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Shotgun: History of gun, Year it was made.

New_Guy1982
This gun was givin to me. My grandmother said her father used it to hunt with, which would make this gun my great-granfathers. My grandmother is 79 years old, which would make this gun relativly old. I would like to know some history about this gun. What model, Year in which it was made, ect... I'm not worried about worth because it is worth more to me than any amount of money could ever be. Just to know that i have in my possession a gun that my great-gandfather used is amazing ; that I can hold a piece of my family's history is all the worth I need. It would be greatly appreciated if anyone with information about this gun could share the knowledge they have.

This is what I know about the Gun. It is a Stevens Shotgun Single Barrel 20 Gage. All Wood Stock. Now I have some Questions: My grandmother has has this gun in her closet for years but somehow speckles of yellow paint has made their way onto the wooden stock of this gun, like someone has painted right above it. How can I safley take this paint off? And the metal of this gun is rusted on the body, right above the trigger, and it has rust on outer part of the barrel. How can I safley take this rust off the body and the barrel with out damaging the gun?

Here Are the pics of the gun:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2730/4091343005_1b09cc7ce2_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2501/4091339371_a6fc72277a_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2542/4092105186_07d6f0f7c3_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2635/4091338183_3bc17b483a_b.jpg
In this pic you can see some of that paint on the gun

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2472/4092111756_9f7762909b_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2692/4092109446_a8595328bb_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2770/4092110646_2be9869e82_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2721/4091348855_cb7b61ce7f_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2496/4091351191_c9de17e6b2_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2544/4092117060_856d42af74_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2641/4091353801_9f50152625_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2677/4092121042_277a6c8681_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2495/4092125916_1bb1005d39_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2597/4092126918_849032cce6_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2421/4092127880_688411fa60_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2713/4092128910_17d0989863_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2588/4092122342_4df885dbd4_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2605/4091350159_e2fb4a0b55_b.jpg

Hope these Pics will help.

Thank You For Your Time,
BTB
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Comments

6 comments

Date Votes
  • cer
    it's a stevens model 94. some may disagree but to get surface rust off without hurting finish, use machine oil and 000 or 0000 steel wool to clean. wipe loosned rust off with cloth. really tuff rust let oil stand on metal overnight. will not take pitting out.
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  • perry shooter
    hello get some KROIL might find at local NAPA store. and with a a rag keep the area of rust wet for at least 24 hours then Burlap or brass POT SCRUBBER from grocery store and work on the rust do NOT use steel wool or wire brush as to the yellow paint That will be hard to remove with out removing any of the original finish on the wood you might want to try the same Kroil on the paint also.
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  • GuvamintCheese
    Take the gun apart and kroil it like they said above. I would take some goo gone and 0000 steel wool and lightly buff the paint off. Then rub the stock down with linseed oil.
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  • nord
    BTB -

    Even though value isn't a part of your question I need to mention it in my reply. Value is a part of your gun's history. Value and affordability is why the gun was purchased.

    Stevens was the manufacturer of a line of utility guns. Everything from boys rifles, to single shotguns, to pump and double shotguns. While they did make finer rifles, their bread and butter was in guns such as yours. Good quality guns that have stood the test of time. They sold for attractive prices when new and put food on many a table while keeping the family chicken coop cleared of varmints.

    Stevens made many models of your single over a long span of time. Most vary only in minor details. I half expect the exact model to be stamped somewhere on the gun, but it generally is of little interest to most people. I would guess that your particular shotgun was made sometime within a decade prior to WW2... Just a somewhat educated guess, mind you.

    While I realize the age may be important to you, you must understand that only one date is really important to collectors. December 31, 1898 is the last day of "antiques" in the US by law. Anything newer is a modern firearm. Stevens made almost uncountable numbers of these guns and no records exist, except to define your gun over a broad number of years.

    As to maintenance... Brass wool can be used to lightly scrub the rust. Combined with a bit of penetrating oil I would think it would do a reasonable job without further damaging the finish of the metal. After cleaning a light coat of gun oil would be nice.

    The paint is another story. Solvent will harm the finish on the wood. If you strip and refinish the stock, then you remove some of your grandfather in a sense. I've found that most paint spatters can be removed by gently scraping them with a hobby knife. Should the stock have an oil finish you'll not harm anything as that coat of gun oil will set things right. On a varnished finish you'll take your chances, but there's really no other way that I know about. And paint spatters, rust, and other signs of neglect and misuse are common to this type of firearm. After all, they were just a tool.

    I admire and commend you for caring about history rather than market value. Too many of us think only in dollars and cents. Your grandfather would be proud to know that you care so much. And maybe surprised that what he considered a mere tool would somehow bridge time.

    Good luck. Just be careful not to remove history when you clean the gun. Its history is its value.
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  • Ambrose
    If you haven't already done so, you should check under the butt plate and between the fore end and barrel for notes. It was common, with these guns, for a hunter to keep his license in the fore end and for him to write his name, etc. on a scrap of paper and put it under the butt plate. You may find more of your great grandfather this way. Hope you do!
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  • New_Guy1982
    Thanks Guys for all the help.
    I will try some of these techniques on the Gun.

    Thanks for all your help,
    BTB
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