Shotguns

I was looking for the same, and I came upon a site that said it is worth about a $100.00 in most areas, not very appealing to collectors, apparently it was made around 1950, chicopee falls plant closed in 1960, and was made sometime after WWII. sorry no more info on this subject.

1949-1955

yes they did make this gun, I have one of my own Wilmot Gun Co was a trade name sold in the US, but the actual manufacturer was Henri Pieper or Anciens Etablissments Pieper(1877-1957) in Belgium. With damascus barrels and external hammers, the gun was probably made c 1885-1900.

I did a google search for J. Stevens Arms and found they had been bought years ago by Savage Arms. I called Savage today and they gave me a number in Florida of a company that does that "old gun" repair etc. I called the Florida store. They were helpful and seemed knowledgeable.

Here is their info:

The Small Arms Shop 352-637-4770 Savageparts.com http://www.savageparts.com

The website has other info of course.

Jim Kelly

Quoting from the Standard Catalog of Firearms - Collectors will find a date code stamped on every double-barrel shotgun in the Stevens brands produced between March 1949 and December 1968. Usually, it is behind the hinge pin or ahead of the triggerguard on the bottom of the frame. It will appear as a small circle containing a number and letter. The letters correspond to the years shown in the following table. Significance of the numbers is not known. A-1949 B-1950 C-1951 D-1952 E-1953 F-1954 G-1955 H-1956 I-1957 J-1958 K-1959 L-1960 M-1961 N-1962 P-1963 R-1964 S-1965 T-1966 U-1967 V-1968.

I have a bolt action 6 shot 16ga. I paid $65 for it at a pawn shop. It has seen moderate use and remains a well functioning, useable gun. I have seen them in pristine condition for $100 at the most. It really depends on the model such as 583 1 to 583 25 were what are refered to a the Sears model 10 these guns espcially one 583 1 to 583 13 in good or better cond are twice what the later series 583 14 to 583 25 wich on average of 100.bucks However if your JC Higgins is 585 1100 583 1101 or 583 1102 the much improved Sears model 11 they will fetch more 125 bucks or more I would also like to add that sears has enacted a voluntary recall on all the JC Hggis 12 and 16 gauge bolt action shotguns. It seems that the pin that keeps the bolt from flying out can loosen and fall off. Thus when the shooter fires the gun, he's hit with the bolt HARD. They will give you a 50 dollar giftcard for sending them the bolt of the gun. Thus rendering the gun inoperable. You can keep everything else.

it was made in or around 1972

I recently acquired a J. Stevens Arms and Tool Co. Mod 520 12 Gage with Browning Pats # Feb. 7-1905, Aug. 27-1907, Some gun enthuse that I have spoken with say it is not worth much more than $150.00, it

The Hercules shotgun was made by Iver Johnson (not Stevens, which is a totally different company) from 1918-1943, although the Hercules name was dropped in the late 30's.

Value is totally dependent on condition. Is there any case color left on the receiver? Is the "good bluing" original, or a re-blue? What about the wood? "Some rust," especially if there is pitting, can be a real problem. "Condition" to a collector is original appearance, not shootability. What guage? The less common, the more valuable.

Still, a Grade 2 Ithaca double in 12 guage and 10% condition is still booked at $335.00. In 80% (assuming "some rust" means surface only), it is worth $800.00. Take the gun to a reputable gunsmith for an appraisal.

I can not give any information on the value of the gun but I did just acquire a similar gun and I just want to add some information; this was before they "blued" guns they were actually "browned" and my understanding of this is they would let the gun rust to a certain degree and then seal it. However many people who didn't know better sanded the rust off therefor ruining the original finish, I would strongly suggest leaving the finish alone. But as stated the best thing to do would be to take it to a dealer and see if the finish is original and get an approximate value from them. Also just so you're aware this model of gun is a Damascus Twist and if you're unsure what that is just ask, but the main point of this is don't ever shoot the gun as it could explode.

Excellent $150.00 Very good - $100.00 Good - $75.00

not exact, but anyhow you would have to know when the company started making them and how many they made per year

Yes, sometimes. But you also need to know the manufacturer and model number. oldguns.net has some date-of-manufacture data online. The Blue Book of Gun Values has a lot more. But some manufacturers seem to think that this should not be public knowledge and do not release their production data.

$85 to $156 depending on condition

This model gun "Knickerbocker"was made by several companies but most noteably "American Gun" around 1900--1930 in upstate New York. You can also see them in old reprinted Sears & Roebuck cataloques. Many parts are still available through Numerich Arms, also in uptate NY. I know this because I purchased one 15 yrs ago with a tight action but a broken rear stock for fifty. I had to have a gunsmith rebore it to 2 3/4" because all early 16ga shotguns were bored to 2 9/16" and many old 16ga barrels have failed when modern ammo is used. I then bought a partially finished stock, a few other parts and had a winter project. The gun came out nice and fires well. I have fired several hundred rounds through it since it's restoration without a problem.

However, these were never considered high value guns (note they are some of the least expensive in the old Sears cat.) and still are not to this day and I'm not sure why. They seem to be at least as well made as pre-war Fox or LeFever field grade shotguns that sell for much more, especially in 16ga. Now the bad news. I occasionally see them for sale in highly variable condition for a about a hundred for a project gun like mine to about four hundred in nice shape. I have recently seen a few for sale on GunTrader.com so you can check out my accuracy for yourself.

Hope this helped,

Mark S.

P.S. Someone keeps deleting the safety message in my answer concerning the length of old 16ga ammo and my opinion as to the value. I have had to retype it several times. PLEASE STOP IT. If you don't agree with my answer, post your own opinion and leave mine alone.

In 1968 the Gun Control Act, [aka: the GCA of 1968], was passed in the US. Part of the GCA of 1968 required that newly manufactured firearms be stamped/inscribed with a serial number by the manufacturer, and located on the receiver or frame. Firearms made before 1968 were not required to have a serial number and therefore most, [especially house brand and utility grade weapons], lack one, or if present might be found anywhere on the weapon. Now firearms made under contract for a military or government organization, etc. will almost definitely bear a serial number as most militaries & government agencies require one for records purposes, to keep track of who has what.

For further info on the 1968 GCA: http://www.atf.gov/pub/fire-explo_pub/gca.htm

your gun was made by Noble and is a model 60 or 66.make sure it is unloaded. release the pump and pull it rearward about 1 inch. unscrew the end cap of the magazine and remove the wood forearm. there may be a retaining washer under the mag screw that comes off with the cap or the forearm. inside the magazine under the cap is the shell stop, using a screwdriver or your finger, push it inside about 1\2 inch and give it a 1\4 turn and release the pressure. HANG ON ! THE SPRING AND STOP AND PLUG IF IT HAS ONE AND THE END CAP WILL COME OUT. if the last piece does not fall out turn the gun up and shake until it does. lay the pieces in the order they came out on your bench so you will remember how to put them back. the barrel should come forward out of the receiver and lay it to the side. this is usually enough for casual cleaning. press the slide activater bar rearward and open the action the rest of the way and clean the chamber, clean the barrel and the magazine tube and all parts. lubricate and return. if you want to go a little further without danger you can drive the two drift pins out located in the side plate of the receiver all the way through and remove the trigger group and clean lubricate and return. this is as far as you should go with out alot of experience with this type and model of shotgun. if you want to contact me via email i will scan and send an exploded parts view of your gun so you can see where everything comes from and goes back when you are done. good luck crystal@yellville.net

I don't really know the value of the J C Higgins 12 gauge shotgun as a colectable but I do know that Sears is offering $50 gift certificates for the return of the bolt to their offices. Apparently there was a voluntary recall of the bolt receiver and Sears will pay for the bolt to make the gun inoperable. CONTACT: Peggy Palter of Sears, 847-286-8309 Not all JC Higgins shotguns are affected by the recall. And the compensation is $160. * The shotguns were sold in Sears stores and through its catalog as the J.C. Higgins Bolt Action 12-Gauge Model 10 Shotgun during the 1950s. It was carried under a number of product numbers: 583.13, 583.14, 583.15, 583.16, 583.17, 583.18, 583.19, 583.20, 583.21 and 583.22. The product model number is engraved on the barrel of the shotgun. Consumers are advised to immediately stop using the shotgun. Call 800-817-9165 for identification verification and instructions on return procedures. If your shotgun is not one of these, it's value is about $75 to $125, depending on condition.

It could have been made anytime from shortly after 1900 to about 1945. wrong I have one that was made stamped dec 15 1891

Wrong dec 15 1891 is the date of the patent Guns were almost never stamped with an exact date of manufacture

Beebe shotguns were made by one of two two manufacturers. Harrington & Richardson Arms Company made them from 1871 to about 1975. Hopkins & Allen made shotguns from 1868 to 1915.

Go to greybeard outdoors and look at Savage forum under 340 - 325 - or 840 all of these models are very similar with slight variations - I have a 340 in 30-30 cal and an 840 in 30-30 cal Irecently got each in the past 2 months under $300 each. The 340 was made from 1950 to 1985, mine is a '54 vintage the 840 is newer and there is some variation. Some parts are available from Brownells and from Numrich - It appears these guns are also available in 222, 223, 225 and the model 342 is a 22 hornet http://www.graybeardoutdoors.com/phpbb2/forum-168.html

I have the same shotgun, but I do not know much about it. Most of the engraving is worn and I can't read anything more than to know it is from Sears. Do you have any information on this gun? Thanks

The 107B was the predecessor to the Model 94. Singleshot .410s are desirable compared with the larger gauges, but they're still only worth $75 to $175, depending on condition.

I collect Iver Johnson shotguns and would be interested in this if it's for sale. It was probably manufactured around 1910. Do not fire it as the barrel is not suitable for modern day smokeless powder. Many people have fired them succesfully with modern day ammo only to have them suddenly explode and crack after repeated firings. BE CAREFUL. I have one similar in 16ga. It was intended for a kids gun or a first gun. Don't dry fire it as the firing pins tend to break. Craig