Western Arms was a division of Ithaca. These guns were manufactured between 1929 and 1946.
Turn of the century
Western Arms shotguns Ithaca marked guns with the Western Arms trade name for Montgomery Ward and/or Sears Roebuck. Ithaca Gun Co. can be contacted via email at: info@ithacagun.com Office is located at: Ithaca Gun Company, LLC 901 Route 34B King Ferry, NY 13081 Phone: 315.364.7171 Fax: 315.364.5134/( THIS ANSWER IS TOTALLY INCORRECT. WESTERN FIELD WERE MONTGOMERY WARD GUNS PRODUCED BY STEVENS. WESTERN ARMS IS THE ECONOMY GRADE OF ITHACA PRODUCED 1929 TO 1941.)
Kessler Arms Corporation
want to know where the wedgeway arms company was and what one of their single shot shotguns would be worth
This name has been used by several companies, but most of the shotguns encountered with this name will have been made by Ithaca around 1930 - 1950. If your father only THINKS it is a century old, I would bet it is one of these. However if he KNOWS it is that old, I have found one listing that says the name was used by Bacon Arms but it does not say whether or not it was used on shotguns. All other references to Western Arms that I find are for handguns.
remington
Browning Arms
cresant arms
the best
Western Arms Company was a division of Ithaca that made inexpensive shotguns that appear identical to the Ithaca made Lefever Nitro Special from 1929 to 1946. Yours was made in 1932. Only 400 guns Western Arms Long Range Guns were produced that year, the worst of the Depression. Single trigger versions range fro $150 to $400 in useable to excellent condition.
The Riverside Arms Company was known for producing affordable shotguns, primarily in the early to mid-20th century. A Riverside Arms 12 gauge single barrel shotgun with serial number 482HL likely dates back to the 1930s or 1940s. Riverside shotguns were often made for the Western Auto Supply Company and are recognized for their reliability as utility firearms. For an exact age and more detailed history, consulting a firearms expert or reference for Riverside firearms would be necessary.
You will need to supply the serial numbers to your shotguns to get the age of your browning shotguns correctly.