Baker Batavia
- Category
- Shotgun
- Barrel
- 762 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.30 kg
- Introduced
- 1900
About
What it is, and why it matters
The Baker Batavia is a hammerless side-by-side double-barrel shotgun produced by the Baker Gun & Forging Company of Batavia and Syracuse, New York. Introduced around 1900, the Batavia line was the company's economical field-grade offering, including the twist-barreled Batavia Leader and the steel-barreled Batavia Special. Built on a break-action sidelock with double triggers and a top-lever break-open mechanism, the Batavia paired solid utilitarian construction with the craftsmanship that placed Baker guns alongside American greats like Parker, L.C. Smith, and Fox.
The Batavia models were the working-man's Baker double. At $21.75 in 1909, a Batavia Special represented roughly two weeks' wages for an average American laborer, yet still carried the fine fit and finish that has since made Baker guns prized by collectors who rank them with Parker, L.C. Smith, and A.H. Fox.
The Batavia Leader (introduced 1900) used Damascus twist barrels and listed at $25 in 1909; the Batavia Special used homo-tensile steel barrels and listed at $21.75. Damascus barrels were made until 1914. Dimensions are typical for a 30-inch-barrel 12-gauge field double; exact figures varied by order.
Specification
Everything measured
IdentityWhat it is, who built it and when.
- Manufacturer
- Baker Gun & Forging Company
- Category
- Shotgun
- Country
- United States
- Status
- Discontinued
- Produced
- 1900 to 1930
DimensionsAs issued, without a magazine or an optic.
- Barrel
- 762 mm
- Overall length
- 1168 mm
- Weight, empty
- 3.30 kg
ActionHow it cycles, what trips it, and what feeds it.
- Action
- Break action
- Firing mechanism
- Internal hammer
- Trigger
- Double trigger
- Capacity
- 2
MaterialsEach swatch is the material itself, not a colour chosen to stand for it.
- Frame
- Steel
- Barrel
- Steel
- Stock
- Walnut
- Finish
- Blued
BallisticsFrom the service cartridge, not a handload.
- Effective range
- 40 m
Trajectory
What the round does downrange
Solved from the muzzle figures and the bullet. The dashed rule is the effective range on the record, and the crosses are the steps the solver returned.
No load solved for this record yetThe flight path is computed from a cartridge and a bullet. This record has no ammunition filed against its chambering, so there is nothing to solve.
Features
What it has
What the record lists as fitted, drawn from the catalogue.
Side by side barrels
Hammerless action
Double triggers
Checkered walnut stock
Top lever break open
Standing
How it compares
Each figure against the firearms of the same type and cartridge that record it, or of the same type where that cartridge has too few. Positions are read to the nearest tenth.
| Measurement | This firearm | Median | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weightAmong 622 12 Gauge shotguns | 3.30 kg | 3.29 kg | Near the median |
| Overall lengthAmong 570 12 Gauge shotguns | 1168 mm | 1150 mm | Longer than about 60% |
| Barrel lengthAmong 650 12 Gauge shotguns | 762 mm | 711 mm | Longer than about 90% |
| Magazine capacityAmong 647 12 Gauge shotguns | 2 | 3 | Holds fewer rounds than about 70% |
Answers
Questions about the Baker Batavia
How much does the Baker Batavia weigh?
The Baker Batavia weighs 3.30 kg (7.28 lb) empty.
What caliber is the Baker Batavia?
The Baker Batavia is chambered in 12 Gauge.
How many rounds does the Baker Batavia hold?
The Baker Batavia holds 2 rounds.
How long is the Baker Batavia?
The Baker Batavia is 1168 mm (46.0 in) long overall, with a 762 mm (30.0 in) barrel.
Who makes the Baker Batavia?
The Baker Batavia is made by Baker Gun & Forging Company (United States). It was designed by William H. Baker.
When was the Baker Batavia introduced?
The Baker Batavia was introduced in 1900 and discontinued in 1930.
How does the Baker Batavia operate?
The Baker Batavia uses a break action, and its firing mechanism is internal hammer.
Compatibility
Which parts fit this firearm
Studio
Every part that mounts on this, resolved
Not a list the maker typed out: the answer comes from the mounts this firearm exposes and the interface each part needs, so it stays right when either one changes.
- Every part that mounts on any firearm in the catalogue
- Interface standards, platforms and fit overrides
- The same answers through the API and the MCP server
Requires a signed-in GunSpec account on the Studio plan. The answer is computed per part, so it is not part of the public record.
Provenance
What the record holds
Every figure above was taken from one of these pages. The confidence reflects how much of the record came from a page a claim can be checked against.
Provenance
Confidence in this record
60%
Stockists
Where to buy
Offers link straight to the shop. GunSpec never takes the order.
No shop has listed this firearm yet
Stock and prices come from the shops themselves. If you sell this firearm, you can list it and it appears here.
List a firearmMCP
Ask an assistant about it
The same record, reached the way a person asks for it rather than the way a program does.
Ask GunSpec
Works with
Point an MCP client at GunSpec and it answers from the catalogue rather than from memory. A free key covers the read tools.
API
The call that returns this record
The same fields, in the same units, from the same endpoint the page reads.
curl --request GET \ --url 'https://api.gunspec.io/v1/firearms/baker-batavia' \ --header 'X-API-Key: your_key'{ "id": "baker-batavia", "name": "Baker Batavia", "manufacturer": { "id": "baker-gun-forging", "name": "Baker Gun & Forging Company", "countryCode": "US", "foundedYear": 1887, "website": null, "logoUrl": null, "description": null, "status": null, "defunctYear": null, "stateOwned": null, "makesFirearms": null, "parentId": null, "predecessorId": null, "createdAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "updatedAt": "2026-06-21 23:00:46", "version": "70476c038193c5329ade98eb04032209e42e6ab9e48eb58e1994095f95313ea1" }, "category": { "id": "shotgun", "name": "Shotgun", "description": "Smoothbore firearms designed to fire shot or slugs" }, "country_of_origin": "US", "year_introduced": 1900, "barrel_length_mm": 762, "weight_empty_g": 3300, "action_type": "break_action"}