Greetings, long time reader, finally have a question of some value to ask.

Looking for any information on a W Richards 12 ga hammer gun. Possibly early 1900's. Has London rolled steel barrels, shoots black powder only. Any ideas on where to find the serial number and what that can tell me; anything else to look for to determine value or junk.

Jeff

Look at the proof marks on the bottom ot the barrels. If there is an ELG in an oval with a crown over it, it is a Belgian gun. Thousands and thousand of cheap Belgian guns were imported to North America from 1880 to WW-I, by big jobbers such as H&D Folsom. Many were marked with names that sort of sounded like well known makes of quality guns, in this case Wesley Richards.

W. Richards from 121 Years Ago (m) -- Back in 1889 the magazine Forest and Stream was doing a series of pattern and penetration tests of various shotguns available to the American shooting public in each issue. For the September 26 issue they decided to take a break from the Greener, Scott, L.C. Smith, Winchester Model 1887, Colt, Remington, etc., and test H & D Folsom's cheapest doubles. Here is a brief quote of what they had to say --

“...but the mean grade gun of no name. "W. Richards," that nonentity in the gun trade, was stamped on the plate, but they were really only those cheap bits of ordnance which come through our custom houses, pay a duty of 40 per cent., and yet may be placed on the counters of the gun shop at $5 a piece. The Forest and Stream has already in past times expressed its opinion about these pestiferous products of the penurious population clustered on Belgian soil.”

Take that H & D Folsom!!!

Sorry to have to say this, but, this is not a shooter.
They do make great decorations for the den.
The age of the gun precludes a serial number and if one were there it would be in the 100K+ area.
I see them occasionally for $75 to $100 with the warning to NOT shoot.

Best,
John