Dave
Thanks. As to your comments regarding double gun Hollenbeck production, Doublenut and I have corresponded a few times recently regarding double gun production as he has access to some of the original production ledgers; which, save for only a handful of exceptions, only list guns from the Three Barrel and Royal Gun Company production periods. The A Grade Three Barrel Gun double I own is #412, and is recorded in the surviving records as having been shipped in 1908; and this gun has survived with barrels and original dimensions unaltered. I'm certain the frame for this gun was part of the original Hollenbeck frame inventory and must had languished in the parts bin for years before in was made into an actual gun; and as you've stated this frame and other double gun frames in the same serial number range were mixed in with the drilling frame inventory, and numbered and all numbered consecutively. #412 was shipped to a hardware store, so maybe it was special ordered; or maybe it was just finished and sold as a promotion for operating cash? But regardless, it seems to serve as an illustration that there was very little demand for a Hollenbeck side x side (not a whole lot for the drillings either it seems; although I'm sure the novelty of a drilling was appealing enough to keep production of those models at a much higher rate). On the ledger page copy I have is shown a listing of serial numbers for 12 double guns; all of which were Grade A guns with the exception of one Grade C, and some have no entry for a ship date. I've read somewhere that Three Barrel Gun Company doubles were offered in Grades A, B, and C. The Hollenbeck Gun Co catalog copy I've seen lists Grades A, B, C, D, E, and F in prices ranging from $85 to $300 (certainly like to see an E or F Grade). I've no idea in what Grades Royal Arms Company marked double guns may have been offered. Those I've seen to date are plain guns with only a small amount of line/scroll engraving; but our friend Doublenut owns a Grade B Royal Gun Company double gun, so at seems at least a few were produced.
