Found a oldie... Is it good or junk?

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Lightsped

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I found a oldie last night. It has been in my house for years. My uncle gave it to me and i simply forgot about it. The gun has alot of surface rust on the barrel, and needs a good overall cleaning.

All I know about this gun is that it is a "Easter Arms Company 101-1". This is stated on the left side of the receiver. On the right side of the receiver is a written "94b" in small text near the trigger guard. The text on the barrel is "Proof Tested 410 Bore, 3 inch Chamber", and "Selected Forged Steel".

The gun appears to be in working order.

So thats it. Thats all I know. Should I attempt to clean it up a bit? Should I just leave it be and forget about it? Does anyone recognize this particular make/model? Is it worth anything, or is it just junk?

myeasternarms101.jpg


myeasternarms101b.jpg


myeasternarms101c.jpg


myeasternarms101d.jpg
 
There was no Eastern Arms Co. Didn't exist. Eastern Arms Co. was a Store brand used by Sears and Roebucks, Sears sold firearms from who ever was the lowest bidder, the odds are it was made by Meridian Arms Co, Since Sears owned controlling interest in that firm. There has been some speculation that these arms were made by Iver Johnson, Perhaps but I don't think so, around that time Iver Johnson sued Sears for selling Iver Johnson firearms at a discount. Iver Johnson won the law suit but that meant they were no longer friends. You might compare it with the old Iver Johnson Champion. Your shotgun dates to around 1920, Junk? don't know, don't have it in my hands to look at but it has no collectors value and is a working gun. If it is tight it should be safe with light loads, no magnums. it's probable chambered for the 2 1/2 shell. If it was mine, I would hang it on the wall and lie about it. tell folks you great great grand pappy used it in the Civil War.:) Some of this iformation was stole from Bill Goforth , Author and Iver Johnson Expert.
 
It was made by Savage, I think for Sears if I remember right. Not particularly valuable or collectible in the condition you show. I'd oil it up well, but wouldn't touch it with steel wool, just a rough cloth and a soft brush on the worst areas (lightly). I'd recommend Collectors CLP. You should be okay to shoot it, but I'd have a gunsmith look it over first.
 
Looks almost identical to an old Savage/Stevens model 94 .410 that I've got in my closet (except mine isn't rusty). Probably minimal resale value, but a fun gun to shoot and mine took down quite a few grouse years ago.

Clean it up and either shoot it yourself or give it to a kid or small-statured adult to enjoy. Please don't let it just rust away!
 
Eastern Arms Company: Trade name used by the Sears, Roebuck and Company of Chicago on both shotguns and inexpensive revolvers made by the Iver Johnson Arms and Cycle Company
 
Chaw and Rom James gots it right. I just can not ever get it straight if the Iver Johnson shotties were copies of the Savage/Stevens models or the other way around.

It would be a nice .410 to play with, it has a 3" chamber and will handle modern shells.

I have worked over a few funs with rust like that.... two things you can try.

1) get yourself some nylon pantyhose from the drugstore... color does not matter if you are fashion conscious. Use clp on a bundled up pantyhose leg and rub the rust, wipe clean with a oily cloth and repeat until no more rust is coming up on the rag. You can use the finest steel wool on very tough spots... lightly rub dont and I repeat dont scour the steel.

2) do the same process with brass wool.... hard to find sometimes but works very well.
 
Just like mine.

My familiy's shotgun when I was young was an "Eastern Arms Company" special in .410 2 1/2". I dry fired it one too many times, resulting in a broken firing pin/retention screw. I rigged-up a temporary one using a trimmed nail and rubber band. I will have to get it fixed properly before my son (now almost 2) can shoot it in a few years.:)

On a side note, in my stupid youth, I did discover that a semi-rimmed .401 Winchester round fits very nicely in a .410 chamber- good thing I did not cock the hammer and fire it! :eek:
 
I have one of these,in worse condition than yours.They are a nice little gun.They are easy to clean up and the wood is genrally of good quality.Start off with some wire wool.Great little rabbit gun.
 
0000 grade steel wool & oil will take the surface rust off, and WILL NOT hurt whatever finish remains.

That's what is used to card off the residue when a gun comes out of the hot-bluing tank.

1224.jpg
rcmodel
 
Chawbaccer, The Standard Catalog of Firearms is a very good reference, however it does have several errors in it. The best source for Iver Johnson facts is Iver Johnson, Arms & Cycle Works Firearms 1871-1993. by W.E. Goforth. It is doubtful Sears sold any Iver Johnson firearms under the Sears Store brand of Eastern.:)
 
Those old trade brand shotguns

By the looks of that pot metal trigger guard it should be a Savage Mod 94.

The makers of trade brand shotguns

Savage/Stevens/Springfield

IverJohnson

Harrington and Richardson

Cresent

Hopkins and Allen

Meredin is mentioned but I believe they were the same line as either Cresent or H&A

They are all distinct in the there own way, but trying to prove it with a photo can make one go blind and still want more imfo!

All it took for someone or a store or chain to have there own Named model was to either buy the die for marking the naming or buy enough product for the manufacturer to make the die. That is why they are referred to as TRADE BRAND FIREARMS!

The other day I worked on a WesternField model 550 pump shotgun, one glance told me what parts drawer to reach into, with out looking at a crossreferrence guide anyone want to call it for what it really is?
 
Big Al,
My Western Field 846 .22 LR was a Mossberg 351C, so I'm going to guess your 550 pump was a Mossberg 500.

Lightsped,
I'd clean it up, get the ejector working, and shoot the thing. .410 singles are a lot of fun to play with.
RT
 
I can't tell for sure from the picture but it appears that the extractor/ejector is not functioning. Rusted internally?
Click to expand...

More detail please? I am not really knowledgable on these types of single shot shotguns.
 
extractor/ejector

The metal mechanism at the bottom of the barrel that extracts and ejects the shell when you break open the gun. It should give a distinctive *poink* sound when you open the gun and it pops up.:D
 
It looks for all the world like a Stevens Model 94 to me.
If the extractor/ejector plunger is so rust frozen that it won't operate, chances are when you get it freed up you will find that the plunger spring has rusted into pieces.

Spares are available and they are a fairly easy fix.

Check to see if it has a working firing pin too.
Many, many of these guns have been played with and dry nfired and it doesn't take too many hits on an empty chamber to send the firing pins into space.
Never dry fire a single barrel shotgun.

If you have a firing pin and you get the ejector mechanism working again,

Clean it up and shoot it.
Stevens are good, hard shooting guns and most hit point of aim.
 
As said, clean w/ lots of oil and NO HARSHER than 0000 steel wool. Wool/ cotton felt is fine, too.

Don't neglect the bore, but go easy. Resist the urge to over-clean. Get some oil (really, any kind) into the internals. DO NOT DRY FIRE W/O a snap cap (or once fired .410 hull with some stiff tape over the 'spent' primer).
Don't attempt to take it down 'all the way' or you will likely have a devil of a time putting it back together.

You have what was often a 'barn gun' for pests or a youth gun--lots of fun to knock around with and no worries about new dings or scapes--a winner in my book.
 
Iver Johnson 12 gauge

I also have a "sears gun" 12 gauge break action, same as in your picture, under the trade name Eastern Arms Co. The gun was given to me from my father years ago who obtained it after my grandfather died. It sat in dry closet for many years, luckily the wood remained in excellent condition and the barrel and receiver had some minor rust and dirt. Considering its condition and knowing I would never get rid of it, I decided to do something many would frown upon, I took auto rubbing compount and a dremel tool and started buffing the receiver and the barrel - and used a little solvent to clean up the wood. Two hours later, The barrel and receiver look brand new, like they were made from nickel, and the wood is flawless. Oiled it up and showed my buddies and they all told me it was the best thing I could have done to that gun, I occasionally take it to shoot trap and the guys at the club go nuts, its a real pleasure to look at and shoot. No regrets! By the way, I use this gun frequently for shooting back yard clays and I probably shoot better with it than my ithaca
 
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