NATIONAL FIRE ARMS CO. SHOTGUN ??

[BUSSMAN69]

Can someone please educate me as to what exactly is a "National Fire Arms Co." shotgun ?? This is a new one on me. And "Fire Arms" is two words. The one I am looking at is in 16 gauge and looks like a 100% Marlin gun through and through to me. The top receiver tang is clean with no roll stamp. It has a 4 digit serial number with an "A" prefix. And the only markings on it Is a star followed by "NATIONAL FIRE ARMS CO." and then another star. On the barrel just ahead of the "16 GA" stamping on the left side. And the buttplate is a Marlin but it says "NATIONAL" across the bottom where MARLIN should be. And it has "16 GA" on the barrel just ahead of the receiver just like a MARLIN. So is this basically a Model 16 that was made by Marlin as a HOUSE gun for a certain hardware chain or something along those lines ??
A Google search showed some old threads on this forum and also on the GUNBOARDS forum as well. But conflicting information with one person saying that it was made by Marlin and generic branded and another guy saying that it was made by National Fire Arms Company and NOT by Marlin. I would tend to believe that it had to be made by Marlin, as it obviously is a Marlin shotgun through and through. in my opinion. Can somebody please further educate me on this ? Thanks.

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Bussman69;

The National Fire Arms Company guns were made by Marlin for the H & D Folsom Company of New York city. They in turn sold guns to other gun sellers around the country. H & D Folsom sold a number of name brand guns under different names to gun sellers.
We really have no serial number information regarding what Marlin was doing with H & D Folsom or any other private brand companies at that time when this shotgun was made.

[BUSSMAN69]

Thank You for that information. So is this basically a Marlin Model 16 then ? Did Marlin take any shortcuts to cheapen the guns up that they made for the Folsum Company ? Or are the National Fire Arms Company guns the same quality as the ones with the Marlin name on them ? Are they the exact same gun except for the markings ?

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Bussman69;

Yes, this would be a Marlin Model 16. At that time, Marlin made quality products, and they would have continued to do so for any of the private brand guns. Reputation was everything then.
As far as quality goes, there may have been a lesser grade of wood used, as Marlin would have had to do something to help keep the price down to the private sellers so they could in turn make a profit. They may have shipped the guns in bulk or not test fired the guns like they did their own products. I am sure they did something to help cut the cost of production on these items.

[BUSSMAN69]

Once again, Thank You for that information. I am a long time Marlin collector, mostly of the lever guns. But this was a new one on me. Had never heard of the National Fire Arms Company guns before. So was it only on shotguns that Marlin did this ? Or are there other Marlin guns out there that were made for the private brand sector ?

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Bussman69;

There are other shotguns out there. There is "Rev-o-Noc" and "Chicago" made for Hibbard, Spencer & Bartlett Company of Chicago. Another is "Marswell" for the Marshall Wells Company of Duluth, Minnesota.

[BUSSMAN69]

Ok, well thank you again for sharing your knowledge with me on this. I had no idea that Marlin had done this. I know that other gun makers have done this as well. When I was a kid, my first 12 gauge was a "Western Field" pump shotgun. But it actually was a Mossberg Model 500. Made for Montgomery Wards with their brand name on it. I will keep an eye out for these other brand names as well. I have also been reading the section on pump shotguns in Brophy's book. But haven't come across any mention of these private brand names. I don't know if he touches bases on this subject or not ?

[Regnier (gunrunner)]

Bussman69;

Check back in the "Expanded Glossary" section of Brophy's book, pages 614 to 620.

[BUSSMAN69]

Well thanks again for that information on where to look in Brophys book. There is a wealth of information in that Expanded Glossary section of the book. On the Private Brand Name guns and just about everything else you would ever want to know.