparently never built any guns and the design ceased completely. The folding 19 1/2" barrel shotgun is considered by collectors to be the most valuable. But an engraved and unmolested original standard grade model would have substantial value. Estimating value without seeing the gun is like playing poker blindfolded, but I'd guess the range is anywhere from $2,500 to $5,000 on today's collector market. Please leave the patina alone and if you want to clean it just give it a good "bath" without removing any colors acquired through age.

Schwing's 2006 Catalog of Firearms lists them. The standard model in VG $1,500, with the folder in VG at $4,250. However, I think this is one of those items where these figures don't mean a lot. He does have pictures of the engraving patterns used.

Greg Martin is putting an estimate of $40,000 on Pat Garrett's Burgess.

Here is a folder that sold recently, no engraving:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=79230493

Some pictures, not much information.
http://www.shootingbums.org/hvr/burgess.html

Unless the gun is a total wreck do not refurbish it. You will only hurt the collector value.

Pete

They are neat guns. The reaction on peoples faces when the gun is operated is always fun. I have three of them, one with a solid raised rib. All of my guns have parts related to the bolt broken. I plan on making some new parts for mine this winter. I havent seen one that was not takedown. Are you saying the frame is solid and there is not a little button on the right side (behind forend)? They made a folding gun (Click here for pics of burgess folding gun) and the takedown version but I didnt know about a solid gun. The guns are pretty rare and Id think an engraved one in shootable condition would be worth upwards of $1500 and higher with condition.
Ross

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=79147684

Here is another one which sold on gunbroker. They do pop up from time to time. I thought about buying this one just to see what was wrong with it and try to fix it. But as many others here I have way too many project guns already.

reb87, Sorry it is not a folder but like the one on the KY Jon post and the frame has about the same color if not more than that gun shown. This one is odviously a sporting gun with the engraving and nice stock wood.

tanky,

Please, if you can, post pictures of this gun. They are not that common. I know that I would see like to see the engraving on it.

Pete

Some tangential information on Burgess Gun Co...

It's been reported by Gun Digest, that double barrel shotguns were produced at the Burgess factory in Buffalo, NY....The guns were damascus, and were built under the supervision of Loomis...I have seen a fair number of Loomis doubles over the years, and all but one were imported JABCs with the Loomis name on it. Gun Digest wasn't clear on what name appeared on the doubles (Burgess or Loomis), but a good way to identify a original, would be the absence of foreign proofs.

Twenty years ago, the Garret family was still in possesion of Pat Garret's folding Burgess pump shotgun. Andrew Burgess' family beleives that Andrew, who had once worked for famous Civil War phototographer Mathew Brady, shot the photo of Lincoln, that was used by the US Mint's engravers for the engraving that we now see on $5 bills. All this according to the Burgess and Garret families.

Here is a pic of one of my guns to show the gun takendown. The last pic shows the little button to take the gun down.

Here is a nice one. Paul Driscoll
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