1936. I have my fathers 16 gauge Ranger Sears and Roebuck Co. U.S.A now that he has passed on. He got it new in October of 1936 for his 16th birthday. Seral # 4991.
The Ranger was built between 1912-1936, yours would have been built around 1927.
The Stevens Model 520 was built on a Browning patent and so marked. Stevens also built the gun for Sears before World War II under the 'Ranger' tradename, so if you have a slide-action shotgun marked 'Ranger' and 'Browning Patent' then that is what you have.
The Ranger Model 30 was built by Stevens between 1904 & 1932.
Proofhouse.com has sn data. Your shotgun was built in 1927.
1972
Serial numbers 779456 thru 814121 were built in 1939 with a total of 34,666 built
Ranger 101.2 was sold by Sears and made by Savage (called the Savage 238). The dates are unclear, but some report they were made from 1935 to 1945 (others says longer for the Ranger). A good bolt action shotgun, fed by a magazine. Simple, reliable, well built shotgun.
Your serial number indicates that you have a winchester model 101 in 20gauge.This shotgun was made by winchester in 1966.
That model and serial number match a shotgun built in 1921. In that year there were 19,795 of the same model built. For that year the serial numbers started with 247459 and ended with 267253.
It means that your gun was built in 1997 in Japan.
1937
With the serial number that you have supplied,your Winchester model 1897,pump action shotgun was made in the year 1951.