doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Baker Hammerless Gun Co.

Is there a book on Bakers? I just picked up a very nicely engraved Baker, it has game scenes on each side plate and Baker Hammerless Gun Co., what looks like an elk on the bottom of the action and a flying duck on the trigger guard. In looking at the water table the only original numbers on it are 3, B and some patent date info. It came with 30" twist barrels. There are no serial numbers engraved on the trigger guard tang like on most doubles.
The only other numbers on the water table are (4 digits . 2 digits) 17xx.55 that match the same 4 digits . 2 digits on a set of Bohler Antinit blued steel barrels that are marked Ferlach that must have been made for the gun at a much later date.
I'm trying to find out what I can about this gun, the grade, when it was made and what the correct forend wood would look like. The forend wood was replaced.

Jack K

Until Daryl or Dave come along, this will get you started Jack http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/17434920
It's a B grade.

I would love to see pictures of this gun. The stamped numbers sound as if the .55 part may have been added by who ever fit the barrels. My guess and either Daryl or Chris would step in and correct me, but I would think that the build date would be around 1902-03. Seeing pictures of the gun and it's numbers would help.

Drew,

Thanks for the picture trail, it did get me started. I believe it is a B grade. I have everything original for the gun except the forend wood.

Dave,
I will try to have some pics by the weekend. I do not have a digital camera and currently the gun is over my friends house and he does have the camera, so I will try to get him to take some shots. You are right about the .55 whoever fit the later barrels. I looked up Ferlach in one of my Blue Books and they explained that the Felach community is rather tight knit and from those numbers with the period in between some experts can tell who manufactured the gun and the approximate dating of when the work was done. Supposedly all Ferlach guns are numbered the same way with one set of digits belonging to a particular maker or consortium (identifying them) and the other numbers being the serial.
Those blued Ferlach barrels are beautiful (no knock against the twist barrels) and polished and engraved flawlessly; they fit flawlessly too. I don't think they were shot much as they look brand new. Believe the gun may have been sent to be rebarreled in the 50's when damascus was really declared unsafe in US and things could be bought rather cheaply in war torn rebuilding Europe.

Jack K

I realize that these are not the best of pictures, showing the forearm. On the B's and A that I have, the forearms are all very similiar if not the same. [img][IMG]http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d76/Dave45871/011_8A_0001.jpg[/img][/img]

Drew,

While perusing the Picture trail I did see the lock plates very similar to mine. 2/3 of the way down is a lock plate ungraded BG&F for one side and the one below it 1 pin lock plate A grade courtesy of L Stallones. I don't know how many pins are in the plate on mine, I wasn't looking for them. Will get that info in a few days.

Thanks,

Jack K

Dave,

Thanks for the photo. Are there any forend tips in ebony or horn or some type of escutchion? You have 2 very nice looking guns. The butt stock wood needs to be cleaned and the recoil pad replaced.

Jack K

I know it is hard to seen, but yes, there are ebony tips on the forearm. They are "V" shaped and rounded at the front. The tip extends about 1 1/2"-1 5/8" from the tip of the forearm and they are slightly wasp waisted to an 1/8" radiused tip in the back of the tip. The front of the tip is approx. 3/4" wide. I good way to inlet them into use the what Chris Schotz told me. Of course fit the ebony as good as you can, then glue it in with black Accra Glass. After Accra Glass is well set work, the forearm down to a final finish and it will look as if the ebony grew out of the walnut. On my "B", you can see the butt extension I added. When I got it, the butt had been shortened and an old and dried out recoil pad was still present. I chose to use the orginal style "Baker Gun and Forging" hard butt plate and made these extensions to get it to my LOP. Hopefully you still have the forearm iron as they seem to be missing in action from time to time.

Here is the forearm of a $100 Pigeon Gun --

Jack, it sounds like your gun is a rebarreled B grade, which may have been serial no. 3. I have serial no. 9B, so if you need any pics, I can help. Your gun was probably made in very late 1892 or early 1893. In the beginning the Baker Hammerless guns went through several design changes, and I think in the first hundred or so, most of the changes happened.