Bannerman Shotgun

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Coinneach

Staff Alumnus
Last visit to the range, the owner of the range took down an oooold shotgun from its wall hooks. Here's the skinny:

Pump-action 12-gauge, but the action is bass-ackwards. It ejects spent hulls from the top, rather than the bottom or side. On the left side of the receiver is stamped "F. Bannerman, New York USA, Model 1890." On the top of the chamber is "RPTG SHOTGUN, PAT APPL 1882."

The barrel is 30" damascus steel (no, we're not gonna shoot it). No finish, and the wood stock and forend are beat to hell. Action is very smooth, but the block snapping up out of the top of the receiver like a Garand en bloc is disconcerting. :)

Any info on this gun would be much appreciated.
 
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Steven Mace

New member
Coinneach, the history of the shotgun you saw at the range goes back to the Spencer Arms Company located in Windsor, Connecticut. Spencer Arms produced the first successful American slide or 'pump' action repeating shotgun back in about 1882. Production continued until 1889 when the inventor, Chistopher M. Spencer, ran into financial problems. The Spencer patents were then sold to Francis Brannerman Sons, a famed military equipment dealer & America's first antique gun dealer, of New York City. Production was maintained with Brannerman markings until about 1907. Today a Spencer shotgun in excellent condition could be worth about $600-$950. You subtract 20% for those with Brannerman markings. Hope this helps!

Steve Mace

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After today, its all historical
 
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