doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Meriden Firearms Co

Drew and PeteM,

Thanks for all your work in posting real information about guns on this BBS. Drew's ability to catalog the info and Pete's ability to search old records , etc., really add to the enjoyment of learning about these old guns. Please keep it up. Daryl

Must be the under-employed parson seeking a meaningful life syndrome
I am keeping track of the serial numbers posted so far, but we need a bunch more gentlemen!

The A. J. Aubrey Hammerless
3457, 34956, 5512

A.J. Aubrey Hammerless
13895

Berkshire Hammerless
18335

The New Aubrey Hammergun
111510 (steel)
15208 (twist)

Meriden Fire Arms Co. Hammerless (not the high grade guns)
51463, 53579, 62308, 63381, 71720

Meriden Fire Arms Co. Hammergun
28167, 20063

Wm. Gough's middle initial was 'H' for his fathers first name 'Harry' or Harold. Harry was a Birmingham Gun trade engraver that came to the US and did work for Parker Gun Co. I have seen 2 Parkers signed by him (H. Gough)at the trigger guard attaching hole in the same manner that his son Wm H. Gough later signed most of the high grade Fox shotguns. Wm. was in charge of the Fox engraving shop. William also engraved for Savage after they bought up Fox and moved it to Utica. Wm. moved to Utica also. Wm. did engrave for Colt as there are many pics of his work in the Colt engraving books and usually a chapter devoted to his work/era. There was a John Gough that engraved for Winchester but I don't know if he was related. It seems to me that Wm. also cut for Winchester too.

Some add'l info on William H. Gough re: Aubrey Gun engraving
From 'Colt Engraving' by RL Wilson.pg 425
In an article published in a Utica NY newspaper 8/29/1954,,states in part that Wm Gough ....."took commissions in special engraving jobs from many parts of the country. There he worked on engravings for Aubrey Guns, then manufactured by Sears Roebuck Co.; for guns turned out by Norwich Arms Corp. and Hollenbeck guns, manufactured in Virgina."
>
The article is refering to a time when Gough was set up in Philadelpia as engraver for AH Fox. The Colt book lists his engraving time for Colt as approx 1910-1940. It also quotes a fellow engraver that worked for Gough that he did some work for Remington.

Kutter,

Thanks. It confirms a lot of what I had picked up from other sources.

I went back over the records...

1900 in Meriden:
William, 25
Carrie, 25
Irving J, 3
Leaphy C, 1
Charles H, 2 months
Dorris M, 11 step-sister

1920 in Philadelphia:
William H, 46
Carrie, 46
(Irving crossed out and over it written) Alfred, age 17

So, A. Gough is Alfred Gough, the son of William. In 1920 at the age of 17, he is living with his parents, William and Carrie on 16th Street in Philidelphia, and lists his occupation the same as dad, gun worker.

Quite a family of engravers...

Pete

I often find myself asking the "Why"? Why did Sears choose the sleepy town of Meriden with a population of only about 28,000?



Robert and I have been over this ground before. It takes several things. As I took another look at Meriden, it has those things in spades.

Certainly water and rail.


Parker Brothers was located there. But there were even better reasons, a state armory was located there.



In addition, a huge work force. Meriden was a silver center. It was home to Britannia Silver. One of the largest manufacturors of silverware in the country. It was this factory that was drawing the Polish immigrants we find in the census records.



Pete

Pete-

I think also, Sears may have wished to cash in on the "good will" associated with the Meriden name (earned by the Parker company).

Drew-

I think you may have a photo of a Parker rib and a photo of the rib of my Meriden shotgun. The similarity, I strongly suspect was not accidental on the part of the Meriden company.

Would you be able to post a side by side comparison?

Doug

A bit different style Doug
Parker

Meriden Fire Arms Co.

Drew-

A bit different, but very close, don't you think? My Meriden uses the same wave pattern on the rib, and by Parker noting the Meriden place of manufacture on the rib, gives the Meriden Firearms Company some resemblance to the Parker rib.
*Edit- the two Meridens' ribs are actually different, I think the rib on mine bears a closer resemblance to the Parker rib. The four wavy lines on both sides of the nomenclature on my Meriden are not as sharp/angular as the Meriden photo you have, and the nomenclature type on my Meriden a bit different as well. Actually the fact that there are two different types of ribs on the Meriden makes me wonder if the similar look to the Parker rib on my Meriden is intentional.

Good observation Doug

Lefever


Baker A grade


Colt


Remington


LC Smith Maker Baker


LC Smith Monogram