T Barker Shotgun Serial Numbers

I'm sorry Tom, but your gun is a lower quality Belgian made Tradename gun and in no way connected to Parker Brothers of Meriden, Conn. Tens of thousands of similar guns were imported between the 1890s and beginning of World War I, and were engraved with the name of a well recognized maker in the hope of confusing the purchaser. Other examples include the Sam Holt, W. Richards, and T. Barker and images may be seen here As a family legacy it is of course priceless; as a sporting arms it has very little value and you should not attempt to shoot the gun with ANY load.

You have what I call a 'Trade Brand Name' shotgun but that is not technically true. A 'Trade Brand Name' shot is one that was made by a major maker for and was sold by a wholesale sporting goods dealer, a retail chain store or an independent seller (your local hardware store) who chose the name to go on the gun. A NEW BAKER MODEl shotgun (an outside hammer type) was made by the Baker Gun And Forging Company of Syracuse New York (1887 to 1919) The BAKER NEW MODEL was made from 1887 to 1894 (I have serial number-year made tables for this gun). Crescent Fire Arms Company did not start making Baker shotguns until 1920.

Barker Side by Side Double Barrel Double hammer 12 gauge shotgun, Serial Number: - VanDerBrink Auctions bring you this oldie. The gun says T. Barker and with other engraving on the receiver. It is a Side by Side Double Barrel 12 gauge shotgun. It appears to have Damascus barrels. There is some rust on the top of the barrels.

A serial number if there is one will be stamped on the bottom of the barrels or the flat part of the receiver which is known as the watertable. These were well made fairly inexpensive shotguns selling for between $15 to $25 new. Current value will depend on the guns condition, the amount of original finish remaining on the metal and wood as well as the mechanical condition. A Prime condition example (rare as as,these guns were used hard and received little care or maintenance) that appears to have come out of the factory yesterday afternoon might bring as much as $125 while a rusty and pitted metal, rotten or broken wood and missing parts piece of junk fit only for salvage of parts or as a whiskey still stirring stick might bring as little as $10 if it could be sold at all. Then sentimental value can't e calculated can it?

Thanks for posting your pics and congrats on owning a Baker, even it is a little ruff. If you haven't already found the site, you might check out The site includes a little history that helps explain why some people associate Baker with one city and other folks place him in another city.

Baker was quite a fellow and got around quite a bit. Evidently, he often got around just a few steps in front of the law. The most notorious example is probably the night he had to climb out the window of the hotel where he was staying to avoid arrest! More well documented is the lawsuit by Stevens against Baker Gun for patent infringement.

My interest stems from the fact that my late wife's uncle worked for Baker and eventually retired from it's successor. I learned a great deal in talking with him, including the stories about clearing out all the company records and throwing them in the trash! A few years ago, circa 1995, there was a young guy who was trying to write a history of the company and its guns.

By means of over-drawings and collage-like alienations he 'doubles' their seductive aesthetic and exposes the political manipulation of images, the impact of which is still being felt today. Metodika drakonovi klyuchi art terapiya. Sometimes his interventions, with a pen and often with red paint, are scarcely perceptible, sometimes they are so refined that they give rise to something totally new in terms of both composition and theme.

I haven't heard from him in years and haven't seen the book anywhere so I guess that it has not been published. As far as I know, there is nothing like a Baker Collector's Club, but several years ago I met some folks through the L.C. Smith Collectors Association who knew a great deal about Baker guns.

The is a collector's market for Baker guns, but it's very limited, the higher end models are the most sought after, and condition means everything. Do a search for Baker Batavia Leader and you'll find quite a range of prices. There is also someone out there selling reproductions of a Batavia Gun metal advertising sign as well as the 1915 catalog. Well, best of luck and thanks again for posting. Baker designed and was associated with several pre-1900 double gun companies prior to 1900; and although I can't remember all the company associations, after selling his interest in one of those companies, he started a new company manufacturing his 'New Baker' model hammer gun (I think W.H. Baker died in 1888 not too long after starting this company?).

With the exception of the last post, most of the above information is horse feathers, therefore I would discount what has been posted. I suggest you visit doublegunshop.com and post your pics and questions there; and specifically to the attention of Daryl Halquist who is a long-time Baker collector and knows more about Baker shotguns that anyone alive today. Another poster there, 'Researcher', knows tons of history on W.H.