Stevens 12 ga restoration

[Rancid Crabtree]

All the restorations I have posted lately have begun with a bit of background or history about the gun about to be restored. Unfortunately that wont be the case with this 100 year old single shot 12 ga because I don’t know what it is beyond the fact that it’s a Stevens and it was made between 1900 and 1916. Based on the low number I suggest its on the earlier end of that range. I asked for help identifying this gun on a variety of boards and so far I have only been able to rule out guns that it is not.

Its not a Stevens 125, 115 or 105 or 107 or a 94 and a long list of others that it is not. This is proving to be a problem since locating a replacement stock for a 100 year old gun you don’t know the model number of is tough. I picked up the shotgun at an estate sale because it looked like a challenge. (I love those) and the price was right.

Like other restorations it’s a mess but I like to take what are essentially $10 guns and put 30 or 40 hours and $100 into them and turn them into $15 guns. (it’s a sickness, I know) It doesn’t have to make sense it only has to be enjoyable.

So here it is in all its broken glory.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens1_zpsad55bb82.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens2_zpseea9d6f1.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens3_zps2df40b98.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens4_zpsfc4f2a34.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens5_zps802b873c.jpg

Thats a brass screw above the firing pin even though the years have given it a black petina.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens6_zps91c142a3.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens7_zpsd1bf5726.jpg

The thing about identifying this make is the joint were the stock meets the receiver. Most of the advertising (that can be found) shows a crescent shape in the stock/receiver joint like this. As well as a screw head for a removable screw at the front of the receiver where the barrel pivots.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens9999_zpsd5daabfc.jpg

But this make has a straight joint and no removable pin for the barrel pivot.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens8_zpsc4b41237.jpg

It also has a checkered stock and only certain Stevens of this vintage had that. But as you can see, both the butt and fore arm stock need replacing. For this gun I would rather buy a replacement than make one since spring his here and I have lots of outdoor tasks to take on.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens9998_zpsbe9527c4.jpg

If you are a Steven authority and can shed some light on this gun, please do so. I don’t know if it helps but there are no internal coil springs in the receiver. All the springs are flat stock.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens993_zps2756d0ec.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens99991_zps932740f5.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens994_zps1c3da645.jpg

And this is how the fore stock mounts.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens995_zps4d4ece9c.jpg

The barrel lug

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens9992_zps727704b1.jpg

Normally I start with the wood due to dry times of the finish but for this one I have no wood so it may remain an incomplete restoration until I learn more about which make this gun is so as to locate a stock.

At any rate, Ziploc bags of naval jelly have their work cut out for them.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens996_zps7e1f0dd9.jpg

To be continued…..

[GoodOlBoy]

Rancid I still have to say I always enjoy your posts, and while this is a mystery to me (not a stevens expert just a fan) I am interested to see what you find out. Don't worry about that sickness on rebuilding $10 guns into $15 guns. Several of us have that malady :p I probably spent more than $100 cleaning up and fixing up a OLD beatup Winchester model 67 years ago just go get it into shooting shape. Picked it up for a $20 bill out of a cull bin at an old gun shop about a decade back. heck the sites were rusted OFF of the gun (just dovetail bases left in the slots with little lumps of rusted crud sticking up. cleaned it up, scrubbed it down, put some marbles semi buckhorn sites on it. Darned thing shoots a dime with 22 shorts or longs at squirrel range, but it HATES "hyper velocity" modern 22 long rifle rounds. I betcha I couldn't get my $20 back at a gun shop for it, which is good cause it ain't for sale :p

Let us know how the search on the mystery stevens goes. I bet Skeet, Gil, or Adam might have some very educated guesses on it.

Richard

[GoodOlBoy]

Alright to add an ad (you have probably seen this one) it mentions a 180, a 103, 107, a 105, and a 115. I know you have already eliminated several of those, but it had some descriptors of the guns that might or might not help. BTW it took about three trys for me to even get the page to load and the scan is CRUMMY to say the least.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/42911740

Anyway good luck to ya!

Richard

[Rancid Crabtree]

Thanks for looking into it. Those are some pretty poor pictures indeed.

All the parts were de-rustified (Is that a word?) and then cleaned up and given a brushed finish. Im messing around with Herters (now Arts) Belgian as an alternative to cold bluing. I tried the trigger guard first. Its more effort than wipe on cold blue since it involved boiling the parts and repeatedly applying the blue, carding, boiling but it gives the part a darker black (and more matte) appearance than cold bluing. It’s the cross between rust bluing and cold bluing.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens9_zpsbe358771.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens91_zps3afa2935.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens92_zps351acc93.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens95_zpsd76b3281.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens96_zpsa561a67f.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens97_zps550f8f6a.jpg

The remaining part were cold blued with Nu-Blu

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens997_zpsc6097c91.jpg

There is a coloration difference but I have not ruled out dissimilar metals as being the cause.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens998_zpsf915af1e.jpg

At any rate, I maintain the option of stripping down all the parts and using Belgian blue on all the parts.

Here is it back together again.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens98_zpsc77d8a1f.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens99_zps01485e1f.jpg

The next step is stripping and rebluing the barrel. Its not in terrible shape as far as rust goes but it does have a few dings and some rust pitting in the metal that will remain.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens999_zps0795e695.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens9991_zpsa45fda25.jpg

I will remove the barrel lug and mount the barrel in my wood lathe and give it a 220, 320, 400, 600 grit job and then steel wool. I plan to use the Belgian blue on the barrel which means I need to fashion a tank to boil it in.

Since I was going to be using the Belgian blue any way and wanted to rule out dissimilar metal I took a couple of old bolts and cut the heads off and cleaned them up to 400 grit and applied Nu-Blu to one and Belgian blue to the other then I placed them both in a bag of Strike hold for 24 hours. Here are the results after a wipe down.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens99992_zpsae222749.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens99993_zpse548f53c.jpg

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c239/212007154/stevens99994_zps2e092175.jpg

While the pictures do a poor job of showcasing the difference, its clear that the Belgian blue is deeper, blacker and more matte than the cold blue.

Since the weather is nicer and because the barrel is larger than a trigger guard and because of the Mercuric Chorlide in the Belgian blue I want to do this bluing outside. My boiling tank will be heated by my 5 burner gas BBQ grill with a tank of suitable size that still need to be made.

To be continued…….

[GoodOlBoy]

No problem on the looking into it. Man Rancid I gotta say you do some DANGED fine work. If you weren't so far away I would be tempted to try to tempt you to reblue a couple of old bangers I have laying around for me. Well that and you have all those trad archery memberships it would be hard to keep me and dad from pickin yer brain constantly :p Looking forward to seeing more of your work as always!

Richard

[Jack]

Nice work!
On the stock, I suspect most of the Stevens receivers would be similar, if not quite the same. Might be that getting as close as you can on the wood, and then doing some minor inletting/modification will get you a stock without too much work.