i have a single shot 12 gage it has ( BRIDGE GUN COMPANY ) stamped on the side i ant never heard of it . I bought it cause it looks old and i am trying to start a collection of old guns can someone explain to me how to determine the year it was made. thank you
Welcome from Sitka, Alaska. I believe the Bridge Gun Company product was an inexpensive trade name shotgun manufactured by Crescent Firearms, probably up into the late '20s or early '30s. Hang on for a bit and I'm sure a member will be along to offer you some more definitive information.
As an answer to your broad question, there are several of ways to tell the age of a gun--some more precise than others.
If the gun has a serial number (which was not required prior to 1968) and there are good records available, then it's just a matter of looking it up. But that's not always the case.
Remington used a code stamped on the barrels. It'll tell you the month and year that the gun was made (assuming that the barrel hasn't been changed, of course).
Sometimes the best you can narrow it down to a range of years based on when the model was manufactured.
So maybe the best answer is that it's complicated.
As an answer to your broad question, there are several of ways to tell the age of a gun--some more precise than others.
If the gun has a serial number (which was not required prior to 1968) and there are good records available, then it's just a matter of looking it up. But that's not always the case.
Remington used a code stamped on the barrels. It'll tell you the month and year that the gun was made (assuming that the barrel hasn't been changed, of course).
Sometimes the best you can narrow it down to a range of years based on when the model was manufactured.
So maybe the best answer is that it's complicated.
Bridge Gun Co. was a registered trade mark of Shapleigh Hardware Co of St.Louis Mo. The guns were actually made by Crescent. You're not going to be able to date it any closer than somewhere around the turn of the century up until 1930 or so.
You would have to search for it.
There are websites easily found by search for the big manufacturers like Colt and Sig and so forth.
But for Crescent no one may have the records. If someone had the records and posted them online somewhere a search may find it.
dc
In addition to Crescent, Vorisek's "Shotgun Markings" lists Harrington & Richardson, Stevens, and an unknown Belgian source as other makers that Shapleigh also used for their Bridge Gun Co. brand.
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