Question
gun 
gun
my dad has a 30 inch double barrel hamerles 12 guage hopkins and allen and i am trying to figure out the value of this gun and can not find alot of information on it. It is in fair condition and he does hunt with it, so it is in working condition.He seems to think it was made in 1891 and that they havent made a double barrel since 1910. Could you please help me out here. Thank you.
AnswerHello Lisanjohn.
Thank you for the pictures. There were two ways the company name and address could appear on your shotgun. Before 1896, it read; HOPKINS & ALLEN MANUFG. CO. NORWICH CONN. The company went bankrupt in 1898, and reorganized as HOPKINS & ALLEN ARMS COMPANY. In 1900, a fire completely destroyed the plant. It was rebuilt in 1901, but in 1905, was nearly closed, again, due to theft of all the completed firearms at the plant. In 1916, problems forced Hopkins & Allen into bankruptcy for the last time.
I cannot tell, from the pictures, if the barrels are damascus, twist, or steel. All of these, however, were not made to handle the pressures of high-velocity smokeless ammunition. I suggest shooting blackpowder loaded ammunition, or at the most, low-velocity smokeless in the future. Be sure to have it checked out by a competent, licensed gunsmith before future use.
You asked about a value. Condition being a deciding factor, from as little as $50 to near $300. From the pictures, I would rate it in the $100 to $200 price range. I cannot be exact without handling it.
I hope this answers your questions, and thank you for asking for me. Charles Gage
