[cliffc]

Hi All - I will admit that I am not an active gun guy. I do fully support the 2nd amendment and the right of every American to own whatever gun they choose.

I have a double barrel shotgun that I inherited from my father that I am seeking information about. Unfortunately. he died when I was 12 so I didn't get the opportunity to get the information directly from him.

The gun is a 2 gauge labeled Stevens A & T Co. Chicopee, Mass. U S.A. A third line is undecipherable due to wear from the shooter's hand. The gun has side hammers which must be manually cocked and double triggers, one for each barrel. The breech to barrel end length is 32 inches. Serial number on all parts is 39307. The fore grip has inked checkering.

I'm looking for vintage and a source for a replacement butt plate for the stock as the original is missing. I recall the original had a rubber recoil pad, at least by the time I became familiar with the shotgun. My research has led me to believe this is a model 235. I also need one firing pin to bring this back to looking complete.

I have no real interest in firing this gun, but would like to get it back to as close to original as I can.

Thanks for what ever you can tell me about this gun.

[c3shooter]

First. welcome to the forum- glad you found your way here.

Stevens was a venerable company- founded in 1864, creator of the .22 LR cartridge, bought by Savage in 1920, operated as a subsidiary of Savage until they folded the name in 1950. Made a bit of everything including machine guns for the US military.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevens_Arms

Photos will help. If your gun IS a 235, parts will be a matter of luck, dedication, and ingenuity. Gunpartscorp.com has a partial illustration for the 235, that shows the firing pin and buttplate- but sold out. A true gunsmith can use the existing firing pin to machine a replacement for the missing one.

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/Manufacturers/SavageStevensSpringfieldFox-33479/Shotguns-40503/235-41291.htm?page=1

Maybe I can narrow down the date of birth a bit- the 235 was made from 1912-1915, ALL shotgun making stopped 1916, resumed 1920, and the model 235 ended production in 1932. The "Arms & Tool" name was not used after 1915, so you have somewhere between 1912-1915.

[cliffc]

Thanks for the replies and great info. I'll take a picture or two and post. I have found that gunstocksinc.com has replica butt plates for the 235, so that might be an option.

When I got the gun it had a rotted red/brown recoil pad which I suppose may not have been the original configuration. That part is long gone. Are there publications that would tell me what the likely original configuration of this gun would have been?

[cliffc]

Pictures - the checkering on the fore grip looks to be painted or inked. It is not carved in.

[c3shooter]

Click on that link I posted, and see what original buttplate looked like. You shotgun appears to have been refinished at some point- the "drawn on" checkering was cut into the wood, but was sanded down and varnished over. Same pattern as shown on the original forearm- also in that link.

[cliffc]

Thanks c3shooter. I found this thread: http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?topic=40720.0 that leads me to believe I have a 225 rather than a 235. I didn't post enough pictures to show it but my gun has the split at the rear of the trigger guard, the screw in the top lever, and the screw in the top rear tang. All three together apparently, identify this as a 225. I do know for a fact that the stock was finished since I got the gun. It had a great deal of moisture damage to the top coat (milky coloration). I expect it may have been refinished before I got it. I don't think this gun would have come with a stock rubber recoil pad if it was manufactured before 1917, but don't really know. I uploaded a couple more pictures showing the 225 features.

[twoolddogs]

Gunstocksinc.com has Stevens Model 235 reproduction butt plates with screws.

[cliffc]

Thanks twoolddogs. I found that and ordered one. It doesn't quit fit, but I expect if I put the recoil pad on it will work properly. I plan to take this in to a local gunsmith and have him perform the operation.

[c3shooter]

BTW Cliff- if you see the term "Hard rubber" on old buttplates- that is not soft squishy stuff- it is more like plastic or bakelite. I do not know just when they started using that, but have seen it on guns from the 1880s. You may also encounter the term gutta percha- some references take that back to 1845.

[twoolddogs]

Hard Rubber is actually rubber that has had a prolonged vulcanization and is 30-40% sulfur. It was marketed under the brand name Ebonite and has survived unchanged since the Civil War. Most manufacturers used Hard Rubber for buttplates and pistol grips well into the 20th century until replaced by synthetics

Gutta Percha is the sap of the Palaquium genus of tropical trees that has been in use since circa 1842 and was used extensively for pistol grips and buttplates until replaced by synthetics in the 20th century.

IIRC, Smith & Wesson provided gutta percha presentation cases of two types that were very brittle and are now valuable collectors items due to their limited rate of survival.