Inhereited some old guns.

[freakshow10mm]

Got 2 shotguns and a rimfire rifle from inheritance.

One is definitely a 12ga, the other possibly a 16ga or 20ga.

The small gauge is a WH Davenport Firearms Co single shot break action with 30 inch barrel. Says "Model 1855" with 1894-1896 is a patent date. This was my grandfather's uncle's gun. My grandfather was born in 1895 [d. 1994] and served with the US Army chasing Pancho Villa plus fought in both world wars. After WW2 he gave all his guns to my dad and said "I've done enough killing for two lifetimes. Get these out of my site forever." It was explained to my father the history of it in the family.

The 12ga is a World's Challenger Ejector model. Choke Bored is on the left chamber. Nothing else. Long barrel though, 32 inches.

Last one is a Stevens .22 Long or Long Rifle chamber. Tube fed repeater. Looks like it could be a Buckhorn 66, but the mag tube is a lot shorter than the Gun Trader's Guide (26ed) shows. Extends only 1.5 inches or so past the stock under the barrel.

Can anyone offer any insight to what these are from old catalogs?

[paul0660]

Very cool stuff, and you are lucky to have it. There are probably some forums that have members with good info, this is one: http://forums.gunboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=96

Ask questions respectfully as you have done and they will be nice to you. They give a lot of flak to the guys who register just to ask "what is this worth"?

[freakshow10mm]

Money isn't issue here, I just want to know about the gun history. I'll check it out.

[Fjold]

Unfortunately W H Davenport Firearms Co was in business about 4 different times in Norwich Connecticut and Providence Rhode Island, so exact histories are very hard to find.

On the other gun
Choke bore means that the bore is choked to some diameter smaller than .729" (for a 12 gauge). You will have to take an inside micrometer and measure the bore's inner diameter to see how much choke it was made with.

[sevensix2x51]

sorry, its my first chance to use it..

[freakshow10mm]

I haven't miked the bores yet. My digital has a dead battery and my vernier I gave away to a new handloader at a gun show.

I'm curious to know the gauge of the smaller one. A 20ga hull fit well with no wiggle but I'm not sure 20ga was that popular back then. I think it's a 16, but I'll have to mike the bore.

[freakshow10mm]

sorry, its my first chance to use it..

Oh, I forgot. I'll put my beer down and snap some pics. Hold on.

[freakshow10mm]

WH Davenport shotgun




World's Challenge Ejector

[freakshow10mm]

Stevens .22

[sevensix2x51]

those are rad on their own merits. being in the family for so long, easily doubles the radness! awesome!

[freakshow10mm]

Family history is pretty cool too. Traced my tree back to the 1500s and it's mostly boring stuff. In the 19th century there's a listing in Ellis Island for a J.J. Frank XV (the 15th) just before the Civil War. My father has a receipt from a general store in Oshkosh, WI (my hometown) with that name on it from 1860. Also is a bunch of stuff related to the Iron Brigade in a cedar chest that was donated to the Oshkosh museum years ago. Apparently my grandfather's uncle fought in the Civil War with the Iron Brigade from Wisconsin. My grandfather was born in 1895 and his father fought in the Spanish-American war, where he died in battle. My grandfather joined the Army in 1911 at the age of 16 and was assigned to a unit to capture/kill Poncho Villa. The army found out he was not 18 and kicked him out; he waited the 2 years and rejoined. He served in WWI and WW2 with the 42nd Rainbow division of the army. My father was born in 1952, and is J.J. Frank the 17th. Talk about an oops! When my dad was born, his dad was 57! My grandfather was born January 30, 1895 and died May 4, 1994 at the age of 99 years. He had about 9 months to live before he reached his goal of 100. Prostate cancer was just too much.

Sorry about that. Thinking about these guns sparked some memories.

[sevensix2x51]

family history is one of the coolest things to research! ive traced my family back to jamestown, va 1607, through my paternal grandfather. being a 4th generation san diego, ca native is pretty cool too. i am lucky enough to have my grandfather (who was the biggest shooting influence in my early years) still with us, i think any heirlooms from him would have a sour taste for a while... but hell, we're born, and we die. the only two constants in life...

[Mike A]

If the 20 fits with no slop, the single is probably a 20. It looks to me from your pic that it is really marked "Model 1865" and that is mainly promotional--there were still plenty of guys alive when that gun was made who thought 1865 was a "banner year" ( and lots who didn't.....). Just try a 16 in it and if it doesn't go, it's a 20. I suspect the real issue is whether it is a 2 1/2" 20, a 2 5/8" 20, or a modern 2 3/4" 20. Basically, shorter chamber=older gun, and I suspect this one might be a 2 1/2". People differ on whether you can safely shoot 2 3/4" in a shorter chamber. I would not. Certainly NOT 3" nor any steel shot.

The double needs some research; you need to pull the forend off and take pix of the bottoms of the barrels ("barrel flats") and the top of the reciever ("water table"). The marks there will tell the story of it's makers, unless there aren't any marks, as sometimes happens. I'll bet you a hatload of empty .38 Special brass that there is a crown marking with the letters ELG under it, indicating a Belgian maker. But that's just a guess.

Having "choke" marked on the outside usually means both barrels were choked; when it is only marked on one barrel flat (inside where you can't see it when the gun is assembled) it usually means that the other barrel is cylinder bored for shooting solid balls (called "punkin balls" in the old days) for big game. Of course you can shoot shot in it, too, and you'll get a really wide pattern. Sometimes they did the reverse, marking the one choked barrel "Not for ball".

That .22 is unlike any Stevens I've seen. It DOES look like an 86, but if it is, it probably had the barrel and magazine shortened to make it handier. Just another WAG, tho.

Interesting old guns--the kind many real people used to rely on. It wasn't all Colts and Winchesters; most people couldn't afford them.

[freakshow10mm]

It looks to me from your pic that it is really marked "Model 1865" and that is mainly promotional--there were still plenty of guys alive when that gun was made who thought 1865 was a "banner year" ( and lots who didn't.....).

I couldn't really make it out if it was 55,65, or 85. I just guessed.

I suspect the real issue is whether it is a 2 1/2" 20, a 2 5/8" 20, or a modern 2 3/4" 20. Basically, shorter chamber=older gun, and I suspect this one might be a 2 1/2". People differ on whether you can safely shoot 2 3/4" in a shorter chamber. I would not. Certainly NOT 3" nor any steel shot.

2 3/4 inch won't fully seat. I don't know what the chamber length is.

The double needs some research; you need to pull the forend off and take pix of the bottoms of the barrels ("barrel flats") and the top of the reciever ("water table"). The marks there will tell the story of it's makers, unless there aren't any marks, as sometimes happens. I'll bet you a hatload of empty .38 Special brass that there is a crown marking with the letters ELG under it, indicating a Belgian maker. But that's just a guess.

Both shotguns are singles.

Having "choke" marked on the outside usually means both barrels were choked; when it is only marked on one barrel flat (inside where you can't see it when the gun is assembled) it usually means that the other barrel is cylinder bored for shooting solid balls (called "punkin balls" in the old days) for big game. Of course you can shoot shot in it, too, and you'll get a really wide pattern. Sometimes they did the reverse, marking the one choked barrel "Not for ball".

That .22 is unlike any Stevens I've seen. It DOES look like an 86, but if it is, it probably had the barrel and magazine shortened to make it handier. Just another WAG, tho.

I thought that too. I checked the barrel for soldering marks for the magazine support, but don't see any.

[Gunaria]

The .22 maybe a Steven 46 but from the pics that I have of it, it doesn't seem to likely. But that's the closest I have found so far. I'll keep beating the bushes and maybe turn it up.