Side by Side Question

[Guest Foxhunter]

Has anyone ever heard of a side by side with FF Forbes stamped on the side, and if so how old of a gun is it and where could I find a stock for it? Thanks for any replies.

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

Re: Side by Side Question

I think that was one of the store brands that an arms company in New England made. I can't recall their name, but they would build or import shotguns for almost anyone, and put your company's name on it. For example, if you owned several "Big Nail" hardware stores and wanted a line of shotguns, you could contact them and get them to do a run with "Big Nail Express" stamped on them. I've got an old single shot 410 that came from that same manufacturer. It's labeled Volunteer Arms Co.

Doubt if you'll find a stock for it. You'll probably have to have one made.

Oh yeah, they started operations around 1900 and I think they continued until about 1935 or so.

[Strut10]

Re: Side by Side Question

From Briley's website:

"Prime among the shotguns readers and members inquire about are those made by two long- defunct, companies: Crescent Fire Arms Company once located in Norwalk, Conn., and H.∓D. Folsom in New York City. From 1888 to 1899, Crescent made shotguns on its own. Sometime around 1900, the company merged with N.R. Davis and H.∓D. Folsom, becoming Crescent- Davis. Crescent made shotguns for many, many companies under many names. Once amalgamated with H.∓D. Folsom, the list exploded. [The following is an excerpt from my recently published The Shotgun Encyclopedia[d] (2000, Safari Press) that may help identify an heirloom.] H.∓D Folsom was located at 312-14 Broadway, New York, N.Y., and imported and distributed firearms from about 1890 to 1930. At some point they merged with Crescent-Davis, and were finally sold in 1954 to Universal Tackle and Sporting Goods Co. Far from complete, the following list includes brand and trade names of Crescent-made and Folsom-imported shotguns: American Gun Co., Bacon Arms, Baker Gun Co., T. Barker (for Sears), Carolina Arms Co., Central Arms Co., Cherokee Arms Co., Chesapeake Gun Co., Compeer, Cruso, Cumberland Arms Co., Elgin Arms Co., Elmira Arms Co., Empire Arms Co., Enders Oak Leaf, Enders Royal Service, Essex, Faultless, The Field, F.F. Forbes, C.W. Franklin, Harrison Arms Co., Hartford Arms Co., Harvard, Henry Gun Co., Hermitage Arms Co., Hermitage Gun Co., Howard Arms Co., Hummer, Interstate Arms Co., Jackson Arms Co., Kingsland Special, Kingsland 10 Star, Knickerbocker, Knox-All, Lakeside, J. H. Lau ∓ Co., Leader Gun Co., Lee Special, Lee's Munner Special, Leige Arms Co., J. Manton ∓ Co., Marshwood, Massachusetts Arms Co., Metropolitan, Minnesota Arms Co., Mississippi Valley Arms Co., Mohawk, Monitor, Wm. Moore and Co., Mt. Vernon Arms Co., National Arms Co., New Rival, New York Arms Co., Nitro Bird, Nitro Hunter, Norwich Arms Co., Not-Nac Manufacturing Co., Oxford Arms Co., C. Parker ∓ Co., Peerless, Perfection, Piedmont, Pioneer Arms Co., Quail, Queen City, Rev-O-Noc, W. Richards (not related to the British gunmaker Westley Richards), Richter, Rickard Arms Co., Royal Service, Rummel, Shue's Special, Sickel's Arms Co., Southern Arms Co., Special Service, Spencer Gun Co. Sportsmen, Springfield Arms Co., Square Deal, Stanley, State Arms, H. J. Sterling, St. Louis Arms Co., Sullivan Arms Co., Ten Star, Ten Star Heavy Duty, Tiger, Triumph, U.S. Arms Co., Victor, Victor Special, Virginia Arms Co., Volunteer, Vulcan Arms Co., Warren Arms Co., Wilkinson Arms Co., Wilmont Arms Co., Wilshire Arms Co., Wiltshire Arms Co., Winfield Arms Co., Winoca Arms Co., Wolverine, and Worthington Arms Co. Most of these were store-brand shotguns, all of the same style, and no repair parts exist for these guns. Certainly a skilled gunsmith can make parts, but given that none of these guns can be considered valuable, the cost is hardly worth it. This is not to say that Grandpa s Nitro Hunter doesn't have great sentimental value, but in dollars and cents to a collector or even someone manning a table at a gun show, of little value. Certainly, it might be fun to try to collect some of these shotgun, say those from one particular hardware company, but they just don't rank with the big names in value."

[Guest Foxhunter]

Re: Side by Side Question

Thanks for the info, will try to find someone to build a stock for it.