Hello, I recently was given my great grandfather's side by side AJ Aubrey. The serial number is 7632. It has T32 above that. I think that's the barrel length, but I'm not sure. The gun is not in very good condition, but it is a family heirloom. I am looking for any info that you may have. Thanks in advance. Dave
Need help with an AJ Aubrey
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Bear River
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This was a product sold by Sears Robuck Co. around the turn of the 20th century. The Aubrey firearms were very low end mass produced firearms.
yes and no. They were made for Sears but were considered good quality guns. Value as usual, depends on a number of things, The Grade, The gauge and the condition. A top of the line A.J. Aubrey in excellent condition can bring from 1500 to 2000$ However a plain Jane Aubrey in poor condition would only be valued at around 100 to 150. The history of Aubrey shotguns is confusing at times. He was in fact superintendent of Meriden Arms company, but it has been reported that Sears wanted a better brand for a higher grade of shotgun than Meriden name, so they went with Aubrey Firearms. To untwist the business dealing of the different gun makers and Sears in that era is a very difficult task, They were all connected to each others in one way or the other. Montgomery Wards was a very successful concern at the time and Sears was determined to equal of surpass them in business. A lot things were done " under the table " so to speak.
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Bear River
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In the sears 1905 catalog the Aubrey pistols and shotguns seem to be less expensive.
There were different grades of Aubreys ( all of which , I believe were made in the Meriden plant ), but to be honest, I'm not a student of Sears history and I do know history is fluid and is constantly changing as new facts emerge, perhaps a someone who has more knowledge will chime in.
I've been researching the Meriden Fire Arms Company for some time now and am working on publishing a book about their history and products. I also put together www.meridenfirearms.com.
First an foremos, you are correct about the T32....this indicates your gun came with 32 inch Twist steel barrels.
Your gun is a relatively early example of a Meriden produced double gun. The lowest serial number reported on a hammerless double gun is number 1000. It is then assumed that the serial number convention started at 1000 and ran sequentially as production went on. The earliest hammerless double guns (like yours) featured the ‘The A. J. Aubrey’ name. The earliest set of ‘A.J. Aubrey’ guns also featured the ‘PAT. APPLIED FOR’ marking on the barrel rib. Guns with this combination of features tend to fall in the 1000 to 19,000 serial number range and cover the production between 1905 and 1907.
Later guns carried the 'New Aubrey' name circa 1911 and then "Meriden Fire Arms Co." starting in 1912 till the end of production in 1918.
First an foremos, you are correct about the T32....this indicates your gun came with 32 inch Twist steel barrels.
Your gun is a relatively early example of a Meriden produced double gun. The lowest serial number reported on a hammerless double gun is number 1000. It is then assumed that the serial number convention started at 1000 and ran sequentially as production went on. The earliest hammerless double guns (like yours) featured the ‘The A. J. Aubrey’ name. The earliest set of ‘A.J. Aubrey’ guns also featured the ‘PAT. APPLIED FOR’ marking on the barrel rib. Guns with this combination of features tend to fall in the 1000 to 19,000 serial number range and cover the production between 1905 and 1907.
Later guns carried the 'New Aubrey' name circa 1911 and then "Meriden Fire Arms Co." starting in 1912 till the end of production in 1918.
Twist barrel is another name for what is often called a Damascus barrel, that is one made by winding white hot strips of iron and steel around an iron rod (called a mandrel) and welding them together by blows from a hammer. That was done because at the time gun makers had not figured out how to drill a straight hole in something as long as a barrel.
That barrels made that way have inherent weaknesses should be obvious, and it is generally recommended that guns with twist or Damascus barrels not be fired, even with black powder. (Yes, I know some people do fire those guns with black powder loads, and some even fire them with hot Magnum loads and say they have no problems. Some people drive cars with worn tires and bad brakes, too, but I don't recommend it.)
Jim
That barrels made that way have inherent weaknesses should be obvious, and it is generally recommended that guns with twist or Damascus barrels not be fired, even with black powder. (Yes, I know some people do fire those guns with black powder loads, and some even fire them with hot Magnum loads and say they have no problems. Some people drive cars with worn tires and bad brakes, too, but I don't recommend it.)
Jim