Crescent Arms, Help?
Creoso 79
I am posting this on behalf of my dad, who is looking for information on
"Crescent Arms" Rifles? Does anyone have any sort of info, know any sort of
website about this brand of gun or its history? I looked on the Web and did a
search for Crescent Arms, but came up with nil. Anyone ever hear of it?
Much
appreciated,
R. Kingman
capri
4...@hotmail.com
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You can learn about rec.guns at http://doubletap.cs.umd.edu/rec.guns
keith whaley
Creoso 79 wrote:
#
# Hi,
#
# I am posting this on behalf of my dad, who is looking for
information on
# "Crescent Arms" Rifles? Does anyone have any sort of info, know any
sort of
# website about this brand of gun or its history? I looked on the Web
and did a
# search for Crescent Arms, but came up with nil. Anyone ever hear of it?
If it's a rifle, I can't help you.
Crescent Firearms Company made shotguns, and was located in Norwich,
Conn.
They made firearms during the 1888-1893 time frame.
They merged with N.R. Davis in the early 1900's to form Crescent-Davis Arms.
It's history was complicated; it was even affiliated in some way with
Savage Arms for a time, etc.
Nevertheless, it made all manner of shotguns, including house-brand
shotguns for hundreds of companies, but I know of no rifles it ever made.
The most extensive information on Crescent that I know about is
contained in "The Standard Catalog of Firearms," published by Krause.
This book is available thru Brownells, but if all you want to know is
something about Crescent Firearms, buying the book would be a waste.
Perhaps a large library might have a copy for you to peruse.
Keith Whaley - gunsmith/owner
WHALEY's Gunsmithing
Westchester, CA
Albanygun
Crescent FireArms was created and organized from the remains of the Bacon
Arms Company who went bankrupt in 1888. Crescent began operations in 1892,
the best estimate is that they made over 2,000,000 shotguns under their
own name and over 300 brand names. It has been said that Crescent would put
a Brand name on a gun for anyone that would pay for the Cost of the stamping
die or order a minimum of guns (the minimum has been said to be twelve
guns).
H & D Folsome, a large sporting goods wholesaler, owned a large portion of
Crescent Fire Arms from very early in its existence. What ever H & D Folsome
wanted Crescent made. They made primarily inexpensive well-made guns
suitable for sale in any local hardware store. Folsome acquired other
Manufacturing firms such as Forehand Arms CO in 1903; W. H. Davenport Arms
Co. in 1909 and Baker Gun and Forging in 1918. Crescent with Folsome’s
assistance imported large number of guns from Belgium. Some of these guns
were marked
with Crescents name and after World War I some were marked with the name of
the Baker Gun Company but most were marked with a myriad of brand names.
Crescent continued in business until 1930 when it was sold by H&D Folsome to
a subsidiary of Savage Arms Company called Savage Products Distributing
Corp. The same subsidiary bought Davis-Warner Arms Corp. at about the same
time. Both Crescent and Davis-Warner were dissolved and the name of Savage
Products Distributing Corp was changed to Crescent-Davis Arms Corp. This
firm made guns in the Norwich CT plant until November 1935 when the
Crescent-Davis firm was dissolved and the machinery sold to Stevens Arms CO
in Chicopee, MA. Steven’s continued to manufacture a few models of
Crescent-Davis guns until about 1938.
Extracted from Ned Fall’s Book, Trade Brand Names on Shotguns. Who Made
Them Or Used The Brand Names. 1880 to 1940
There is also some information in the "Blue Book".
bomar
Here is some from:
http://www.alloutdoors.com/aolibrary/hunting/shotguns/usdub.asp
American Economy
Double Shotguns, Part One
by Larry Brown
One of the biggest importers and distributors of imported guns was the H & D
Folsom Arms Company of New York. In the 1890s, Folsom acquired Crescent Arms
and became a manufacturer as well as a distributor.
> ...
follow all the leads in the Whitewater scandal. What is important about
Folsom, however, is that it merged with Stevens in the 1930s. Between the
two companies, they undoubtedly produced more doubles--under more different
names--than anyone else. Although I doubt anyone has a good idea of their
total production, it is no exaggeration to put it at over a million guns.
Clark Magnuson
List" has several paragraphs on the history of Crescent arms. The
company was founded in 1893. In 1930 Crescent / Folsom Arms merged with
Davis - Warner Arms. In 1932 Stevens Arms bought the assets and
machinery. No mention of any riffles, but pages of shotguns under other
brand names.
Hal Leahy
on
# "Crescent Arms" Rifles?
#From the Standard Catalog of Firearms,1998 and the Blue Book, 21st edition.
Crescent Fire Arms Co. was founded in 1893 and located in Norwich, CT. They
were bought out by H & D Folsum Arms Company of New York. In 1930, the
combined Crescent/Folsum Arms Company acquired the assets of Davis-Warner
Arms Corp and became Crescent-Davis Arms Corp. In 1932, the firm went belly
up and its assets were bought by Stevens Arms Company.
N.R. Davis & Co., later known as N.R. Davis and Sons made shotguns from 1853
until 1919. Davis-Warner Arms Corp. of Norwich, CT was established in 1917,
with the merger of N.R. Davis & Sons and Warner Arms Comapny. The company
ceased operations in 1930 and its assets were acquired by Crescent Arms
Company.
The Warner Arms Corporation was established in 1912 and had offices in
Brooklyn, NY and Norwich, CT. It sold firearms made for it by other
companies. It was acquired by N.R. Davis & Sons in 1917.
J Stevens & Company, later J. Stevens Arms Co., was established in 1864. It
continued as an independent company until 1920 when it was acquired by the
Savage Arms Co. Stevens continues to operate by that name under the Savage
Arms Co.
The trademark Crescent Arms appears on firearms made by almost all of the
various companies. The main business of Crescent and its successors was the
manufacturer of 'house brand' guns. Over 100 different trademarks were used
by Crescent. For values, consult a current edition of the Standard Catalog
of Firearms or the Blue Book.
You might try writing to Stevens for historical information, although given
the long history and mergers you might hit a dry hole.
NEWTIRE
made shotguns too. Try Gun Parts. Formerly Numrich Arms for info & parts