🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Griffin and Howe New York....

[deedoubleyou]

My buddy found this yesterday and sent me a pic. The only things we've seen online is that Griffin and Howe was a firearms company in NY. But what the heck is this lol?

 

[Mackaydon]

Have you asked the company?

Griffin & Howe at Hudson Farm​

270 Stanhope Sparta Rd, Andover NJ 07821​

Tel: (973) 398-2670​

Some history:
In 1976, G&H was sold by Abercrombie & Fitch to longtime employee, Bill Ward. The company moved its headquarters to Bernardsville, NJ in 1987. Present management took over in 1989. In 1999, the company opened a location in Greenwich, CT and in 2003, a new Showroom and outfitting location in Andover, NJ alongside its Shooting School.
Souce: https://griffinhowe.com/history

Don in SoCal

 

[deedoubleyou]

Have you asked the company?

Griffin & Howe at Hudson Farm​

270 Stanhope Sparta Rd, Andover NJ 07821​

Tel: (973) 398-2670​

Some history:
In 1976, G&H was sold by Abercrombie & Fitch to longtime employee, Bill Ward. The company moved its headquarters to Bernardsville, NJ in 1987. Present management took over in 1989. In 1999, the company opened a location in Greenwich, CT and in 2003, a new Showroom and outfitting location in Andover, NJ alongside its Shooting School.
Souce: https://griffinhowe.com/history

Don in SoCal

Yeah I will probably send them an email and see if they know what this thing might be. It was found in VA.

 

[Blackfoot58]

Does the domed lid attach to the base, or set on top? Any chance of getting a picture from inside?

 

[Red-Coat]

No idea what that is, but it looks pretty heavy duty. Note that, during WWII, Griffin and Howe suspended production of civilian rifles, shotguns and associated accessories to produce other things for the military... including anti-aircraft gun triggers and "over 50 different parts for the American aircraft industry". Not necessarily used on or in aircraft.

Interested to see what the the company has to say.

 

[ToddsPoint]

James V. Howe was a noted gunsmith. I believe he was at the Springfield Armory before Griffin and Howe. I have volumes 1&2 of his books “The Modern Gunsmith”.

 

[deedoubleyou]

Does the domed lid attach to the base, or set on top? Any chance of getting a picture from inside?

It used to somehow rotate but isnt working that way now. He hasnt tried to open it. Still waiting for a response from Griffin and Howe. It would be cool to know what it was used for.

 

[Blackfoot58]

The thick base and large mounting holes makes me think it needed a firm solid base. I wonder if it dealt with brass polishing. However I don’t see how it would work exactly. Very interesting piece.

 

[Red-Coat]

It used to somehow rotate but isnt working that way now. He hasnt tried to open it. Still waiting for a response from Griffin and Howe. It would be cool to know what it was used for.

I was assuming that it used to rotate/swivel and wondered if it might be some kind of gimbal/bearing related to aircraft or anti-aircraft gunnery. Those kinds of things would usually be made from phosphor bronze though, and the way it has corroded doesn't suggest that,

 

[nagant]

Maybe a shooting rest but one ear broken off, top would have been padded originally. OR bench mounted action or stock holder for gunsmithing.

 

[EKG]

maybe a cannonball mould

 

[Sandog]

Looking forward to the follow up on this one. Could it be that the top piece rotated and the middle piece moved as if the bottom piece was a ball socket, thus allowing maximum movement.

 

[ToddsPoint]

I looked through Howe’s books in hope of seeing it but it wasn’t there.

 

[deedoubleyou]

I have not heard back from Griffin and howe yet but I sent an email to a info@ type of address. I'm going to try again tomorrow when I'll have more time. My friend who found it is going to try to get more pics and see if he can get parts to move. No idea but this thing is interesting for sure.

 

[deedoubleyou]

I got an email response this morning from their Gunsmith shop foreman and here is what he said:

If i’m not mistaken this is a stand for mounting a trap. It’s a ball joint type of arrangement allowing the clay thrower to be positioned In a variety of orientations.

We have an example here at G&H. I’ll try to snap a picture and send it to you.

If you wish to dispose of it I’m sure someone here would be interested. It’s a cool piece of company history.

 

[Tpmetal]

love how they used the words dispose of instead of sell.

 

[Sandog]

I got an email response this morning from their Gunsmith shop foreman and here is what he said:

If i’m not mistaken this is a stand for mounting a trap. It’s a ball joint type of arrangement allowing the clay thrower to be positioned In a variety of orientations.

We have an example here at G&H. I’ll try to snap a picture and send it to you.

If you wish to dispose of it I’m sure someone here would be interested. It’s a cool piece of company history.

Well , I got the action right, just not even in the ballpark as far as purpose. If your buddy doesn't "dispose" of it he could have a unique lawn ornament.