Help dating this shotgun - Western field model 52-sd51a dbl sxs 12ga

[esilva208]

So I have done tons of research on this. To which this is what Ive concluded...

I have a Western field model 52-sd51a dbl sxs 12ga. It was my grandfathers and It shoots great today.

My grandfather came over from Portugal with my grandmother,mother and aunt in 1967. Both my Grandparents have passed so I can't ask them.

From online this is what Ive gotten. Its a J.Stevens 5100 Action (it does have 5100 on the right side. The left side is Western field model 52-sd51a, sold by Montgomery wards

The stock is tenite and it has a dog on the left and bird on the right.

It has no serial number, so it is Pre-1968 but It does have markings...


This is the left side ...

left side

• esilva208
• May 15, 2015

This shows the markings on the action portion. it has A,E (in circles)j,q,v then S on the other side.

action

• esilva208
• May 15, 2015

The is underbarrel where the forend attaches at the top. It has a G.J on it.

underbarrel foreend

• esilva208
• May 15, 2015

This last one has the same marking as A,E,J,Q and then maybe a R.

underbarrel

• esilva208
• May 15, 2015

This is what I've found online.

After WW-II the Tenite stocked double with the 5100 action was the Springfield No. 311 in 1947 --

311

• esilva208
• May 15, 2015

By the 1948 Savage/Stevens/Fox catalogue it became the Stevens Model 311 --.

311-2

• esilva208
• May 15, 2015

These are the guns that are the same as a Wards Model 52.

Steven Date Codes
Collectors will find a date code stamped on every double-barrel shotgun in the Stevens brands produced between March 1949 and December 1968. Usually it is behind the hinge pin or ahead of the trigger guard on the bottom of the frame. It will appear as a small circle containing a number and a letter. The letters correspond to the years shown in the following table. Significance of the numbers is not known. It may be the month. If it does not have a code it is pre 1949.
A-1949 B-1950 C-1951 D-1952 E-1953 F-1954

G-1955 H-1956 I-1957 J-1958 K-1959 L-1960

M-1961 N-1962 P-1963 R-1964 S-1965 T-1966

U-1967 V-1968 W-1969 X-1970
These codes can be found in the Standard Catalog of Firearms.

SO would this picture with the circled A would that make it a 1949 model, but there is no number like it says for the steven date codes

action

• esilva208
• May 15, 2015

Hope this all makes sense

Read More

 

[Goosebrown]

"Help dating this shotgun"

Dude. No one dates shotguns. You date ARs and AKs or maybe if you are into upscale, a SIG. Then you settle down with a shotgun when you are older and done spreading your oats.

 

[esilva208]

"Help dating this shotgun"

Dude. No one dates shotguns. You date ARs and AKs or maybe if you are into upscale, a SIG. Then you settle down with a shotgun when you are older and done spreading your oats.

Really, no one dates shotguns. I guess I was fooled by all the threads and posts on the internet of people dating this actual gun, in its various formats. But are unable to because of its age and the fact that savage lost most of its paperwork pre 50s in a fire.

What a wonderful first interaction I get from this website. I ask for help and I get what you say. Nice

Do you think that maybe I would like to know because it was my grandfather's.

 

[Fast Eddie]

Cool old shotgun, I'm afraid I'm not going to be much help with dating the gun. Coming from a family of ranchers, the under barrel marking looks like a cattle brand. It's possible that this gun served on someone's ranch. It would be interesting to know who's brand it is.

 

[esilva208]

Cool old shotgun, I'm afraid I'm not going to be much help with dating the gun. Coming from a family of ranchers, the under barrel marking looks like a cattle brand. It's possible that this gun served on someone's ranch. It would be interesting to know who's brand it is.

From what I've seen of other pictures of this style shotgun they all have a marking on that piece of the underbarrel. But they don't look like the one I have. Usually they were in a circle.

I wanna say this gun is from 1949.

 

[Bon Sauvage]

"Date" as in, "go out with"…..it's a joke, friend.

 

[esilva208]

"Date" as in, "go out with"…..it's a joke, friend.

See he was lacking miley faces or a lol.... Now that you explained it, it makes some sense... Lol

 

[Goosebrown]

Sorry. I'll keep my mouth shut. Good luck on figuring out what it is. Interesting to know what Grandpa bought and when. I understand that.

 

[Bon Sauvage]

I am musing here…..I'd hazard a guess and say that with more than one date mark you should go with the later date. Perhaps the receiver was made in 1949 but the shotgun didn't come together as a whole until 1953. I don't know, just stirring the pot a little I guess.

 

[esilva208]

Sorry. I'll keep my mouth shut. Good luck on figuring out what it is. Interesting to know what Grandpa bought and when. I understand that.

It's OK. Now I understand I had to re read it a few times with ogres help.

 

[Velzey]

Im with Ogre on this one! These shotguns were mfg by a few different companys and parts sat around and didn't get assembled. The nice thing is its in decent shape and parts are easy to get for it! Only thing that ever wears out in them is the sears and the springs go weak. Pull the buttstock off and spray some lube in there around the hammers!

 

[esilva208]

I am musing here…..I'd hazard a guess and say that with more than one date mark you should go with the later date. Perhaps the receiver was made in 1949 but the shotgun didn't come together as a whole until 1953. I don't know, just stirring the pot a little I guess.

That's a interesting concept. That could be possible. But one thing is the stock on it. They stopped making and using the termite stock in 51.

 

[Velzey]

I bet they had a bunch of the Tenite stocks in stock and used them up over a few years. I know like Remington did with their early nylon 66 stocks. They made a ton of them early on and used them on rifles for years! So some of the new nylon serial numbers were using older date coded stocks.

 

[esilva208]

So what kind of shot can I use through full and modified. I'm using 7 1/2 lead right now.

What can I use for steel?

 

[Bon Sauvage]

Any kind of lead bird shot will work through it. If you are a man of means so will bismuth shot. If you are a wealthy man tungsten-matrix ought to work beautifully.

I own a 311 and would never consider shooting steel through mine.

 

[Classic]

OK, I'm twisted but when I first read this I though WTF? Dating a shotgun is worse than dating a german shepherdn then I figured it out...... I guess I've had one too many Manhattans tonight cause I've been correcting my spelling every 3rd word.......

 

[esilva208]

Haha

 

[Certaindeaf]

When you figure it out, might as well just stamp that ol' girl to save your grandchild some grief.

 

[esilva208]

When you figure it out, might as well just stamp that ol' girl to save your grandchild some grief.

Right! At least its narrowef down between 49 to 53

 

[mjbskwim]

If it's an older shotgun,you do not want to shoot steel thru it. It could split the barrel