doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Wells Fargo Guns - Claybrough

Is there anyone out there that collects Wells Fargo guns? I have a high grade Claybrough "London Laminated Steel" hammer gun that's in pretty decent shape that is marked WF on the bbl flats and on the bottom rib, with some sort of inventory number on the bottom rib as well. Wondering whether it has much collector value.

Second question: gun has a spurred buttplate with a stag and two red deer hinds in an oval...looks very Germanic but it seems to fit. Anyone else seen a Claybrough with this type of buttplate?

If you had a London Wells Fargo I might know a buyer.

Are you sure about the spelling?? My Clabrough (J P Clabrough & Bros) does not have a "Y" in it. If the Y is there it would be suspect. It should have Birmingham proofs.

My spelling mistake, this is the real Clabrough and yes it has Bham proofs (13b 15m both sides)

A quick note here:
If this is a Wells Fargo gun you want to get documentation from the manufacturer if possible. I don't know if this maker is still in business or if the records are available but it's worth a try. Wells Fargo did buy considerable quantities of double barrel shotguns both of foreign and domestic manufacture.
I recently got a letter from Colt for a Police Positive Special revolver with Wells Fargo markings which I own and it's 100% correct. This adds considerable value to the gun.
Jim

Anyone know if Clabrough records are still around someplace? Boothroyd doesn't even list the maker. Get this...the serial no is 63!

Someone here on the board once sent me a list of various names the Co used, with dates for each I believe. I tucked it away for safe keeping, now if I could just remember where!! What is the exact Co Logo on your gun. Mine is hammerless with SN 4230 & from the info I had it would date in the 2nd half of the 1890's. Have no idea if they were all serial #'d in the same sequence or not. I figured you had probably inadvertenly stuck that Y in, an easy mistake, as seems it should be there, but wanted to be sure.

doublegunhq.
If you can either post or email me some sharp pictures of the Wells Fargo marking on your shotgun I can perhaps tell you whether it's legit. or not.
Upon giving this further thought:
It's also highly probable that Wells Fargo bought this gun from a U S jobber and not directly from the maker so it's unlikely that anything useable would be in the Clabrough records anyway.
Jim