N R Davis & Sons Shotgun: History, Value & Information

Question
My dad left me his  shotgun which was made by N R Davis & Sons  12ga. double barrel 30" lenght,  serial number is 31, I would say it is in good condition, I was wondering if you could supply any informaton about it and also an aprox. worth?  Thanks for any help you can offer.

Answer
NR Davis made percussion then cartridge shotgun from 1853 to 1917 when merged with Warner to form Davis-Warner. The were made in Norwich CT. N R Davis & Sons  makes yours
made after 1900. These did not serial numbers, so the 31 is likily a part number.
These were extremely well made utility grade shotguns.
It will have model name on it such as Hammerless, New Model, D.S.,
Davis Special, or Davis B.
Its worth $200 to $650 in good to very good condition depending on model.
Many gun in this period had Damascus steel barrel and are unsafe with modern ammo.