Question for the double gun guys (Tobin arms)

Capt. John

Capt. John

Active member
I found a double gun at a local pawn shop. It was priced right and looked nice but I new nothing of the brand. Its a Tobin arms 12 ga. On a hunch it may have been something nice I gladly paid them what they were asking and took it home. Now I have had it about a month and am having a very hard time finding any good info on it. There is minimal writing on the gun, just the Tobin Arms, Norwich Conn. and a big AF engraved on the side, this I am figuring out makes it an Abercrombie and Fitch gun. Tobin made a line for them around 1907? Here is my big question. How do I figure out the grade of the gun with no numbers on it other than the serial number?

All serial numbers match, reciever, barrel, and forearm #5035F

It has ejectors not extractors, and the forearm has a fancy roller type release not a screw to take it off. it has 28 inch barrels. It also shoots. I took it out and shot it 4 times with light dove loads. Here is some pictures to help. Any feedback on this gun would be greatly appreciated especially with the grading of it, I paid 350 bucks for it, was this a good deal or a fair price?









Thanks for looking, John Ven Huizen
 
looks like a nice piece, Tobin made some good guns, not a big collector market for them.

Krupp steel - if the barrels are not altered are nice steel, with Abercrombie and Fitch logo on the side there may be a way to track it, Griffin and Howe has many of A&F's old records
http://www.griffinhowe.com/research-main.cfm

you can go over here http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php and search for Tobin and find info

http://www.doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=215111&Searchpage=3&Main=19862&Words=tobin&Search=true#Post215111

also - may I add - if you are going to shoot it, it will very likely have 2 1/2 in chambers - find or order some vintage loads from RST (good folks to deal with) or Polywad
 
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thank you very much, i never thought to go the route of AF records. It seems the less I find on this gun the more I want to know about it. Its a cute little thing regardless of value. I appreciate the swift ressponse!
 
I do seem to remember that the Double Gun Journal had an article about Tobins many years ago. If you post for information on the doublegun site- you might ask someone which volume and issue (its a very nice quarterly magazine) it was in - old issues show up on that auction regularly and you may find a copy eventually
 
As mentioned, I would pursue the Griffon and Howe angle. They have a store in NYC and one in NJ near Millburn/Short Hills.

As I understand the history, AF was a premier outfitter for the wealthy folks going on safari to Africa to hunt big game. At the time they had an extensive gun shop and was run by two gentlemen Griffon and Howe. They eventually broke off from AF and started their own shop. It is an experience to go in one and just look around. The guns that they keep in stock are fabulous.

It has been a long while since I walked into one, but have fond memories of the store as it was very close to my first job after college. A collegue and I woud stop by after work occasionally to look around, learn and mostly drool/dream.

The gentlemen in the shop were always knowledgeable, very helpful and pleasant to deal with.

Bottom line, I woud hae paid the money for that gun. It looks splendid.

Chad
 
A couple of things, your Tobin looks to be somewhere around a 55 grade:

http://www.doublegunshop.com/...er=164762&page=1

You are probably correct about the Abercrombie and Fitch aspect. They were a big NYC concern in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century era. I have a Lefever boxlock, not a Lefever Arms gun nor a Nitro Special. It is a gun that Dan Lefever produced after he left Lefever Arms. It is stamped SD&G on the forearm iron and bottom of the tubes. SD&G is Shoverling, Daly and Gales which was A & F's largest competitor. In fact Daly was Charles Daly who became associated with guns by importing quality Prussian (Linder) made shotguns with his name on them. The 1960's-70's Charles Dalys were made in Japan by Miroku and are of good quality, the 3rd generation Dalys were Itallian made and it bit less quality than the Japanese guns. The early high grade Linder guns exhibit as good a quality as any guns of their era.

Nice Tobin
 
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