Old Stevens Hammer Double

[cpt dan blodgett]

Just picked up an old shot gun that belonged to a co workers grand dad.  The wife is not sufficiently enlightened to allow such a barbaric implement in the house.

Is an old stevens hammered double that does not have a model number on it and says patents applied for.  Think same gun later became the Model 235

J Steven A &T Company
where ever MA
Patents applied for

Has 5 digit serial number on frame, foreend and barrel
Pears to be made from modern steel and is a mono block contstuction where barrels screw in to the mono block
Anybody know anything about these old guns.
Have done some research and the gun looks identical to the 235s only does not have that stamping or a patent date.

May have to hunt birds with it, seems to fit.  Throw it up on the shoulder and the bead is all I see down the barrel.
My modern shot guns show a lot of rib if I am not real careful how I mount them.

[Mako]

Dan,
Have you compared it to the 215 and 225 as well?  A lot of those guns were made for sale in stores with different names instead of Stevens.  A lot sold under the Riverside Arms name.

• What is the hammer shape, is it a crescent?
• When looking at the trigger guard from the side, does it split at the rear before it sweeps into the stock?  
• Is there a screw in the top lever seen from the top or is it smooth?  
• Is there a screw from the top in the top tang?  
• Have a picture?  

I'm assuming it has the crescent hammer, if you can answer the middle three questions I can narrow it down to 215, 225, or 235.

~Mako

P.S. Since it says "J Steven A & T Company" that means it was made before 1916, those patents pending issued beginning in 1914 if they are the ones I think they are.

• J. Stevens and Company 1867-1886
• J. Stevens Arms and Tool Company, 1886-1915
• No production 1916-1920  
• J. Stevens Arms Company 1920-1940  
• Stevens 1940-1991; 1999 to present

The 215 is a different and simplified design (cheaper) the 235 replaced the 225.

[cpt dan blodgett]

Dan,
Have you compared it to the 215 and 225 as well?  A lot of those guns were made for sale in stores with different names instead of Stevens.  A lot sold under the Riverside Arms name.
Have no clue as to what a 215 or 225 looks like
Camera Battery Died - will take a while to find charger

• What is the hammer shape, is it a crescent?

Looks like upside down comma swing around to form a C  Does not have the little round terminus of the older non monoblock guns

• When looking at the trigger guard from the side, does it split at the rear before it sweeps into the stock?  

Yes Y looking split wher front portion follows inside curve back curves to meet stock
One screw near end of tang on top

• Is there a screw in the top lever seen from the top or is it smooth?  

Screw in top of lever
Definately a box lock squared end of lock directly above front trigger
2 screws in front of trigger guard to remove lock

• Is there a screw from the top in the top tang?  

One screw near end of tang on top

• Have a picture?  

I'm assuming it has the crescent hammer, if you can answer the middle three questions I can narrow it down to 215, 225, or 235.

~Mako

P.S. Since it says "J Steven A & T Company" that means it was made before 1916, those patents pending issued beginning in 1914 if they are the ones I think they are.

• J. Stevens and Company 1867-1886
• J. Stevens Arms and Tool Company, 1886-1915
• No production 1916-1920  
• J. Stevens Arms Company 1920-1940  
• Stevens 1940-1991; 1999 to present

The 215 is a different and simplified design (cheaper) the 235 replaced the 225.

[Mako]

Dan,
Your shotgun is not a 235, it is a 225.  These are the features that identify it as a 225:

Screw in lever


Trigger guard splits at rear


This is what a 235 looks like:



And a 215 has no screw from the top in the rear tang:


I have read that a lot of the 225s weren't marked with the model number, if they were it would appear here:


There is one more thing I didn't mention because all 225s don't have them.  See the extension of the shape of the lock on the side of your stock and the one in the picture?  Now look at the 235, it doesn't have that carved form.  Some 225s don't have that either, some 235s have that stock shape.  It was a cost savings and reduced the amount of shaping on the stocks.  Those stocks usually had rudimentary checkering and it never came to a diamond point.
I hope this helps...

Regards,
Mako

[cpt dan blodgett]

Thanks Mako.  Now I know it is a 225
I did not have the camera far enough back but stock does have some pretty decent checkering. 

[Mako]

No problem.  From your pictures it looks like it is in good shape.  It's a good looking shotgun and well built.  If I had to guess a date I would say between 1912 and 1914.  It could be 1915, but they were replacing it with the 235 at that time.

Regards,
Mako

[cpt dan blodgett]

couple of dings in the left barrel, some pitting in the bore but what the heck should do just fine if I ever decide to shoot a classic coyboy or plainsman match.  Guess way back when they did not spend a lot of time getting corrosive primer residue out of the barrels of shotguns.

[TallBaldBellied]

Cain't help but say it!, YOU SUCK!!!  But I mean that in a good way.   Wish'n I could find something like that once't in a while.

[cpt dan blodgett]

Just glad my co worker is married to a communist

[cpt dan blodgett]

Resurrecting old thread as I finally took the beast to the range.  After a bit more cleaning the Model 225 actually shows on the bottom of receiver.  There is a serial number stamped on top of receiver under the barrels M and close to 48000.  With barrels off gun did a caveman chamber check.  Took fired star crimped shell with as large a diameter as I could muster and slide into chamber, absolutely no resistance felt so decided to shoot it today with 7/8 oz fiocci and 1 oz rem gunclub tgt loads.  If I do my part can actually bust a few birds shooting sporting clays even got the rabbit 1 out of 3 tried first 2 shots on rabbit more or less but landed in dirt a few yards short of the rabbit.