Davenport 8 Gauge shotgun Vale

[eiderduckhunter]

Hey, looking for some help .... i have a chance to buy a 1896 Davenport 8 gauge shotgun, fair condition, still shootable, looking for a value .. any help is appreciated . Thanks

 

[Sharptail]

From Guns & Ammo magazine, 2007:

William H. Davenport formed the W.H. Davenport Fire Arms Co., located in Norwich, Connecticut, circa 1890. His company manufactured single- and double-barrel shotguns and single-shot rifles, but the shotguns have not enjoyed much collector interest to date. Values are determined on shootability, with most average-condition single-shots selling in the $50 to $125 range and $75 to $250 range for side-by-side models. These same values will also apply to the Blue Ribbon Gun Co. shotgun, which was probably a private label for another company--very common at the time for utilitarian shotguns like this.

An 8 gauge suffers from the double whammy of not having available ammo and not being legal to hunt with. On the other hand you don't see 8 gauge guns every day so the curio factor is high. You are going to have to decide what it is worth to you to have this gun in your hands.


Sharptail

 

[bluedcanoed]

8 gauge

Single or double barrel? Fair condition doesn't sound good.


NRA condition description for antique arms: -

"FAIR: Some major parts replaced; minor replacement parts may be required; metal rusted, may be lightly pitted all over, vigorously cleaned or re-blued; rounded edges of metal and wood; principal lettering, numerals and design on metal partly obliterated; wood scratched, bruised, cracked or repaired where broken; in fair working order or can be easily repaired and placed in working order."

We really need pictures to estimate value.

Bob

 

[farmer47]

i have seen some odd shotguns such as punt guns in 4 guage fetch good money . i watched an auction were one started at 75 dollars and i thought i would bid but the winning bid was seven hundred with 25 per cent on top of that for tax and buyers fee.the gun did not come home with me .

 

[eiderduckhunter]

Thanks for the info guys, i will see if i can get some pics up ... He asking $650 for the gun with a bit of ammo...

 

[straightshooter]

i have seen some odd shotguns such as punt guns in 4 guage fetch good money . i watched an auction were one started at 75 dollars and i thought i would bid but the winning bid was seven hundred with 25 per cent on top of that for tax and buyers fee.the gun did not come home with me .

Highly collectible makes/models will fetch some astronomical prices at auction sometimes. I may have been at the auction you speak of - I remember a punt gun starting out quite cheap and ending up going for 700 plus. If it was the same auction, there was a guy there who paid $70,000 CDN combined for 2 Winchester rifles, one right after the other.

Punt guns generate a lot of interest whenever they become available. 8 gauge shotguns are not popular for the reasons outlined above. For the right collector and the right gun, $650 wouldn't be unreasonable. But, IMO it's far too much for a Davenport in the condition described.

Edited to add: Couldn't have been the same auction - you live in Ontario and I live in Alberta.