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Iver Johnson 410

bearcat68
What is the significance of a serial # with letters as opposed to one with numbers? I have one with the letters FTBU only on all parts. Thanks for any help, James
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5 comments

Date Votes
  • bearcat68
    Iver Johnson 410 2 1/2" chamber. That was my first shotgun and of course it was a single shot hammer type.
    My question is this, has anyone else shot a 3" shell in a gun like this or am I the only one. I have no clue how I could have even closed the gun up, seems like it should have been difficult. I was only 12 and my dad gave me a box of 3" shells. I complained to him that it really kicked hard. He said well let me shoot it and then he said yes it does and looked at the spent shell casing and it had only opened up to probably .375" if that.
    I to this day don't know why that would make it kick so hard. Any thoughts on that?
    The 410 Iver was really thick at the chamber and I think that possibly even a 12 ga. barrel would interchange. That's the only reason it didn't blow up.
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  • b.goforth
    iver johnson single barrel shotguns with all letter for a serial number were manufactured in the 1940's and 1950's and most likely into the 1960's. there have been at several discussions on iver johnson shotguns serial number on the forum recently. there is even an explation of the code for the all letter serial numbers. try the search function using champion as the key word.

    bill
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  • bearcat68
    Thanks for the help, but still trying to find an explanation for an all letter serial # FTBU
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  • perry shooter
    each letter translates to a number example ftbv could be 6029 butI can't remember the code for what letter = what number. [:I]
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  • b.goforth
    the letters are the serial numbers and the code used is taken from the name of the town FITCHBURG F=1 thur G=9 and then X=0. but remember this serial number series did not start until the 1940's.

    if these single barrel shotguns are transfered to or from a dealer who must log them into his bound book the letters must be used as the identifing serial number.

    the letters and the key used is just another way of say this shotgun serial number FTBU was the 1,367th numbered after this serial number series was started. there are other series with out letter and some with one letter suffiz and another with two letter suffixes and even one with a single letter prefix.

    with all that said the true explanation for using the letters was a way iver johnson could hide their production numbers from their competitors, mainly H&R.
    bill
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