"IDEAL" 12 gauge Single Shot Shotgun

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Gobbler
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Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 10:04 am

"IDEAL" 12 gauge Single Shot Shotgun

Post by Gobbler »

About 20 years ago, my mom bought me an "IDEAL" 12 Gauge Single Shot Shotgun at a garage sale. I took it to my local gun dealer to find out if it was a "shooter" as I would like to use it for turkey hunting. My gun dealer advised that the "IDEAL" shotguns were bought out by Marlin Arms Corporation prior to 1870. I now will not shoot it.

I have searched the Internet and all gun collectors magazines. I can find NOTHING about "IDEAL" shotguns. It has the word "IDEAL" stamped on the barrel and "IDEAL" on the buttplate. There are NO OTHER MARKINGS.

Does anyone know details about "IDEAL" Shotguns? Thank you.
Regnier (gunrunner)
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Re: "IDEAL" 12 gauge Single Shot Shotgun

Post by Regnier (gunrunner) »

Gobbler;

Your gun dearler is wrong. The only "Ideal" associated with the Marlin Firearms Company or any other Marlin organization was the Ideal Manufacturing Comapy that Marlin acquired in 1910. The Ideal Manufacturing Company was mostly into reloading equipment such as bullet molds, reloading tools, etc. The Marlin Arms Corporation sold the Ideal business in 1916 to Phineas Talcott who in turn sold it in 1925 to the Lyman Gun Sight Company.
Marlin was not making any long guns in 1870, only handguns. Marlin did not make any long guns until 1875, and they were the single shot Ballard rifles. The only shotgun Marlin made prior to 1898 were a few smoothbore Model 1881's listed as "shotguns" in the records, which were really just a smoothbore lever action repeating rifle. In 1898, Marlin introduced a pump action, exposed hammer repeating shotgun.
Like you, I cannot find any reference to the "Ideal" shotguns. But know, they were not made by Marlin. I do have a few other places to look, so check in from time to time.......
Due to the increasing cost of ammunition, there will be no warning shot!

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Gobbler
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Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 10:04 am

Re: "IDEAL" 12 gauge Single Shot Shotgun

Post by Gobbler »

I have searched the internet and numerous old gun collector catalogs and still...............nothing on an Ideal 12 gauge single shot shotgun.

Can anyone give me ideas where else to look. Thank you. Gobbler (John G. Moisan)
Gry8ruth
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Re: "IDEAL" 12 gauge Single Shot Shotgun

Post by Gry8ruth »

Sorry to bring up an old topic. But I have an IDEAL SP 686 O/U 12GA that I am having immense trouble finding info on. Any uodates.?
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