First time poster, question about a couple of shotguns.

[GunPanda]

I have a couple of Stevens 520s, the one on top is a 12Ga from Montgomery Ward, and the bottom is a 16ga from Sears & Roebuck. The one thing I'm not 100% sure about is what range the year of manufacturing would have been on either one. Was hoping someone here would be able to help me more easily track this down. Thanks!

[Junk Yard Dog]

Pictures didn't make it. Sears Ranger, and Monty Ward Western Field, couple of blasts from the past. Your not going to get an exact date given that a series of disasters at Stevens ruined much of it's past records many years ago. Found that out when I looked up my own 520's. John Browning had a hand in it, and it was around for a long time, good guns. It would be easier if it was one of the military guns, at least that would provide the time period of the contract. There was some information online that went by the guns changing features to give a very general era when it might have been made, but nothing precise.

[GunPanda]

Pictures didn't make it. Sears Ranger, and Monty Ward Western Field, couple of blasts from the past. Your not going to get an exact date given that a series of disasters at Stevens ruined much of it's past records many years ago. Found that out when I looked up my own 520's. John Browning had a hand in it, and it was around for a long time, good guns. It would be easier if it was one of the military guns, at least that would provide the time period of the contract. There was some information online that went by the guns changing features to give a very general era when it might have been made, but nothing precise.

Ahh shoot, I previewed the images and everything. Well that's unfortunate for Stevens, do you know what features to look for to distinguish the general eras apart from one another? The 16ga was my Grandfather's bought for him by his dad, and was the only gun he kept after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, so it's always held a special place in my heart. I'll also try to attach the images again using a different link to see if it would help any.

[tomaustin]

must be a goose gun with that long barrel.............!!

[Junk Yard Dog]

Yes, the Stevens pump guns were working guns, they were priced within reach of most people, and were for putting meat on the table. Well built, they lasted for generations as we see here. I remember looking up the various differences in these as the years went by in its production, but I don't recall what web sites I found information on. It wasn't of great importance to me as I wasn't having any problems with the gun. My guess is mid 20's on the 12 gauge, and maybe 30's on the 16. I know they got pistol grip stocks around 1925, and checkering appeared sometime in the late 20's or early 30's. They are built like a tank.

[GunPanda]

Yes, the Stevens pump guns were working guns, they were priced within reach of most people, and were for putting meat on the table. Well built, they lasted for generations as we see here. I remember looking up the various differences in these as the years went by in its production, but I don't recall what web sites I found information on. It wasn't of great importance to me as I wasn't having any problems with the gun. My guess is mid 20's on the 12 gauge, and maybe 30's on the 16. I know they got pistol grip stocks around 1925, and checkering appeared sometime in the late 20's or early 30's. They are built like a tank.

Wow, that narrows it down a lot more than I could ever find, thank you so much! I totally agree as well, both of these shotguns have exceptional build quality, which I honestly don't think could be duplicated anymore. 3-4 generations later and they both run fantastically.

[WeldonHunter]

This is interesting. I have a Stevens 620 12ga a friend gave me years ago that had a problem with the elevator that I fixed. It had a spring that was out of place if I remember correctly. Had a heck of a time figuring out how it broke down. It's a really nice gun but I just looked and it appears this was made between 1927 and 1939. I had no idea it was that old. I don't remember if I've ever even shot it but chances are I have. I found this page that has some research on the years of different 520s. Might help. https://www.gunvaluesboard.com/stevens- ... -2617.html

[GunPanda]

This is interesting. I have a Stevens 620 12ga a friend gave me years ago that had a problem with the elevator that I fixed. It had a spring that was out of place if I remember correctly. Had a heck of a time figuring out how it broke down. It's a really nice gun but I just looked and it appears this was made between 1927 and 1939. I had no idea it was that old. I don't remember if I've ever even shot it but chances are I have. I found this page that has some research on the years of different 520s. Might help. https://www.gunvaluesboard.com/stevens- ... -2617.html

Oh wow, I'd never seen that website, that helped me narrow it down IMMENSELY. Thanks to the catalogs, descriptions, and other pictures, I was able to narrow the 12ga down to EARLY 1933-1935, and for my Grandfathers 16ga I was able to narrow it down to 1938-1939, the last two years that they made the double hump design. Thank you so much!

[WeldonHunter]

This is interesting. I have a Stevens 620 12ga a friend gave me years ago that had a problem with the elevator that I fixed. It had a spring that was out of place if I remember correctly. Had a heck of a time figuring out how it broke down. It's a really nice gun but I just looked and it appears this was made between 1927 and 1939. I had no idea it was that old. I don't remember if I've ever even shot it but chances are I have. I found this page that has some research on the years of different 520s. Might help. https://www.gunvaluesboard.com/stevens- ... -2617.html

Oh wow, I'd never seen that website, that helped me narrow it down IMMENSELY. Thanks to the catalogs, descriptions, and other pictures, I was able to narrow the 12ga down to EARLY 1933-1935, and for my Grandfathers 16ga I was able to narrow it down to 1938-1939, the last two years that they made the double hump design. Thank you so much!

Glad I could help. I actually didn't know a lot about the 620 I have so I learned something in the process. I have quite a few different old and newer shotguns and they're a blast...literally...to shoot. I live in Northern Louisiana and being a retired mechanic and cheap working on my own firearms is a given and my friends ask me to fix and clean up some of theirs from time to time. I was over at my neighbor's yesterday using his torches to braze a mower deck and while we were talking he told me he'd recently gotten his dad's Remington 1100 out of the his mom's place since she's in assisted care now. He wants me to look at it because his brother said it hangs up from time to time., My neighbor in his 70s and said this shotgun was the one he took his first deer with. Then he said I have something I want you to see. Keep in mind, I'm not from here and we're way out in the country. These people have been hunting to put food on the table their whole life. He went to the safe and brought back an old Remington pump 22lr. I'd seen pictures of guns like it and I told him it looks like an old galley gun, like the one's Rossi sells. Looks like a newer Rossi I fixed for another neighbor. I'd say it's probably from the 1920s give or take. He said he remembers his grandmother using it to hunt squirrels and she didn't miss, lol. What a cool old piece of history.

[IDguy]

It is almost impossible to accurately date these things. They had no serial numbers prior to 68, and as mentioned above, all or most of the records have been lost.