Need Help identifying old shotgun

[mcawful]

Ok fellers,
Here's the thing, When My Grandpa died in 85, he left all of the grandsons his guns. This is the one left to me.
Don't know anything about it. Just the words "Bridge City" on one side and
"patented Aug. 11, 1898" on the bottom of the barrel under the foregrip.
There's also "9179" stamped on the bottom of the barrel.
Supposedly this shotgun belonged to my Great Grandpa.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
No matter if it's rare or not, it's staying in the family. Going to my grandson when I pass on to that great treestand in the sky.

[mcawful]

Closer view...

[mcawful]

Only words on the gun....

[geoffh]

Just punched that into Yahoo and found someone's response to same question elsewhere:


Bridge Gun Co never made guns FOR anyone. Guns marked with this trade name were made for Shapleigh Hardware of St Louis by various arms makers. Shapleigh probably ordered each batch from whomever offered the lowest price since Bridge guns made by Harrington and Richardson have been ID from the same time period as the Stevens guns. Apparently the earliest were purchased through H&D Folsom, a large distributer in New York, and were made by Folsom's subsidiary, Crescent Firearms of Norwich, CT, and several Belgian manufacturers, as early as the 1880's.

Don't know how true this is, but it's something!

[mcawful]

Thanks, I found the same thing. But it says distinctly "Bridge City". Don't know if it's the same company or if an entirely different manufacturer.

[Rebel Hog]

Firearms History (When was my gun made? What about this maker?)
[blockquote]
Shotguns
[ul][*]Old Shotguns with outside hammers various names- Bay State, Bridge Gun Co, Crescent, Cannon Breech, Black Prince, etc.[*]Sporting Shotgun Questions [/ul][/blockquote]