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| Alex McComas 8 gauge, circa 1870s |
The Chesapeake Bay is
known historically as one of the greatest duck shooting grounds to have existed
in this country. Accounts of these “good
old days” are described in classic sporting books such as John Krider’s 1853
“Krider’s Sporting Anecdotes” and George Bird Grinnell’s 1901 “American Duck
Shooting”. Market hunting in this
mid-Atlantic region flourished from the 1850s to the early 1900s. However, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of
1918 ultimately put an end to the commercial sale of all wildfowl, forever changing
the livelihood of the Chesapeake Bay waterman.
Despite many new laws and regulations, some incredible gunning continued
at this waterfowler’s paradise through the mid-1930s.
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| Alex McComas 8 gauge, circa 1870s |
Tools of the waterfowling
trade, single and/or double barrel shotguns were in great demand by local market
hunters and wealthy sportsmen that pursued the great concentrations of
waterfowl on the Chesapeake, especially the Canvasback duck. Larger ducking guns such as 4, 6 and 8 gauge
muzzle loaders and breech loaders were used to bring down high flying ducks and
geese when gunning from point blinds or shooting directly into tightly grouped flocks
on the water. Smaller 10 and 12 gauge double
guns were used primarily when shooting over wooden decoy rigs for example,
gunning from shore blinds or in open water from a sinkbox. English shotguns from a wide variety of
makers were imported to meet the needs of east coast waterfowl hunters however,
a small number of American gun makers also provided for these needs for
example, John Krider of Philadelphia, Patrick Mullin of New York, David Kirkwood of Boston, and from
Baltimore, Maryland, Charles Sneider and Alexander McComas.
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| Alex McComas 8 gauge, circa 1870s |
Well known all over the
southern states and along the east coast, Alexander McComas was an early gun maker
and importer of a variety of firearms, sporting ammunition and other related
goods. Alexander McComas was born on
February 27, 1821 to Preston McComas and Hannah Gough at Southhampton Farm, Bel
Air, Harford County, Maryland. The United
States Federal Census of 1850 lists McComas living with his wife Mary and son
Edward at their home on East Fayette Street, Baltimore. Additionally, two young apprentice gunsmiths John
Clenney age 20 and Oscar Johnston age 14 also lived at the McComas residence. McComas began his trade in arms manufacturing
at the early age of 13, bound to gunsmith Charles C.C. O’Brien. McComas stayed with O’Brien for six years
before finishing up his remaining 3 years bound to an unknown gunsmith. McComas established his gun shop business on July
1843 at 51 South Calvert Street, Baltimore and later moved the shop to 22 South
Calvert Street (1884 - 1889). Early on McComas made muzzle-loading shotguns and later breech-loading shotguns of all gauges, the largest being a 4 gauge.
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| Alexander McComas 8 gauge breech-loading double barrel shotgun, showing mark on center rib. |
