Gun nutz, need some help identifying old shotguns!

[Tropic traveler]

We have inherited a couple of old shotguns from Kim's father that were owned by her grandfather and/or great grandfather. I have identified one of them as a Remington 1900 12 ga. side by side hammerless made between 1900-1910. This gun has been shot quite a bit over it's loooonng history, that is certain!
The .410 is the one I'm having trouble figuring out.
It is a Bridge Gun Company .410 single shot hammer style. Says right on it Made in U.S.A. {kinda like the Valkyrie, eh?  } & is in pretty good shape. A search of the internet on this gun has only turned up that Bridge Gun Co. made a lot of different "store brands" for hardware and chain stores. This one doesn't appear to be one of those, no markings other than Bridge Gun Co., made in USA, serial & gauge size numbers. I don't think it is as old as the Remington 1900 but it is fairly old!
Anyone know anything about this old .410?




Both rifles.

[bsnicely]

Bridge Gun Company - Trade name used by Shapleigh Hardware of St. louis, MO on sotguns made by Cresent Firearms Company.

So, a "Bridge Gun Company" marked shotgun was manufactured by Cresent Fire Arms Company and sold in Shapleigh Hardware Stores based in St. Louis.

CRESCENT FIRE ARMS CO. & CRESCENT-DAVIS ARMS CORP.
Previous manufacturers and trademarks manufactured circa 1888-1931 in Norwich, CT.
In 1888, George W. Cilley bought out the defunct Bacon Arms Co. of Norwich, CT. He then formed an alliance with Frank Foster, and borrowed enough money to form the Crescent Fire Arms Company. Cilley and Foster each held several firearms patents, and both were highly qualified in firearms design and manufacture. Production began with single shot tip-up shotguns that had an external side hammer. Double barrel shotgun production was started in 1891. In 1893, they began making bicycle chains, and that same year, H&D Folsom took over the company's financial control. Early in the 1890s, Crescent built a rifle that resembled the Remington No. 4. A very rare Crescent was the .410 bore shotgun pistol, which was introduced in the 1920s. In 1929, N.R. Davis Firearms Co., then owned by Warner Arms Corp., merged with Cresent to become Crescent-Davis Arms Corp. Because of financial crisis, business continued to decline, and they were forced to sell out. Savage Arms Co. acquired Cresent-Davis in 1931, assembled guns from the remaining parts, and these guns were sold under the Crescent name only. In 1932, the city of Norwich, CT, took over the Crescent property for non-payment of back taxes. After the Norwich facility was closed, manufacture was moved to Chicopee Falls.
It is unknown whether or not Crescent did any high grade or custom work. However, a very well engraved SxS, with the Crescent logo, is known to exist in a private collection.
Crescent Fire Arms Company remains best known as a manufacturer of "house brand" shotguns (i.e., Crescent private labeled guns for retailers, distributors, mail-order houses, etc.). Over 100 different trademarks have been observed to date, manufactured by Crescent. Almost all the remaining specimens today are priced as shooters and have no collector value.

[Mr.BubblesVRCCDS0008]

I have one that was my dads that looks just like the single shot you have. It was made by the Diamonds Firearms Company in St.Louis Mo.. Gun was made in the late twentys or earily thirtys. Diamonds  makes the strike anywhere matches now.

[f6gal]

When my Father died, I inherited his guns.  Among them was a Bridge Gun Company Black Prince .410 single shot (hammer) that he got from his father.  I believe my Grandfather bought it around 1934-35 for about $12.00.  
It's a nicely machined single shot break open... very smooth!   There are no barrel markings, so I don't know the choke (guess I could put a gauge to it, duh).

Not much monetary value... probably about $50.00.

[Tropic traveler]

Thanks for all the replies!
Here are some more pics & another question.  Can I shoot modern .410 shells in this gun? It looks very similar in the shell area to a more modern .410 I have. Since this gun has very little value I may clean it up real nice & take it out for some shooting fun!






I do have another shotgun question. I also have an old {early '70's} .410 single that my parents bought when we moved to the woods {from St. Pete to Brooksville, FL} in 1971. They bought it at the local White Auto Store & I shot many a garden raidin' varmint & rattlesnakes with it. A few years ago I let a friend chop it down a bit for me. He did the barrel the legal length but I fear he may have cut the stock down too much making the overall length a bit short. I want to find a used stock to make it longer. It says FIF Corp, Miami FL on the barrel & Made in Brazil on the main body.  I searched the internet & I can't find anything on FIF Corp. guns. It's a neat little gun, it breaks by pulling back the whole trigger assembly, shoots real nice.
Any ideas on the FIF Corp guns or where I might get an uncut stock for this gun?