Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a Standard Arms Camp Model smoothbore slide-action combination rifle/shotgun manufactured between 1912-1914. This rare gun is chambered for 50-70 caliber buckshot or round ball, with collectors estimating fewer than 30 were made by Standard Arms and another 10 fabricated from components after the company closed.
Standard Arms Company operated out of Wilmington, Delaware and produced several innovative but commercially unsuccessful firearms. The Camp Model was designed as a wilderness survival gun that could handle both shot loads and single projectiles from the same smoothbore barrel. The marking “CAMP/50 CAL” on the barrel top identifies this variant. The 50 caliber smoothbore could fire buckshot for small game and birds, or a round ball for larger game. This versatility made sense for trappers, prospectors, and wilderness travelers who wanted one gun that could handle multiple hunting situations. The slide-action mechanism was reliable and simple to operate.
Standard Arms struggled financially throughout its existence. The company introduced several interesting designs including gas-operated rifles and this Camp Model combination gun, but none achieved commercial success. Standard Arms closed around 1914, and remaining parts were sold off. Some individuals assembled additional Camp Models from purchased components, which explains the estimated 10 guns built after the company shut down. The Camp Model’s production numbers stayed extremely low even during Standard Arms’ operation. The concept was sound but the market for specialized wilderness guns was limited. Most buyers preferred dedicated rifles or shotguns rather than combination arms.
Fewer than 40 Camp Models are believed to exist today across both company production and post-closure assembly. This makes any surviving example extremely rare in firearms collecting. Standard Arms Company’s failure meant most of their innovative designs disappeared into obscurity.
Most of our POTDs utilize images from our friends at Rock Island Auction Company, the premier firearms auction in the United States. Take some time to browse their current auctions – who knows, maybe you’ll find a piece of history to take home!
“Rare Standard Arms Camp Model Smooth Bore Slide Action Combination Rifle/Shotgun.” Rock Island Auction, www.rockislandauction.com/detail/1049/1801/standard-arms-camp-model-smooth-bore-combination-rifleshotgun. Accessed 29 Dec. 2025.
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