Syracuse Arms Company
A former Syracuse, New York firearms manufacturer best known for its double-barrel shotguns.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Syracuse Arms Company was a firearms manufacturer based in Syracuse, New York, active from the late nineteenth century until the first decade of the twentieth century. Its principal products were double-barrel sporting shotguns, particularly hammerless guns offered in multiple grades and gauges. The company is associated with the Hollenbeck shotgun, designed by Frank A. Hollenbeck, and with the later Syracuse-branded version of that design. The company was incorporated in 1893 and began producing a double-barrel shotgun marketed as “The Hollenbeck.” Advertising emphasized a relatively simple mechanism, claiming that the gun contained fewer parts than comparable firearms. Hermann Boker & Company of New York served as a broker for at least some of the company’s advertising and distribution activity. Hollenbeck left the company in July 1895, and the product was renamed “The Syracuse” in 1896. That name remained associated with the company’s principal shotgun through the end of production. Syracuse Arms concentrated on double guns rather than rifles, pistols, or repeating shotguns. Until late 1904, its production was focused on hammerless double-barrel models. These were sold in a broad range of grades, from Grade 00 and Grade 0 through higher-grade offerings including Grade A-1 Special Trap, Grade B, Grade C, and Grade D. The Grade D represented the top of the range and was listed at $475 in 1904, while the lower-priced hammer model was offered in a single grade and 12-bore configuration at $24. The hammerless line was available in 10- and 12-gauge forms, with 16-gauge guns appearing in 1901 and 20-gauge guns in 1902. Syracuse guns were also sold under the trade name “New Era.” That name was used on some hammerless double guns made by Syracuse Arms and also appeared on products associated with Baker Gun Company, creating a potential identification problem for collectors. Syracuse hammerless guns used a serial-number sequence beginning at 1 and extending into the 39,000 range. The company’s hammer guns used a separate sequence with an H prefix, beginning at H1 and apparently extending into the H2,000 range. Simmons Hardware Company of St. Louis acquired Syracuse Arms in April 1905. Some additional firearms were produced afterward and sold through Simmons Hardware’s sporting-goods department, but surviving evidence indicates that dedicated advertising for the Syracuse gun ceased around the time of the sale. Production ultimately ended by 1908. The company’s surviving firearms are now primarily of historical and collector interest, especially because of their varied grades, serial-number ranges, and connection to the Hollenbeck design.
History
Syracuse Arms Company was an American firearms manufacturer located in Syracuse, New York. The company produced firearms from approximately 1888 until 1908, although its formal incorporation occurred in 1893. Its manufacturing identity was closely tied to double-barrel shotguns rather than to a broad catalog of firearms. The company’s earliest prominent product was the Hollenbeck shotgun, named for its inventor, Frank A. Hollenbeck. Syracuse Arms promoted the gun as mechanically straightforward, with period advertising highlighting its comparatively small number of parts. Hermann Boker & Company, a New York firearms broker, handled at least some brokerage and advertising work for the product. Hollenbeck resigned from Syracuse Arms in July 1895. In 1896, the company changed the shotgun’s name to The Syracuse, and that name remained in use for the remainder of the company’s principal production period. Syracuse Arms made double guns in both hammerless and hammer configurations. The hammerless guns formed the core of the product line and were offered in numerous grades, including Grade 00, Grade 0, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade A, Grade A-1 Special Trap, Grade B, Grade C, and Grade D. This grading system allowed the company to serve different levels of the sporting-gun market. Grade D was the most expensive listed grade, with a 1904 retail price of $475. Hammerless guns were offered in 10 and 12 gauges; 16-gauge examples appeared in 1901, followed by 20-gauge examples in 1902. The company also produced a hammer-model Syracuse gun. It was offered in only one grade and in a 12-bore configuration, with a listed retail price of $24. Unlike the hammerless models, the hammer gun was not cataloged as a normal model line. The 1904 Syracuse pocket catalog nevertheless included a folding insert devoted to it. The hammer and hammerless guns used separate serial-number systems. Hammerless guns began at serial number 1 and are known into the 39,000 range, while hammer guns carried an H prefix and appear to have continued from H1 into the H2,000 range. Some Syracuse hammerless guns were sold under the trade name New Era. The same trade name was also applied to certain hammerless double guns made by Baker Gun Company, which can complicate attribution. Serial-number evidence is therefore important when distinguishing Syracuse-made New Era guns from similarly named Baker products. In April 1905, Syracuse Arms Company was sold to Simmons Hardware Company of St. Louis, Missouri. Production did not necessarily stop immediately: additional guns were made after the transaction and distributed through Simmons Hardware’s sporting-goods department. However, no later advertising promoting the Syracuse gun has been identified after April 1905 in the cited reference material. Manufacturing ended by 1908, leaving the company as a defunct maker whose guns are now encountered mainly in the collector and historical firearms market. Its importance rests on the surviving double guns, the Hollenbeck design connection, the extensive grade system, and the documentation provided by its serial-number sequences and period catalogs.
- 1908
Production ends
[1]The company’s firearms production ended by 1908.
- 1905
Acquired by Simmons Hardware
[1]Simmons Hardware Company purchased Syracuse Arms in April, after which some additional guns were sold through its sporting-goods department.
- 1904
Pocket catalog documents the hammer model
[1]The 1904 pocket catalog included a folding insert for the uncataloged hammer-model Syracuse gun; the same period also documents the company’s graded hammerless range.
- 1902
20-gauge hammerless guns introduced
[1]Syracuse hammerless doubles became available in 20 gauge.
- 1901
16-gauge hammerless guns introduced
[1]The company’s hammerless double-gun range expanded to include 16-gauge examples.
- 1896
Hollenbeck shotgun renamed The Syracuse
[1]The company adopted The Syracuse as the continuing name for its principal shotgun after Hollenbeck’s departure.
- 1895
Frank A. Hollenbeck resigns
[1]The inventor associated with the company’s original shotgun left Syracuse Arms in July.
- 1893
Company incorporated
[1]Syracuse Arms Company was incorporated and began production of the double-barrel Hollenbeck shotgun.
- 1888
Production period begins
[1]The company is reported as having produced firearms from approximately 1888, before its formal incorporation in 1893.
Products and positioning
A specialist American sporting-arms maker positioned around double-barrel shotguns, with a range of grades spanning relatively accessible sporting guns to elaborately finished high-grade models.
Double-barrel shotgun · 1893
The Hollenbeck
The company’s original named shotgun, designed by Frank A. Hollenbeck and produced after Syracuse Arms was incorporated. Period advertising presented it as a comparatively simple double gun with relatively few parts. After Hollenbeck left the company in 1895, the product was renamed The Syracuse.
Double-barrel shotgun · 1896
The Syracuse
The principal Syracuse Arms shotgun name from 1896 onward. The company produced it primarily as a hammerless double in multiple grades and gauges, with a separate hammer configuration also offered. The line represented the company’s core sporting-firearms business through the end of production.
High-grade hammerless shotgun
Syracuse Grade D
The highest listed grade in the company’s hammerless double-gun grading system. It occupied the top end of the Syracuse range and was listed at $475 in 1904. The grade system distinguished Syracuse guns by market level and finish rather than by a completely separate basic design.
Hammer double shotgun
Syracuse hammer model
A single-grade, 12-bore hammer double offered by Syracuse Arms at a listed retail price of $24. It was the only Syracuse model not normally cataloged, although the 1904 pocket catalog contained a folding insert dedicated to it. Hammer guns used a serial-number sequence with an H prefix.
Trade-name hammerless double shotgun
New Era
A trade name applied to some Syracuse hammerless double guns. The name was also used on certain Baker Gun Company guns, so attribution requires attention to serial numbers and other identifying features. Syracuse New Era examples fall within the company’s documented hammerless serial-number range.
Brand decisions
1905
Sale to Simmons Hardware CompanyM&ABackground
Syracuse Arms operated as a specialist shotgun manufacturer with a documented range of graded double guns.
Action taken
The company was sold to Simmons Hardware Company of St. Louis in April 1905.
Aftermath
Some additional guns were produced and sold through Simmons Hardware’s sporting-goods department, but dedicated Syracuse advertising is not documented after April 1905. Production ended by 1908.
1896
Rename the principal shotgunStrategyBackground
Frank A. Hollenbeck resigned from Syracuse Arms in July 1895, creating a reason to move away from a product name tied directly to the departing inventor.
Action taken
The company renamed the Hollenbeck shotgun The Syracuse, and continued using the new name through the remainder of production.
Aftermath
The Syracuse became the company’s enduring principal shotgun designation.
Recent events
- 1905
Simmons Hardware acquires Syracuse Arms Company[1]
M&A
Simmons Hardware Company of St. Louis purchased Syracuse Arms in April 1905. Some further guns were sold through Simmons Hardware’s sporting-goods division.
- 1896
The Hollenbeck is renamed The Syracuse[1]
Product generation
Following Hollenbeck’s departure, the company renamed its principal shotgun The Syracuse, a designation retained through the end of production.
- 1895
Frank A. Hollenbeck leaves Syracuse Arms[1]
Leadership change
Frank A. Hollenbeck, whose design was associated with the company’s first major shotgun, resigned in July 1895.
- 1893
Syracuse Arms Company incorporated in New York[1]
Other
The company was incorporated in 1893 and commenced production of its double-barrel Hollenbeck shotgun.
Sources1 sources
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