This is a 12ga SxS hammer gun serial # 37xxx. Could someone give me the year of manufacture? I couldn’t find it on the Baker Collectors site. Thanks.

Randy: the (improved) Baker Hammer Model of 1897 had a good run; 1897-1916. Bro. Hallquist lists the SNs as 1-45,000, so you may estimate the DOM toward the later part of production.
This is the listing in the 1902 Sears catalog

Thanks, Drew.

Drew, the serial number range you list is not correct for the Model 1897. The actual numbers I have seen, maybe a hundred examples or so, run from about 27,000 to about 37,000. The end of the Model 1897 was approx. 1911. You may be finding your info. on articles that were not by me, but in one case I was given co-credit for a published Baker article, but I never saw the article prior to publishing.

Thanks Daryl.
This is from "Guns Illustrated" 1997 by Don Hardin. You've previously explained that A and B production was 1892 - 1908 or 1909.



I'll correct the Baker Picture Trail
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/17434920

Thanks, men. I couldn’t remember the exact serial # when I posted the question. I’ve checked and it is 37443. That would lead me to believe that this is one of the last 1897’s but for one anomaly. It has the “fish” top lever. Daryl, from your Vol 9 DGJ article, I see that Baker went with a straight lever on the last 1000. I know this would not be the first mystery with antique double guns (and that it could just be that the lever was broken and replaced with an earlier lever) but have you come across any more information since the article that would shed additional light on this?

Nothing in most gunmaker's history was cut and dried. After 1911 or 1912 Baker made guns , but not in the quantity as before. Lots of guns appear with early details and parts. Some of these would be out of sequence numbers, mostly in the 37,000 to 51,000 serial no. range. Mechanical properties could be slightly different for a model in that range, probably to use up parts on hand.

Thanks so much, Daryl. I appreciate your and Drew’s responses.