Iver Johnson Champion

[ffuries]

This beat up old Iver Johnson Champion 12 Gauge shotgun belonged to my Great Grandfather it was passed on to my Grandfather, Father, me and now my oldest. Nothing special about it, but it put a lot of food on the table for them back in the day. It appears to have been made between the 40's and 50's no way to narrow the date down more. Serial is ICUF which translates as 2471 really simple formula for it. If I'm not totally brain dead it has a 32 inch barrel.

Formula for Serial Number:

FITCHBURG X
123456789 0

Receiver is marked:

Champion
IVER JOHNSON ARMS & CYCLE WORKS
FITCHBURG MASS, U.S.A.

Barrel is marked:

-12 GAUGE FULL CHOKE. BARREL AND LUG FORGED IN ONE

[ffuries]

Last picture:

[Junk Yard Dog]

Reminds me of my H&R 1900 Topper, one Remington I have from the 1890's, and a huge single shot called the Dreadnaught Model 1929 that is a 12 gauge made using a receiver and barrel blank intended for a 10 gauge, that one's got auto ejector that pops the shell right out on opening. Stevens made them for Montgomery Ward's in the 20's. Nice IJ

[SA1911a1]

I have that same Champion around here somewhere. That long barrel will bring supper out of the top of the tallest trees. They were/are good old guns. My Father in law put a lot of supper on the table with a single shot .12 ga. and a single shot .22.

I recently picked up an old Forehand in .16 ga. for nearly nothing. I don't know why, but it kicks like a mule.

[millman]

I have one just like that.

[ffuries]

I have one just like that.

You need to post it here.......

[ffuries]

I have that same Champion around here somewhere........

You need to post it here........

[millman]

I have one just like that.

You need to post it here.......

Scroll through this thread. I posted a pic on it. viewtopic.php?f=7&t=26914&p=376206&hili ... on#p376206

[ffuries]

I have one just like that.

You need to post it here.......

Scroll through this thread. I posted a pic on it. viewtopic.php?f=7&t=26914&p=376206&hili ... on#p376206

Cool, I like the receiver finish on yours. What time period is yours?

[millman]

Mamaw gave it to Papaw for Christmas 1946. It saw little use and has spent most of it's time in various closets over the years.

[ffuries]

Mamaw gave it to Papaw for Christmas 1946. It saw little use and has spent most of it's time in various closets over the years.

Does yours have letters or numbers for the serial number?

[millman]

Mamaw gave it to Papaw for Christmas 1946. It saw little use and has spent most of it's time in various closets over the years.

Does yours have letters or numbers for the serial number?

I will look when I get home.

[billybob123]

First duck I ever killed was with a 12 gauge single shot just like those. Don't know where the gun is anymore. I remember it was a drake blue winged teal and it lit near the decoys...dad handed me the shotgun told me how to hold and cocked back the hammer. I cut loose and killed him graveyard dead.....ok I was 7 years old and the gun flat out knocked me onto my back in the boat. I stood up crying because I was hurting so bad but the tears quickly faded as I held my first duck...that was 53 years ago this fall. Man I wish I knew where that old gun was....nowadays I use either my 1100 or my Wingmaster

[SA1911a1]

I have that same Champion around here somewhere........

You need to post it here........

Here you go, Mike. It took me two hours to find this one.....

The only markings, at all, on this gun is the word CHAMPION stamped on top of the barrel a little forward of the receiver (it is so faint I couldn't get a pic) and on the hard rubber butt-plate it looks like stylized Chum, possible Cham, but that may not be correct as it is very worn. No other markings, no Iver Johnson, no serial, no nothing....I does have a pretty nice Walnut stock....

EDIT: You made me get out the three-in-one oil and some 0000 steel wool. On the left side of the receiver I am able to resolve the stamp JOHNSON'S but nothing before or under. It appears that mine is a black powder gun made After 1901 and before 1909 (when they started using the Owl's head on the butt plate)

What is interesting is that this is not the Iver Johnson Champion shotgun I was looking for....I can not find the one I had in mind when I responded to your post and I may not still own it at all. As I recall, the other one had the owl's head butt-plate and stampings more like yours.

[ffuries]

I have that same Champion around here somewhere........

You need to post it here........

Here you go, Mike. It took me two hours to find this one.....

The only markings, at all, on this gun is the word CHAMPION stamped on top of the barrel a little forward of the receiver (it is so faint I couldn't get a pic) and on the hard rubber butt-plate it looks like stylized Chum, possible Cham, but that may not be correct as it is very worn. No other markings, no Iver Johnson, no serial, no nothing....I does have a pretty nice Walnut stock....

EDIT: You made me get out the three-in-one oil and some 0000 steel wool. On the left side of the receiver I am able to resolve the stamp JOHNSON'S but nothing before or under. It appears that mine is a black powder gun made After 1901 and before 1909 (when they started using the Owl's head on the butt plate)

What is interesting is that this is not the Iver Johnson Champion shotgun I was looking for....I can not find the one I had in mind when I responded to your post and I may not still own it at all. As I recall, the other one had the owl's head butt-plate and stampings more like yours.

Cool, for some damn reason I'm taking a liking to these old IJ shotguns.

This was the first gun my kids fired, they were in the 3rd (Daughter), 4th (Son), 6th (Son) grades. Gave them each a box of shells and told them to empty the box. The gun kicks, and it taught them to respect fire arms. Each of them came home with a bruised shoulder, but they enjoyed it, and got to share the experience with my father while he was still with us. 5 generations have fired it, and there was 3 generations that day shooting her. Awesome memory for my kids that is for sure! Hopefully I'll be around when my only grandson of 7 grandkids so far is old enough to shoot her.

[millman]

Mine has letters. CUHH 4755
It looks like yours except it has about 50% of the case colors left.

[ffuries]

Mine has letters. CUHH 4755
It looks like yours except it has about 50% of the case colors left.

Cool that could put mine in the late 40's atleast. I've got no ideal what the original reciever finish of mine was. It has looked this way since I inherited it in the summer of 1980. We had just gotten back from 3 years in Okinawa and we were just moving into base housing at Homestead AFB, FL. My grandparents came down from NC and brought my dads guns, and my grandfather presented me with the old gal.

[+dhic]

sa1911, Dad had an old excel 16 ga that would really kick. He shot high brass loads that would skin your nose. I have often wondered if dads gun had a 2 9/16 chamber. +dhic aka cliff

[BorisBadenov]

I inherited one too. It's in rough condition, though. It's number is: FRIF (1821). So probably made early-mid 1940's.

Iver Johnson Champion 1.jpg

[ffuries]

I inherited one too. It's in rough condition, though. It's number is: FRIF (1821). So probably made early-mid 1940's.

Iver Johnson Champion 1.jpg

I've noticed that the later ones like ours the handguard is rounded, unlike the older ones that look like a wedge.