doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Butchered Baker

What I seem to recall having read in the past was that Baker only sold the gunmaking part of the company. This was moved to the Crescent factory where some models were made. The original company continued in buisness making forgings for the Auto industry. Don't recall for certain what name they operated under, whether or not they continued use of the Baker name. I have not personally researched any of this, but is just info I have seen from what I took as reliable sources at the time. This is the first time I had ever heard that the gun production continued at the Baker factory, or that Folsom had anything to do with the auto parts Forging Co.

Miller, Folsom was a giant company that owned Crescent since the mid 1890s, as I recall. Folsom had no equity in Baker Gun and Forging Co., somewhat later renamed Batavia Metal Products. Did any of the posts above hint that Folsom was involved in the Forging company left after selling off the gunmaking business to Folsom ?

Let's see if I can consolidate the information from the thread as it stands.

Baker Gun & Forging produced Baker guns in Batavia from 1889-1919.

Baker Gun & Forging sold the gunmaking operation to Folsom approx 1919.

Baker Gun & Forging changed to Batavia Metal Products, which made auto parts in Batavia.

Folsom moved gun production from Batavia, including some equipment and personnel, to the Crescent plant in Norwich. They continued to make Baker models, marked Baker Gun Co. Addition of the letter "F" to the serial number indicates a Norwich, Folsom produced gun. Some guns were also marked "Norwich" as well. There may have been some changes in quality. Approx. 17,000 Norwich Folsom guns were produced, with the serial number range being 1-17,000.

Production of Baker guns ceased by 1930, about the time Crescent merged with Davis, certainly by the time Savage-Stevens bought Crescent-Davis.

Baker guns are not, and never were, "Crescent" shotguns, a common misconception found on the internet.

Ken, that's pretty good. A couple of things could be added for clarity.

I think Batavia Metal Products , after the gunmaking business sale, made things in addition to auto parts.

Folsom made Bakers tend to be of lesser finish quality as the years went on.

I am not sure that the Crescent / Davis relationship was a merger or if there was a purchase. That's not really important to the Baker guns, I guess.

Ads and catalogs for the Folsom Bakers seem to carry a New York Address, which probably relates to a Folsom company address.

Thanks Daryl. I had not realized production had run that high.

Marcus

Just to clarify, mostly via Researcher, and more here
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1OxZo5Tkvx2G8eYf747QR9B5RJdN6Siu5JGIhfguSXXQ

The N.R. Davis Arms Co. was located in Assonet, MA starting in 1853 and from 1917 to 1930 operated under the name Davis-Warner Arms Corp., Brooklyn, NY and Norwich, CT.

J. Stevens Arms (owned by Savage Arms Corp. since 1920) purchased Davis-Warner in 1930 and a Stevens memo dated December 15, 1930 announced the purchase from H&D Folsom Arms Company of the assets of Crescent Fire Arms Company of Norwich, Connecticut. The Connecticut Industrial Census done in 1930 listed 100 Crescent employees. The assets of Crescent were to be merged with those of Davis-Warner Arms Corporation and that the newly formed firm would be known as The Crescent-Davis Arms Corporation, Norwich, Conn.
Catalogs thereafter carried the statement:
�Today�s Greatest Value Among Popular Priced Guns�

On November 4, 1935, an order of dissolution was filed with the New York Secretary of State and the remains were moved to the J. Stevens Arms Co. plant in Chicopee Falls, MA. After the move, Stevens continued to manufacture a few models of Crescent-Davis shotguns until 1943.

In 1954 Folsom was purchased by Universal Tackle and Sporting Goods Co.

So back to the gun at hand - cyanide colored or someone used a torch? I don't think that gun looks like the typical torch jobs I've seen, but my sample size is probably among the smallest on the forum.

This is more along the lines of how I think a torch job looks:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=446084116

Not my auction, but you have to love the description. Amazing how many FFL's know absolutely zilch about vintage guns. A Fulton?

Jawjadawg,

Did you just pick up a Parker G?

Yup. That was me. Did I outbid you?

The Folsom Baker colors were very dark and colorfully mottled. The case colors seemed to last very well, judging from all of the Folsom Leaders I have seen. The gun in question has case colors not close to the original guns.