doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com BAKER GUN COMPANY SINGLE BARREL TRAP GUN

I am in the process of acquiring a BAKER GUN COMPANY 12 gauge single barrel trap gun. It is maked "ELITE" under the serial number. It has a raised ventilated rib and a 30 inch barrel. I has scroll & game scene (waterfowl) engraving. SN is 48963. Straight handed walnut stock with checkered side panels & with a redhead pad, beavertail forearm with a lever type release. The gun is in overall very fine condition with very thick barrel walls at the muzzle.

Any idea as to when this gun was made and the approximate value? Does L.C. Smith Collectors hold any records?

Best Regards, George

George, there was an excellent article on Baker SBT's in one of the more recent Double Gun Journals. Sorry I don't have an index listing but the DGJ may have something like that available either on line, or by phone to their offices. Sounds like a neat gun especially with the straight stock (IMO). I hope this helps. Silvers

This is from Researcher's c. 1922 catalog, after acquired by Folsom. THe Baker SBTs were introduced in 1909, and the straight stock suggests it's an early gun



And no, the LCSCA has no Baker records.

From Frank Conley's book on American single barrel trap guns --

"There are four series of serial numbers for the Baker single barrel trap guns. The first were the octagon receiver models made from 1909 to 1914; these were numbered from 1 through 300. In 1915 a new series began, using the floating ribs and forend-mounted ejectors. Their numbers ran from 48500 to 48999; they were produced until the sale of the company in 1919. The 40000 through 41000 numbers were from 1919 until 1922.

Folsom Arms Company guns were produced from 1920 until 1924: their serial numbers were 51000 through 51300. It is probable that the Baker Gun Company made some of these guns in a different location."

Conley also mentions that all the Baker records were destroyed when H & D Folsom Arms Co. changed hands in 1954.

Volume 19, Issue 3, of "the Double Gun Journal" which is also Autumn 2008. Has a good article by Townsend Breeden, on Elite, ser. no.21 and Superba ser. no.48993. I am currently playing with a Sterling ser. no. 45. Value on these have been hard for me to nail down. Maybe others have a better feel. I have searched the "solds" on the gun auctions and seem to find them all over the price range. Of course, many of these have had many modifications or stock damage, refinishing redo's (wrongly done) as well. I have seen for sale and not sold from anywhere from $600 to $3500 with all kinds of guns from redone, to needing redone, to the rare original. But finding a good representative that has sold in original condition, seems to be hard to narrow down. If you find some originals that have sold, it would be interesting to see what they sold for. If you want, PM me on what you find.

There may be other articles on these guns, but this is what I have.

Baker references are --

The Double Gun Journal -- Vol 3, Iss 3&4; Vol 9, Iss 2; Vol 14, Iss 4; and Vol 19, Iss 3
American Rifleman -- June 1968
Shooting Times -- May 1962
Man at Arms -- Nov/Dec 1987
The Gun Report -- Nov 1989 and Jan 1991
Field & Stream -- April 1908
Guns Illustrated - 29th Edition, 1997

And, we are still waiting for Daryl and Chris to write the book!!

I had a conversation with Daryl earlier this year about a book. The problems are the relatively small numbers of collectors compared to the process of putting a book together. To capture a greater number of collectors I proposed a new book "Lefevers and Bakers, The Under-appreciated Guns of America's Golden Age of Shotguns".
Look for it in about 6 years.

George, your gun was probably engraved by Rudolph Kornbrath as most all of the later single traps from Baker were engraved by him. It is a puzzle about Folsom offering single traps by
Baker in 1922. The puzzle is that these guns are of much higher quality than the doubles marked Baker being offered at the same time. We do know that Kornbrath did some work during the Folsom period, but not much. Did the Folsom people receive some almost finished Trap guns from Baker Gun and Forging at the sale of the gun making business to Folsom ? Or were there a couple of key employees left in Batavia that finished up guns like outworkers in other countries ?

In the meantime Daryl and Dr Bob, how about a Baker Collectors website, or subsection on the Lefever or LCSCA sites?
And feel free to use anything here, most of which is from Daryl, Dave or Ross
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/17434920 and
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/18020839

I would be willing to set one up. However, it would have to be directed to Daryl, as my knowledge of Bakers could be written on the head of a pin.