texasred777
Member
I have a: 'J Stevens Arms Company, Chicopee Falls, Mass., USA. 20 gauge proof tested, Model 258A' bolt action shotgun with a two shot detachable mag. They were manufactured from 1937 to 1965. I believe that on the bottom of the barrell, in front of the receiver, is/are one or more numbers, letters, maybe a combination of both, that is the reference to the date of manufacture. The only things that I found are: a circle (about 1/8 inch in diamiter) on the left side of the barrell at about 9 o'clock, just in front of the receiver with three evenly spaced lines starting at the edge of the circle going out less than a sixteenth of an inch long; and on the bottom of the barrell, in front of the receiver are the letters: P.T.G.A. If anyone knows anything about this, please let me know. If I get no answers, I'll try John Callahan. The website for Savage/Stevens referred everyone with questions about older guns to him. Their site said that almost all contact with them would have to be by mail; that their email was full. I called customer service, got a recording and pushed the numbers when prompted. I was told to get in touch with John Callahan and given his address. When I pressed for operator, I was told goodbye. This happened three times. I haven't taken any pictures of this gun, but there are several shown at sales and auction sites on line. I should have taken some pictures before I took it all a part and started sanding the stock. It also needs bluing. Thanks for any help you can give me. Red
