James 12 Guage ?

[hotdog]

A friend called and asked me what a shotgun he purchased was worth and I don't seem to have any info on it. The gun is a 12 guage double, rabbit eared damask barrel, by the James co. some scroll work. Thanks in advance for the help. Luck hotdog.

 

[Alex Johnson]

Never heard of that one, but before and after the turn of the century there were numerous guns imported into this country from Belgium, these were sold by a number of distributors like Sears and others. Some of them were very well made, but others were pretty shoddily constructed. I've got one Belgium 10 guage double in my rack with twist barrels and it is well made, still is tight as a vault and has substantial wall thickness at the breech, this gun is a good example of the better of Belgium gunmaking. An 1900 reprint of a Sears catalog shows very similar guns for sale, but with a different name. My guess would be they were all probably made at the same factory.

 

[fal308]

The book Side by Sides of the World by Charles E. Carder lists two separate James companies.

James & Co; Enos James, gun maker located in Brimingham England, made good quality muzzle loaders and breech loading shotguns, circa 1870 to 1889. Many James guns were imported by several American distributors, including Lamberson, Furman & Co. in 1887 and H & D Folsom in 1889.
James W.H.; English made side by side shotguns, circa 1880's. These were listed in the 1887 catalog of Lamberson, Furman & Co of Chicago. No other history known.