[PAX]

Does any one know if hammerless, Damascus barreled, Baker Batavia Leaders were made in a coach or Lupara configuration? Maybe a Wells Fargo or Pinkerton contract? Thanx.

 

[Rangr44]

[anyone know if hammerless, Damascus barreled, Baker Batavia Leaders were made in a coach or Lupara configuration? Maybe a Wells Fargo or Pinkerton contract?]

Thank you, for reposting your questions separately.

AFAIK:

For all Batavia, NY made Baker Leader Grade SxS double shotguns -

ALL were hammerless

All were made with "twist steel" barrels

All were made from 1898 - 1915

All had serial numbers from 75,000-156,000


I presume by "coach or Lupera" you mean that the barrels have been cut off to an extremely short length - maybe even below what's legal under current Federal Law.

FWIW - I would not accept such a gun as being a factory alteration w/o a letter of authentication from either a Baker collector/historian, or a Wells Fargo/Pinkerton's archivist/collector/historian.
Those major companies also marked their weapons in a very particular manner, that not all fakers understand, and that an expert in them will spot at a glance.

The reason I would not accept one as genuine w/o substantiation, is that (besides fakers) many private concerns and individuals modified whatever double shotguns were on hand for guard duty at banks, mines, assay offices and on freight wagons & stage coaches.

I've even made a few myself, albeit not Baker's, for home defense purposes.

.