doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Quality F Smith Baker c1878

Daryl, the serial numbers in my records are from what I obtained from off the Internet gun sales and auctions. Sometimes it just listed the serial number and a description. The ones I was able to get pictures of I did and some show all and some do not. The ones that show the for-end without any type of latch should be considered post 1880 guns in my opinion.
It would be nice to know the time date of the serial numbers and the range. I got some of the information about the range of serial numbers from John Houchins' book "The Legend Lives". Listed under W.H. Baker & Co. It states the three barrel started at serial number 1 to 300 (I is on the 16 ga drilling). The two barrel starting at 5 to 1650. These are from Syracuse from 1877-1880.
For L.C. Smith the three barrel started at 300 to 1600 and the double barrel 1650-10,000. This is from 1880-1884.

The gentleman who owns the 3 barrel told me the barrels are cut to 22 inches but shooting a .38 he is able to get a decent group at 25 yards. I think he stated it is a 38-55 Ballard.

JDW, I gave John Houchins a bunch of info on serial numbers as well as gun pictures of the Baker and Baker Smith era. Somehow, some did not translate correctly into his book. It was a massive project and I am amazed he could compile what he did. If you follow my guide above, you will have the "most" possibly correct information.

In the early Baker guns and Baker and Co. guns, there were several types of forend fasteners. Finally, the J spring won out and is found on guns by several other makers as well.

Thanks Daryl. I did see your name in the acknowledgements.
The book was a massive undertaking and it has it's mistakes but without it there would be many voids.

My main research was the Syracuse hammer guns and the Hunter Arms ones as there was really nothing written about them.
Along with those then came the Baker and then Smith Baker ones and these are the new ones to me.

Thanks again for your help.