burgess pump action shotgun

K

Ken DROVER

Inactive
I've recently acquired a burgess pump action shotgun which is highly engraved. Does anyone have any info on this gun, or disassembly. It takes 2 1/2" shells. I seem to remember an article in one of the gun magazines this summer on the gun but I can't find the article now.
 
Ken:
This is all I have on the Burgess:

BURGESS GUN CO.
Buffalo, New York

One of the most prolific 19th Century designers was Andrew Burgess who established his own company in 1892. The Burgess Gun Company mfg’d slide action shotguns and rifles operated by a unique pistol grip prior to their being purchased by Winchester repeating Arms Company in 1899. Arms based on the Burgess patents were mfg’d by a variety of American gun makers. Serial numbers for all Burgess shotguns begin at 1000.

HJN
 
There's a section on the Burgess shotguns in the excellent The World's Fighting Shotguns by Thomas Swearengen. Included is a picture of an interesting hoslter for carrying the shotgun.
 
Burgess made these in two versions; a folding "police gun" version that is rarer than hen's teeth, and a non-folding "sporting" version that is slightly less rare (maybe "hen's dentures"?). Burgess had to re-work his original design to a "pump the pistol-grip" version after he was sued for patent infringement by Sylvester Roper, who had patented the "pump the forearm" design in 1882. Burgess produced his guns in New York, but ended up selling out to Winchester in 1900, leaving a production run of somewhere around 6 years.
 
Burgess Shotguns

In the Gun Digest of 1963 or 1965 there is an article about Andrew Burgess and most of his 894 firearm patents. If you want a copy of the article e-mail me and I will send you a copy. His patents were used all over the world by firearm manufactuers, Colt, Marlin, Hotchkiss, Whitneyville, Mannlicher, Mauser, and Schulhof. His was the first true semi-automatic firearm as opposed to a self-loading firearm we to-day call semi-autos. The Shotguns made in the Burgess Gun Co. plant in Buffalo New York were 2 5/8 shells not 2 3/4 length. The shotguns were all take down models and the folding guns had 18 1/4 inch barrels. Charles Damon could keep all six cases in the air at one time, as it is faster than a modern pump action. A historical note: Pat Garret had a folding gun in his buggy when he was shot in the back and murdered.
 
Burgess Shotgun

SDC,

I have a police type Burgess shotgun that has been in the family a long time. It folds in the middle, holds five shells and slide pumps at the stock.

Would you please give me a idea of the worth of this shotgun.

Thank you
 
I wish I could help, but these things don't really sell often enough to give an idea of "worth"; your best bet is likely to be a current edition of either the Blue Book of Gun Values, or Flayderman's Guide, but in either case, the real value is also going to depend a lot on the exact condition of your shotgun. Since these are also going to be short-chambered guns, I hope no-one has been shooting it, since that can damage it.
 
Burgess Shotgun

SDC,

Thank you for the leads. The shotgun has not been fired in forty years. The Damascus barrel would not hold up on todays powder.

Thanks again for the reply.
 
Bootin' up this topic because I have a question concerning this gun.

Is this a black powder only weapon? Has it ever been tested for nitro?

If it is only suitable for blackpowder it could mean that the rifle is considerdd an antique under Dutch gunlaws.

Hope anyone can help.
 
Starting bid on burgess shotguns for auction is 1000 to 1200 dollars according to "Guns of the old West"

Black powder ONLY, with damascus barrels, unless it has something like a British nitro proof stamp on it (they do exist for some damascus barrels)

Around 25000 guns made, plant closed at the turn of the century.
 
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