Need help identifying shotgun...

[massnee]

This is a side by side double barrel shotgun I recently acquired from my 87 year old neighbor. This was either his dad's or his grandfather's shotgun (his grandfather was a civil war veteran).

The only marking on the shotgun I can find is:

J. STEVENS ARMS & TOOL CO. CHICOPEE FALLS MASS USA

There appears to be no serial number.

Can anyone give me some information about this firearm? When it was possibly manufactured?

Thanks

 

[mswestfall]

My gun book says: "J. Stevens Arms Company was founded in 1864 in Chicopee Falls, MA as J. Stevens & Co. In 1886 the name was changed to J. Stevens Arms and Tool Co. In 1916 the plant became New England Westinghouse and tooled up for Mosin-Nagant Rifles. In 1920 the plant was sold to the Savage Arms Corp. and manufactured guns were marked "J. Stevens Arms Co.""

From this I assume from this that your gun was made between 1886 and 1920.

It also says "Depending on the remaining Stevens factory data, a factory letter authenticating the configuration of a particular specimen may be obtained by contacting Mr. John Callahan.... The charge for this service is $15.00 per gun..." The address given is:
Mr. John Callahan
53 Old Quarry Road
Westfield, MA 01085

 

[massnee]

Thank you for the helpful information

 

[RobNDenver]

Mass,

Stevens often engraved the S/N on the receiver below the barrels. When you open it up you may find it. I have a Stevens double bbl .410 and the SN is also stamped on the mechanism that works the forearm. If you take off the forearm you may find the SN without having to open the breech. Stevens/Springfield uses a very strong spring on many of their models to hold the forearm on. Be careful putting it back in, or you may get a nasty blood blister when the forearm slams into place.

Nice looking old gun. . . You are not planning on shooting it are you, until you know what the barrels are made of?

 

[Okiecruffler]

Man, is that beautiful or what?

 

[DougW]

I was about to say "SWEET" myself. I love those old doubles.

 

[massnee]

Thanks for the help.

It is a nice shotgun...I will not shoot it.

 

[g.willikers]

What a beauty.
Wish we had a generous neighbor like that.
Did you have much trouble getting it away from him?
Some of them geezers are tougher than they look.

 

[Sistema1927]

Beautiful wood on that old gal.

 

[DougW]

As a result of this post, I dug out a Wilmont 12gauge double that my grandfather left me (with a bunch of other stuff) and I tore it down tonight to start a restoration. Dimascus twist barrels will prevent shooting, but when I get her cleaned and restored, I will post some pics. Barrel bores are perfect (this gun, along with a bunch of others, hung in my grandfathers garage in Houston for at least 15 years before I got them).