Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Iver Johnson ??

I just found tucked away in a closet an Iver Johnson 12ga single shot hammer shotgun that my 1st friend gave to me in the early 70s.. Mr. Charles Eston was born in 189? something.. As a young boy I would sit with him on his porch while he smoked cigars/pipe and tell me stories about his youth on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.. He was born and grew up in Oxford Md.. God that man set the hook in me to hunt waterfowl... I think about him a lot.. I have visited his grave in Oxford right next to the water and ducks loafing and walking about.. That was a few years ago and I got all knotted up inside.
The serial number on the gun is 47484.. How do I find the manufacture date?? I looked on the net and found nothing... With all the B-B guns I have I have never killed a bird with this one... I would like to change that if I could...

Gotta say, a single barrel shotgun is about as useful gun around the 'farm' as there is a bunch of times.

I've got a 410 adapter in my 20 gauge at the moment for snakes. The wife doesn't like shooting it as a 20 gauge.

Second that. I keep "The Black Prince" .410 out in the shop. Heck Ive got some slugs on the side too! I've got after hogs here on the place with it too! Busted one once with it few years back!

Thank you...

I've got an old Stevens single shot .410 sitting in the gun safe, it's a great grouse gun. I'm almost willing to bet your Iver Johnson is of the same manufacture as my Stevens as many of those old shotguns shared the same lineage.

The biggest downside to single shot shotguns is that they kick like a mule.

i've got a 1936 iver johnson 20 gauge single. my dad got it as a graduation present from his dad in 1936 when he graduated high school. his dad gave him a choice of either that or a class ring. they each cost $8. dad chose the gun. it is still in nice shape with case coloring and good wood. front sight fell out of it years ago though. kicks like a friggen mule.

I used to shoot piles of squirrels growing up with a single barrel .410. I let my nephew have it when Dad passed last year. There will be another in the safe when my boys get a little older and can use it.

Most kick pretty good.

But the king of them all is that old Stevens M94 single shot with a hollow plastic stock.

Lord have mercy!

I would suggest not actually making that bet. Iver and Stevens were different companies at this time as was Savage. The latter two combined later on but Iver was on its own until going insolvent in the 80s. The name was bought and sold a couple of times since. I think it might be part of the Kahn conglomerate now.

That link is about the best reference for IJ shotguns, the only way I have of narrowing down further is based on the opening mechanism. I don't think there is a data base for determining the year of manufacture for shotguns as with the handguns but I wouldn't be surprised if there was something in Bill's records. It is sad he died when he did, there was so much more to learn of these utilitarian guns.

Savage 24

I have an old single shot 12guage called a "long tom". because of it's long barrel about 36inch if i remember without checking.
It had the stock cut down some given my grandfather, who wasn't very big, don't know how long he had it, but i remember it has far back as the 60's. It disappeared through the ages under a family member gave it to me stating it was given to him by his father who had been given it by the grandfather. That i highly doubt. Anyway family member had removed the firing pin and ejector for another shotgun.
Wasn't working when i got it. After taking a drawing of the breech, gun parts corp worked with me to find the proper ejector. The gun was made under various labels, but the parts were not all the same. I did get it working.
And yeah as a kid i remember it did kick.

Iver Johnson started out in 1871 making bicycles and motorcycles as well as guns.

Some of their old top break revolvers are marked
"Iver Johnson Bicycle Works"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iver_Johnson

Stevens started in 1864 and never built anything but firearms

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

My old single shot 16 gauge is marked Champion, Iver Johnson's Arms & Cycle Works, FITCHBURG MASS. USA

Very well made old shotgun.
Doc