Needing Info please

Question
I need some information on an old handgun. It is a single shot, break down, you pull the trigger assembly back and it will break down, just like a single shot shotgun. The wooden pistol grip is nicely checkered, and has a cobra snake, coiled  up on both sides, may be silver? On the bottom of this wooden stock is printed 905 and then a U. Barrel length is 113/4" long and it is 18" over all in length. Top of barrel LUKO INC., Albany Ga., Right side of barrel 44 CAL. BALL, Left side of barrel MODEL B-300/1. Bottom of receiver  MADE IN BRAZIL. Each side of the Receiver has the same marking. A sort of  engraving with a Big Capital B and across this B is written, bolto or boito. On top of this B in real small letters is marcareg and under the B is IND  BRAS.  Thanks厖Mike

Answer
Mike,

OK, I am going to give this a whirl.  I should state right up front that this question is taken word for word from the February 2008 edition of the Cornell Publications newsletter.  It didn't get much of an answer there when the original question was asked by Aubrey Holcombe.

So, if this is a test, I'll do the best I can.

Boito was a Brazilian manufacture of sporting arms, primarily shotguns.  They started in 1955, shipped their first double barrel model in 1962 and their first Over/Under in 1972.  For a number of years they were the only company that produced shotguns in South America.  The guns they built were inexpensive and utilitarian in nature.  They are not considered to be collectable.  The owner of the Boito brand is E.R. Amantino.  You can visit their website at:  www.eramantino.com.br

The B-300 was a single shot pistol.  It was originally designed as a 'hand shotgun'.  From the description you provide, it looks like they made one in .44 caliber as well.  That is probably where the /1 comes in after the 300.

If they tried to import a short  barrel shotgun after the National Firearms Act of 1934, it would have been illegal.  I suspect they put a rifled barrel on the gun and sold it as a pistol.

There is no record that I can find on any Luko, Inc., but I suspect they were the importer.  F.I.E. in Hialeah, FL was a large importer of Boito shotguns, but they were probably not exclusive.

That's about all I can tell you...

Best regards,

Doug