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Thread: Selmar Eggers 1850s? spring piston air rifle

  1. #1
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    Sep 2013
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    airway heights
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    Selmar Eggers 1850s? spring piston air rifle

    Anyone have any idea how much this gun might be worth.I wish i could figure out picture but can email from my phone.It appears to be .22 caliber smothbore, Selmar Eggers was a gunsmith in new bedford Massachusettes from 1846 to 1890 . I searched the web and he seems to be most famous for his pierce gun, a formidable firearm to say the least .The only other gun I could find that he made is a black powder rifle in the Metropolitan museum of art. Both of these guns are far from my little airgun, a sidecocker that pulls straight back. My email is shonvander@gmail.com if you curios what it looks like.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
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    London
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    Lot 400 in the March 2005 James D Julia auction, was a .25 Eggars. Estimate was $500-$1000 and it sold for $1,495. Picture and description is in their catalogue archive.

    Here is the picture link http://jamesdjulia.com/auctions/174/.../org/54295.jpg

    and the catalogue description;
    EGGERS AIR GUN. NSN. Cal. .25. 18-1/4” part oct bbl marked “S. EGGERS. / N. BEDFORD MASS” on the upper left flat of the bbl. The lever on the right side is pulled upwards and to the rear to cock the mechanism. CONDITION: Rust brown patina overall with slight traces of orig finish. Stock is cracked through the wrist & at the buttplate and has numerous dents and scratches. Mechanically needs adjustment. 4-54295 FS60 (500-1,000)

    I'm surprised it was a .25, I'd have expected it to be .21 like a Pope.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Here's some other information relating to Selmar Eggers, his son George, and their gunstore;

    This information is taken from here http://www.newbedford-ma.gov/NRHisto...ardID=53%20222

    Eggers Building History On July 16, 1872 Selmar Eggers bought four square rods of land on William Street from Theodore W. Cole for $900. Eggers was a merchant first mentioned in Tax Records for 1862 when he owned a house and barn on Tremont Street along with a stock of guns. The 1871 City Directory lists him as a gun and locksmith operating at 36 North Water Street. After buying his William Street land Eggers had a shop built and the first public notice of it came on August 28, 1872 in the Evening Standard under Home Matters. "Mr. S. Eggers gunsmith, has moved into the new building on William Street near Water built for him by Foster and Brown and his tock of guns, ammunition, fishing tackle & c is dually displayed in the front shop while the rear is a commodious workroom. The second story will be let for offices. The building recently occupied by Mr. Eggers, corner of Water and Centre Street is to be fitted up in nice style by Charles De Wolf and will be occupied by Mr. J.A. Beauvais, banker and broker." The Eggers family was to remain in business on William Street for the next forty years. Selmar Eggers was born in Germany in 1834, the son of Henry Eggers. By June 26, 1856 the day of his marriage to Emilline W. Long, daughter of Captain George R. Long of Nantucket, Eggers was living in New Bedford. Emelline and Selmar had at least two children that we know of, George and Selmar Jr. in 1895 Selmar retired turning the gun shop over to son, George. Eggers died at his home, 69 Tremont Street on September 26, 1898. he was 64 years, 4 months 6 days old. The listed cause of death was apoplexy. Emelline lived on until February 18, 1910. in 1895 George ran an elegantly illustrated ad in the City Directory. He billed himself then as a dealer in guns, revolvers, rifles, fishing tackle, bicycles, dynamite, blacking and sporting powder. He also offered to do light machine work and all kinds of jobbing repairs. George A. Eggers was born 1861. on February 12, 1890 he married Laura E. Davis, daughter of James and Lydia. He died September 8, 1925 and his New Bedford times obituary opens by mentioning that he was "long a gunsmith" and a member of the old New Bedford and Paskamansett Gun Clubs. It goes on to say that "following his father he became an authority in hunting game. He was a trap shooter of ability and participated in a number of shoots held on Slocum Road about 1907." Eggers was also active in the Odd Fellows Vest Lodge. His wife, Laura survived him.

    There is a photo of his premises in this document, (Figure 80) http://www.nps.gov/history/history/o...s/nebe/clr.pdf
    I collect vintage Japanese air rifles & vintage Japanese pellets
    Information sought about antique firearms with Japanese markings, do you have one ?

  3. #3
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    Sep 2013
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    airway heights
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    Bingo

    That's definitely the gun mine does not have the octagonal barrel but is also .25. Mine is stamped in the pullback lever ,but definitley the same maker/time period.Thank you so very much.

  4. #4
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    Sep 2013
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    Thank you very much

    The information you provided was great. I was surprised at how fast you identified the gun.Thank you very much.I do not know of any japanese airguns in this area but will definitely keep an eye out.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2006
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    rustington/littlehampton,riviera of the south
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    reply

    hi George,just a thank you for an informative piece and time taken to post it;i guess it was one of those many interesting gallery pieces they loved
    to turn out over the water; fascinating to consider he was setting up around the middle of the civil war;interesting times!.
    [FWB124s]-[ORIG45]-[relum rescue ctr]
    I CAN RESIST EVERYTHING EXCEPT AN FWB,

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
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    London
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    Quote Originally Posted by red bob View Post
    hi George,just a thank you for an informative piece and time taken to post it.
    I appreciate that Bob. I think the gun is an interesting piece of history, and looking at the photo in Julia's auction I wouldn't mind owning one.
    I collect vintage Japanese air rifles & vintage Japanese pellets
    Information sought about antique firearms with Japanese markings, do you have one ?

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