"GOLD HIBBARD" was a trade name used by the Hibbard,Spencer,Bartlett and Company of Chicago and while the name doesn't appear on the list of tradenames of hardware guns made By Crescent Firearms of Norwich Ct there are several others on that list used by the same Hardware chain..including the plain "Hibbard" which is discribed as:(some Models) made for H-S&B by Crescent...However..the "Gold Hibbard" is likely an import...check under the Forend for a proofmark of "ELG" in one form or another..that would make it from Belgium which would bring the list to at least double the size of the Crescent produced guns. I have several books on period shotguns from that era..as time permits I will research that name...but...fwiw....the demise of such guns was due in part..a large part to the amount of hand labor it took to build one..this merans two things..cost rose rapidly and you could have a 1/2 dozen that look exactly alike with the same name and no parts would interchange perfectly.....Research on www.shotgunworld.com
Numrich Archiver
Joined: February 2010
Posted: May 6, 2009 06:27 PM
"GOLD HIBBARD" was a trade name used by the Hibbard,Spencer,Bartlett and Company of Chicago and while the name doesn't appear on the list of tradenames of hardware guns made By Crescent Firearms of Norwich Ct there are several others on that list used by the same Hardware chain..including the plain "Hibbard" which is discribed as:(some Models) made for H-S&B by Crescent...However..the "Gold Hibbard" is likely an import...check under the Forend for a proofmark of "ELG" in one form or another..that would make it from Belgium which would bring the list to at least double the size of the Crescent produced guns. I have several books on period shotguns from that era..as time permits I will research that name...but...fwiw....the demise of such guns was due in part..a large part to the amount of hand labor it took to build one..this merans two things..cost rose rapidly and you could have a 1/2 dozen that look exactly alike with the same name and no parts would interchange perfectly.....Research on www.shotgunworld.com
Made by Henri or Nicoles Piper, Belgium. If outside hammers, , made in the era of 1890 to 1911. Piper was a player in the export of Belgium , but not a big player. So not that many trade names were used on them.
Numrich Archiver
Joined: February 2010
Posted: May 6, 2009 10:19 PM
Made by Henri or Nicoles Piper, Belgium. If outside hammers, , made in the era of 1890 to 1911. Piper was a player in the export of Belgium , but not a big player. So not that many trade names were used on them.
Ascerpted from Joseph T. Vorisek 3 volume set titled The Breech Loading Shotgun 1860-1940...the Hibbard,Spencer,Bartlett & Co. catlog of 1884 takes up pages 111 thru 127 plus there is a breakdown/preface on the founding of the company..it founding fathers and a list of firearms tradenames they used. That list is compoased of 23 diifernt tradenames...including this..."Gold Hibbard"(1910 only). The catalog includes a listing of guns they caareid by brand name. W.W. Greener New Club and Trap Gun...W.W Greener's Patent Treble Wedge Fast Hammerless Gun...The H&R Automatic Hammerless Breech Loading Double Barrel Shotgun... The "Bartlett Field" Breech Loading Shotgun...C.G. Bonehill's Special Guns...The Pieper Side Snap Gun...English Breech-Laoding Shotguns(some 8 models) They also list these single barrel breech loaders: a Belgian made single shown as the "Hunter"...F&W new soingle barrel..."American Side Snap"(no maker listed) followed by the American Trigger Action a dual trigger single wher one trigger is used to break the action. Followed by "Old Hickory" and the New Seni-Hammerless Single...that completes the "list" and there is none identified as the "Gold Hibbard"..I have several other books on shotguns..I will research further as time permits.
Numrich Archiver
Joined: February 2010
Posted: May 7, 2009 11:06 AM
Ascerpted from Joseph T. Vorisek 3 volume set titled The Breech Loading Shotgun 1860-1940...the Hibbard,Spencer,Bartlett & Co. catlog of 1884 takes up pages 111 thru 127 plus there is a breakdown/preface on the founding of the company..it founding fathers and a list of firearms tradenames they used. That list is compoased of 23 diifernt tradenames...including this..."Gold Hibbard"(1910 only). The catalog includes a listing of guns they caareid by brand name. W.W. Greener New Club and Trap Gun...W.W Greener's Patent Treble Wedge Fast Hammerless Gun...The H&R Automatic Hammerless Breech Loading Double Barrel Shotgun... The "Bartlett Field" Breech Loading Shotgun...C.G. Bonehill's Special Guns...The Pieper Side Snap Gun...English Breech-Laoding Shotguns(some 8 models) They also list these single barrel breech loaders: a Belgian made single shown as the "Hunter"...F&W new soingle barrel..."American Side Snap"(no maker listed) followed by the American Trigger Action a dual trigger single wher one trigger is used to break the action. Followed by "Old Hickory" and the New Seni-Hammerless Single...that completes the "list" and there is none identified as the "Gold Hibbard"..I have several other books on shotguns..I will research further as time permits.
Bill, The "Gold Hibbard" was a modified "Diana" grade Peiper SxS. The earliest known record of the Diana appeared in the Sept 21,1882 issue of Field & Stream in an add for the company called "Schoverling,Daly & Gales located at 84&86 Chambers St.(firearms central in NYC at that time) of NYC The headline touted the gun as "Something New" and the lead statement was " The only European manufacturer made entirely by machinery" (I think..the ad is a bit blurry) This is significant in that it should give the SxS a greater degree of interchangible drop-in parts.The ad that I have appears on page 551 of Joe Vorisek book "The Breech Loading Shotgun 1860-1940 Volume Ii" (a 3 volume set..from www.cornellpubs.com) To this point..I have found no list of other trade names that Peiper contracted to using the Diana...but the design was unique and any hardware gun base on it should be fairly easy to ID...There is a series of Pieper made SxS that follow The Model designated as"top Snap New Model, Diana Breech Bar Lock Hammer Double w/ 38-55 rifle insert 12 Ga steel barrels made 1905-1914 and a list of "accessory barrels for it and other Peipers in 10 and 12 ga..44-40,38-40 and 38-55 from 1881 to 1914..Then there is the New Model Top Snap, Diana Breech Hammer Double(Modified Diana) 12 and 16 Ga w/30" or 32" bbls in Nitro steel or twist barrels 1900-1914(I would think that the Gold hibbard is based on this version) The last list "Diana" is the Diana Breech Old Model Top Snap Hammer Gun...10,12 or 16 ga. 30" or 32" bbls twist or damascus bbls 1880 to 1914...Hope this helps some......
Numrich Archiver
Joined: February 2010
Posted: May 8, 2009 10:01 AM
Bill, The "Gold Hibbard" was a modified "Diana" grade Peiper SxS. The earliest known record of the Diana appeared in the Sept 21,1882 issue of Field & Stream in an add for the company called "Schoverling,Daly & Gales located at 84&86 Chambers St.(firearms central in NYC at that time) of NYC The headline touted the gun as "Something New" and the lead statement was " The only European manufacturer made entirely by machinery" (I think..the ad is a bit blurry) This is significant in that it should give the SxS a greater degree of interchangible drop-in parts.The ad that I have appears on page 551 of Joe Vorisek book "The Breech Loading Shotgun 1860-1940 Volume Ii" (a 3 volume set..from www.cornellpubs.com) To this point..I have found no list of other trade names that Peiper contracted to using the Diana...but the design was unique and any hardware gun base on it should be fairly easy to ID...There is a series of Pieper made SxS that follow The Model designated as"top Snap New Model, Diana Breech Bar Lock Hammer Double w/ 38-55 rifle insert 12 Ga steel barrels made 1905-1914 and a list of "accessory barrels for it and other Peipers in 10 and 12 ga..44-40,38-40 and 38-55 from 1881 to 1914..Then there is the New Model Top Snap, Diana Breech Hammer Double(Modified Diana) 12 and 16 Ga w/30" or 32" bbls in Nitro steel or twist barrels 1900-1914(I would think that the Gold hibbard is based on this version) The last list "Diana" is the Diana Breech Old Model Top Snap Hammer Gun...10,12 or 16 ga. 30" or 32" bbls twist or damascus bbls 1880 to 1914...Hope this helps some......
I have a fairly beatup gold hibbard, no scroll work, sxs 12ga.,belgium stamps, wood in bad shape, trigger guard broken off. I have no intention of fireing this piece, but am interested in a sale for parts or mounting it in a
display. anyone knows of a place to get a guard, or buying for parts contact me.
Numrich Archiver
Joined: February 2010
Posted: December 23, 2009 03:03 PM
I have a fairly beatup gold hibbard, no scroll work, sxs 12ga.,belgium stamps, wood in bad shape, trigger guard broken off. I have no intention of fireing this piece, but am interested in a sale for parts or mounting it in a
display. anyone knows of a place to get a guard, or buying for parts contact me.
