Blackpowder Posted May 30, 2018 Report Share Posted May 30, 2018 My first gun before graduating to a single folding 12 bore was a 9mm garden gun scrounged from an uncle. Long since given the hacksaw treatment the barrel was under legal length and it sported a fixed rear sight and blade foresight. Stamped on the barrel was the makers name, 'Acme' , shades of road runner here perhaps. By chance for a while I also had a bolt action 12 bore someone saved from a farm scrap heap which was my on board the boat gun. It also bore the legend Acme and went to a watery grave when it became mandatory to register shotguns. I know the 9mm was pre-war and had been used with solid ball ammo in the past but who made them? Were they imports or was there a Birmingham factory pumping out those cheap and rather crude guns? Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJsDad Posted May 31, 2018 Report Share Posted May 31, 2018 (edited) Your question concerning guns with name `Acme` rung a bell, but I could`nt immediately put my finger on where I saw the name. However, now having had a browse through some of my books I can give you some information; but as is often the way with this sort of question, the answer is not straight forward and as you no longer have the gun its virtually impossible to be sure where it orginated from. In the first instance, Nigel Browns book `British Gunmakers` does not list `Acme` as a maker; but does identify it as a `brand name`. It was apparently used by Eley Bros as a cartridge name and by two Gunmakers, C S Rosson (Norwich) & Thomas Woodward (Birmingham) as a model name on some of their guns. I can find nothing further linking the name `Acme` to Rosson. Geoffrey Boothroyd`s book Shotguns & Gunsmiths the VIntage Years does provide a bit more detail, and notes that The Woodward Gun (Acme) was sold in several grades by J Beatie & Co in London circa 1882. The lowest quality was called the Community Gun and was listed as suitable for export in that it could be repaired by an unskilled person. All of these guns were evidently hammerless doubles, which doesnt appear to fit your description. A quick browse on the web also throws up the name `Acme` used on Belgian guns, these apparently were the lower grades where the maker wanted to disguise its origins or dis-associate himself from what was probably an inferior (low grade) gun. From your description, I think it likely that they were imported from Liege as there is no mention by Boothroyd of the name being used on single barreled guns from Woodward. Edited May 31, 2018 by JJsDad Spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunman Posted May 31, 2018 Report Share Posted May 31, 2018 (edited) Chuck Jones long time producer of Bugs Bunny claimed to have registered the name of "The ACME CO." with the tag line of "We make great ACME's". Dont think they ever made guns but Elmer Fudd must have bought one somewhere ?. Quick Google search comes up. F Dumoulin used it . It was also a trade name of Cromwell Hardware of New York on guns built by Stevens . It seem to have been a well used axiom meaning peak or pinnacle and I'm sure I've seen it on cartridges . Edited May 31, 2018 by Gunman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matone Posted May 31, 2018 Report Share Posted May 31, 2018 Had a whistle by them........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpowder Posted May 31, 2018 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2018 Thanks all I think the Belgian thing is the most likely. After I made the post I googles Acme and got mainly whistles- but before the advent of washing machines most homes boasted an,'Acme' wringer. Blackpowder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJsDad Posted May 31, 2018 Report Share Posted May 31, 2018 38 minutes ago, Gunman said: I'm sure I've seen it on cartridges . Yep, Eley Bros used it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted May 31, 2018 Report Share Posted May 31, 2018 J Hudson & Co make Acme whistles still in Birmingham https://www.acmewhistles.co.uk/ I doubt they ever made/sold guns, but in the Birmingham trade, anything is possible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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