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

Well, I can hardly contain myself. I found a Baker Sterling SBT and it should be headed my way as soon as it gets on the truck. I have been looking for a long time to find one that wasn't priced up in the heavens. One question I need to ask. As we all know, Folsom bought out Baker, but where did Folsom go to? I may not even sleep tonight.......it is an early one Ser. no. 47. I have not seen really good pictures of it at all, but I have seen pictures. Between the ph. calls and the pictures. I feel comfortable, with the buy.

H. & D. Folsom sold Crescent to J. Stevens in 1930, closed Baker Gun Co. in 1933, and in 1954 was purchased by Universal Tackle and Sporting Goods Co.

Dave, Baker Sterling #47 was made in 1909-1910. They are neat guns with an integral vent rib milled out of the same piece of steel as the barrel.

H & D Folsom Arms Co. Catalogue No. 18 lists their American Gun Co. guns as being made by H & D Folsom Arms Co. In the pages on the Baker Guns it says "The H & D Folsom Arms Co., Sole Selling Agents." The guns offered were Baker "Batavia Leader" Model; Baker "Black Beauty Special" Model; Baker Paragon Grade; Baker Expert Grade; Baker De Luxe Grade Double Gun; and Baker Single Barrel Trap Guns in Sterling Grade, Elite Grade and Superba Grade.

The two original Baker Guns pocket catalogues with the flying Geese on the cover that I have, which are dated 1923, only offered the Batavia Leader, Black Beauty Special, and Paragon Grade. The address given in these catalogues is 253 Church St., New York City?!? H & D Folsom Arms Co. was at 314 Broadway, New York City. The reprint of a similar catalogue that Lightner Library did back in the 1970s, is not dated, but also offeres the Expert and De Luxe Grade doubles and mentions the Superba and Elite singles. There is no address given in this reprint catalogue. Baker Gun Co. magazine ads from the late 1920s give an address of 314 Broadway, NYC.

The next H & D Folsom Arms Co. catalogue I have is No. 23, and the only Baker Guns offered are Batavia Leader and Black Beauty Special. Those remain the only Baker offerings in H & D Folsom Arms Co. catalogue No. 25, and No. 31 which is dated 1929-30. H & D Folsom Arms Co. Catalogue No. 40 which is dated May 1932, doesn't offer any Baker Guns at all.

Thanks Dave.

Folsom was at 314 Broadway by at least 1907



and in 1936 at 312

Dave,
Congratulations! The early guns are quite the machining marvel. I shot for many years, then I went to the later style and shot those for quite some time. Have fun with it.
Chris

In answer to Dave's question. After buying the gunmaking portion of the business from Baker Gun and Forging Co. in 1919, the guns sold by Folsom, marked Baker, were made in Norwich , Conn. It appears to me the New York addresses were retail outlets.

I didn't mean to imply that guns were made at those New York City addresses, just wondering why the 253 Church St address in the 1923 pocket catalogues when H & D Folsom Arms Co. was at 314 Broadway? In 1881 advertising I have H & D Folsom at 30 Warren St., NYC. By 1882, H & D Folsom is at 15 Murray St., NYC. Then I have a 22 year gap and by 1904 I have H & D Folsom Arms Co. at 314 Broadway, NYC.

Ah, to have been on that 300 block of Broadway back in the day!! H & D Folsom Arms Co., at 314; Schoverling, Daly & Gales at 302 and 304; Von Lengerke & Detmold at 318, the same address where Capt. Money had his offices for the American E.C. & Schultze Powder Co.; M. Hartley Co. with the New York showrooms of Remington and UMC at 313; and at 310 W. Fred Quimby, sole agent for Western Target and Trap Co.

Researcher, you can add C E Overbaugh at 265 and 267 Broadway near the end of the 1880s. Offering a full line of various guns and hunting accessories. I have often wondered , since these products look a lot like the Shoverling Daly and Gales products if there was some tie between the two. Maybe part of the "gun Part" importing scheme S D and G was accused of to avoid gun importing taxes.

1910 find H H Kiffe at 623 Broadway. They put out their own Baker catalog.

Dave, I have been thinking on the 253 Church St. address and can only guess that it might have been a separate higher end mostly guns store. Of course 1929 was looming ahead and I don't know how soon Folsom might have felt the warnings of that. I see the Church St. address in my papers from 1923 thru 1925 at least. 1927 seems to have Baker Guns back at 314 Broadway.