doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com What to do with an Aubrey?

Hello fellas! I haven't posted in some time, but I was photographing some guns for a sale for a client and I pulled this one out of my safe for the setup.

I bought it maybe 10 years years ago for what I consider a song. I've not seen one quite like it (from mid-bead to condition to early serial number). It's a gem to be sure. But, have prices/respect for the Aubrey's gone up? Is there any demand in the market yet? Will there ever be? The last I shopped them (I got on a kick and bought maybe a dozen in a two year period) the nicer ones just sat stagnant on the auction sites for years. I believe this to be all original finishes. The bores are pristine and it's as tight as the day it was made with only minor safe wear and some minor corrosion on the barrel surfaces.

So what say you? Put it back in the safe another 10 years? Take it to the fields on a sunny day? Move it along?

In the end what do you think the final standing of the Meriden Firearms Company will be? Will they ever gather a real following?



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Very nice Shane. It's a No. 34 with the patent “Celebrated Aubrey Disappearing Rear Sight”
Pete Mikalajunas' SN DOM chart is here
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BnNidc_mnzJg-CJ9wCVZDqwNbi5gojDx4rpXs9wQ_Cc/edit

"Kinda nice looking piece, but......" Actually Shane, I think it will probably just wither away in YOUR safe much like it has already. Soooooo, I think that I should help you avoid the heartache of seeing that happen by taking it off your hands for another song!! Seriously, that is a fine looking piece and I would shoot it like there was no tomorrow. If, IF, you plan to sell it do you have a dollar figure in mind?

It says $1635 in the advertisement, Perry. I think that's fair. Right?

I honestly have no idea. They are a weird lot. A little hard to price especially when the bulk of what I see that sells has zero finish or has a cracked stock or is simply used up. They were built to use and use hard and most of the listings show exactly that.

I have shot it some. It’s nice but does not fit me all that well honestly. Certainly not as well as the sterlingworth 16 that I shoot regularly. Though the condition of that gun is abysmal by comparison.

Ha! Indeed. If anyone has seen any sales (I really have stopped watching the last few years) that would be comparable I’d love to know the final sum.

There was a fellow a few years back out of Kansas that had a number of higher grade Aubrey’s listed in the ~1200-1900 range or so. But they just sat and sat forever on the auction sites.

Edited to say…. The aforementioned guns are still sitting on gunbroker at the same price. Ha. Are Aubrey’s just destined to remain a $250-500 gun? Interesting.

That's a gorgeous gun- that's for sure!!

It looks nice in the photography & well-cared for (I actually like Damascus guns, so I think that is a plus). The toplever and dolls-head reminds me of an Elsie (& I think I read somewhere that these guns share that design with the Smiths?). Being an older American gun, I would guess that it's a trifle heavy (7-8lbs) and with a fair amount of drop (3-inches?). With those specification, for clays and waterfowl it'd be a great unit and a fun conversation piece. As to price, well...that's a tough one these days.

You'd have to be selective in how you fed it (low pressure only) so ammo wouldn't be convenient. You'd have to love American guns (to the exclusion of all others) and especially the obscure ones(!), and it would have to fit. Off of the top of my head (& presuming it's healthy) I'd guess about a Grand tops, give or take. I'll have more than that in an old Quality One Elsie I'm presently having redone (but I grew up with Elsie, thus my nostalgic connection to them).

The Aubrey hammerless also used the rotating lever cocking rods



and a similar lock

We all get hung out with a slow mover occasionally. I have a safe full of them.

Aubrey and Meridians are very much underappreciated in today's market. I sold a couple middle grades 50/52/56, in high condition, and got very little out of them. I had to thin the herd a bit at the time, but regret letting them go down the road. Case color, wood and quality of engraving was very nice, except one had the classic flying turnip bird of some type. It is just nobody seems to care much about them, so you do not get two people fighting to buy them at auction. They are sound designs and you might a well shoot it and enjoy it.

Upon entering the doors of a local gun establishment.... I found the answer to my query of what to do with an Aubrey/Meriden... what a sad state of affairs. ha!

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Much like most European guns and most all American guns, the Aubreys and Meridens were made to a price point. Ads supplied earlier show this. They also mention higher than catalog grades [usually a 58] could be ordered. I had serial number 1000, the first recorded Aubrey hammerless gun, probably used to sell the gun design to Sears. It was fully engraved , probably by Gough, with ejectors, the patented Aubrey sight, and gold washed interiors. A very pretty and rare gun with high grade Damascus barrels. I have seen only a fist full of the Aubreys or Meridens in that highest grade, mostly with 4 digit serial numbers. This gun is shown in a Double Gun Journal article .

I have that edition of the journal. And it's a beautiful piece. I notice you speak in the past tense. Did you sell it?

Shane, yes, I recently sold it to a friend. If you have an interest, email me [in profile] and I will put you two together. I had it for 35 years. ‘Daryl